Best headlight cleaning method
 

After a couple of years of reading threads about headlight cleaners on line, I come to the conclusion that there is no one product that could be considered the best universally.
People are confused as to how to define just what their problem is. Some headlights need cleaning and others need resurfacing.
Your headlight may need resurfacing if the surface is damaged, by way of scratches or pits.
Highway driving is rough on plastic/acrylic headlights.
If you live in a invironment where sand is a problem resurfacing would be the most likely answer.
Cleaning won't help these lens.
The resurfacing kits range from laughable to serious. They sell themselves as headlight cleaning kits but they in fact are a resurfacing kit.
Some include sealers that claim to replace the protective UV layer but thats remains to be proven.
Most are just or polyureathane or acrylic sealers. Some even use varnish.
The results vary from "a nice job" to "what the heck have i done"
The high end headlight kits that require the use of various power applications normally yield the better results if they are applied by a person who has some tool skills.
On the low end you will find the "Elbow Grease kits".
These kits do not require power tools in their application and mainly rely on sandpaper and plastic polish. These are more likely to leave your lens in worse condition. Clouded with scratches.
The vast majority of headlights do not need resurfacing, They are clouded with oxidation and they need to be cleaned.
Oxidation can be removed several ways.
Some believe in wet sanding
Others swear by toothpaste
Then there is rubbing compound or plastic polish. They are market as de oxidizers but they are not true de oxidizers.
A true acrylic de oxidizer is pure liquid, It has no abrasives, and reacts to oxidation on contact.
This method does not cause further damage to the lens or present a need to use a sealer because it does not remove the UV layer.
While this method is perfect for the instant removal of naturally occurring oxidation it cannot repair a lens that has surface damage.
For surface damage its best to invest in a high end power assisted resurfacing kit if you have tool skills.

Is this the only thing you have to post productively on this forum?

I'd like to see you do this to an 87-99 Bonneville BTW.... Cuz I'm sure there is most certainly a UV Coating on the Lense.... :roll:

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Overlay sheets FTW!
http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight.asp

:?


OH......I gets it now :P

Nyuck Nyuck Nyuck.......

FWIW....I run headlight covers ;)

Glass headlights FTW. ;)

Amen to that :D

Just some invisible glass and a rag and you've got absolutely brand new headlights all over again. :lol:

This is a interesting product.
On the one hand it seems like it would offer ultimate chip protection for a new lens but at what cost?
A look at the installation tools reveals costly proceedure.
What happens when this layer gets worn and faded?
Can the XPEL UV protector be removed without damaging the lens surface that has been protecting? They did not appear to offer any type of adhesive remover.

Do what?

What Don was trying to say is this....only the 2k-up models have plastic lenses. The 2 gens before then got glass peepers...we don't have to worry about polishing our optics.

So my 95 is glass?


:lol: :lol: :lol:

I've been using Meguiar's Plastx all this time (it worked great, of course)...made for plastic lights :lol: