ShaneN.

Has anyone dealt with the 2012+ headlights and trying to restore them (although I'm sure previous years were same material). My cars headlights look fairly fine until the headlights are on and at night with the headlights on it's quite noticeable. They have some super fine chips that I can just barely feel with the edge of my nail but are sandblasted looking for the most part. They aren't foggy or yellow at all. I've read good things about both the 3m and meguires heavy duty headlight kids (similar), but I'm worried about messing up what I assume are pretty expensive headlights. I'm almost wonder if some sort of self leveling coating over top might help without having to shave down the headlight until it's got a fresh layer. I'm interested in what you guys have had results with. Is it safe to just use one of the typical kits?

Here are some pics below with lights on, on a fairly sunny day, they look the same but more obvious at night.

SuckaGDog

Amr_c63

Funkwagen

To fully get rid of it, the lenses will have to be replaced entirely. The amount of sanding/wet sanding you'd have to do to remove the sand blasting will end up being detrimental to the lense. The UV/scratch resistant coat will be removed; the lights will yellow, fog/haze and scatch much more easily. This can be slowed down with PPF, but it's best to buy new lenses, install them, and immediately have PPF applied to them to prevent it from happening all over again

ShaneN.

How much are lenses and what kind of job is it to replace them. I'd be worried about them leaking.

ShaneN.

That's kind of what I was worried about I'm sure there would be plenty of thickness left and I know there is products out there to put a coating back on like opti-lens headlight coating, although it's about 100cad for a syringe. So is my only real downside losing the coating? There's got to be somehow whos tried the wetsanding/ headlight kit method that has some results/experience to share.

Amr_c63

Jasonoff

I've been looking for some. The reviews for headlight-headlamp.com have been meh though.

http://www.headlight-headlamp.com/Me...nt-Repair.html

Have you found other sources?

Jasonoff

Your's look amazing compared to mine lol. Whatever clear film they put on is peeling off and cracking.

Funkwagen

I did try, and it did fix up some of the more minor sandblasting. 400 grit - 800 - 1000 - 2000 - 3000 and polish, followed by PPF applied for some protection. Problem is you really have to sand the hell out of them with something like 120 grit to get rid of those pits, they're much deeper than you'd think. I'd honestly be worried not only about removing the UV coat entirely but actually thinning out the plastic lens a bit.

edit: that weird mark you see on the top lense is actually a haze formed in the inner lense, that part did not come out with wet sanding/polish, both lenses in this pic have been polished/sanded

Unfortunately with the headlights on, it still illuminates a lot of the pitting. The downside of losing that UV coating is a big one - I'd keep your headlights the way they are, maybe with a minor polishing, and apply PPF now before it gets worse

Yuille36

My suggestion once their all cleaned up, is to install Paint Protection Film (PPF) this will protect your headlights for years to come. I'm having my fog lights done tomorrow, as I've had to install two new sets due to cracked lenses in just over a years time on my E63

Amr_c63

Mine are weird I have stains inside the lens themselves , some imperfections on the outside but it bothers me . Plus I want to black out the inside so might as well swap the lenses .

Jasonoff

Found another supplier.

https://www.bimmerjakes.com/en/merce...2007-2011.html

Junaidh

I ordered mine from this website. Took a week and half to arrive to Canada.

Jasonoff

1. Did you get kicked in the nads for duty or anything?
2. Happy enough with the quality?
3. Have any pics?

ShaneN.

I thought the original owner lived on a gravel road or something, I had no idea this was such a "thing". My car only has 50k KM on it and I've never had a car with this issue before. Weird.

kimeran

My car also had very bad sandblasting on the headlights. But I raced a lot (and lost a lot clearly)

Junaidh

1. Didn't get hit with duties at all. Probably because it came from Latvia and not US
2. They seem original, they had the same markings as my old ones.
3. I have one but it looks terrible. I will take some more this weekend and post them up.

Junaidh

Here are the pics. I didn't take any before pics except the ones posted. The lights on is before I replaced the lens.

Jasonoff

Yeah those look mint. Ordering a set now. Thanks!

ShaneN.

Junaidh how hard was the process? I live in a very rainy climate and I'd be worried I wouldn't get them sealed properly again. Or ruin them when taking off the old ones for that matter.

BLKROKT

Junaidh

It is pretty straight forward and you can use the old sealant if you wanted, just make sure to heat up the lights once you have them back together and moisture will not get in.

Alex.currie44

Totally disagree with your answer. As noted above you can refinish the lens and putting at PPF coating in them will help keep them fresh.
I did 2 Toyotas - 2004 and 2008 - that stumbled around in the dark the lighting was so poor and when I got done I can see the glow of a stop sign in the dark country side nearly 3/4 of a mile down the road.
I bought a $20 kit and didn't even use the drill polisher. Took about 30 minutes by hand for each car.
I would be concerned about sealing the units if replacing the lens and off gassing from a sealant MAY affect the mirrors
An easy and inexpensive way to restore the lenses.

Jasonoff

The problem is the film installed on the OEM lights. That $20 kit you're referring to (I probably used the same kit on my S2000 with success) wouldn't stand a chance against my C63 lenses.

You'd need to sand it down to the original plastic to remove the cracked, pitted film. Since there's no easy way to control how much material you're removing, you'd likely just end up compromising the lens like was mentioned above.

So I ordered new lenses.