Headlight restoration?
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00 E320 W210
Headlight restoration?
I got a kit from strauss auto, and i followed it step by step. It ended up being nice clear and polished on the top of the headlight lenses, and the bottom still had a fog cloud build-up(still do/attachment before and after). Idk if i should try using the kit again on the bottom or do the whole thing over again. They are a lot clearer than they appear in the picture, just the sun is beaming at them.. can't get a good angle at the time of day. maybe ill post another when the sun starts to go down.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
This is how
they should come out and you don't need a kit.
400 600 1000 2000 grit wet sand paper
a bucket of water with a splash of dish soap. Lightly sand with a sponge wrapped under the sand paper after you have soaked the sand paper for a half hour. Keep dipping it in the water sand side to side for about 5 minutes with the 400 grit then 5 minutes top to bottom the next grit and so on up till the 2000 grit and then get the buffing wheel out and polish the uniform haze to a high shine with Meguires plastx or menzerna intensive polish. Keep the buffer moving if you stay in one place you may scar the lens.Also do't have the buffer going crazy fast.
The first and last pics are the befores the third pic is the during the second pic is the almost done and the night time pic is with the 65watt www.danielsternlighting.com
rally bulbs installed. No malfunction warnings and lots more light.
More headlight polishing tips on www.benzworld.org w210 diy section.
400 600 1000 2000 grit wet sand paper
a bucket of water with a splash of dish soap. Lightly sand with a sponge wrapped under the sand paper after you have soaked the sand paper for a half hour. Keep dipping it in the water sand side to side for about 5 minutes with the 400 grit then 5 minutes top to bottom the next grit and so on up till the 2000 grit and then get the buffing wheel out and polish the uniform haze to a high shine with Meguires plastx or menzerna intensive polish. Keep the buffer moving if you stay in one place you may scar the lens.Also do't have the buffer going crazy fast.
The first and last pics are the befores the third pic is the during the second pic is the almost done and the night time pic is with the 65watt www.danielsternlighting.com
rally bulbs installed. No malfunction warnings and lots more light.
More headlight polishing tips on www.benzworld.org w210 diy section.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 30
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00 E320 W210
they should come out and you don't need a kit.
400 600 1000 2000 grit wet sand paper
a bucket of water with a splash of dish soap. Lightly sand with a sponge wrapped under the sand paper after you have soaked the sand paper for a half hour. Keep dipping it in the water sand side to side for about 5 minutes with the 400 grit then 5 minutes top to bottom the next grit and so on up till the 2000 grit and then get the buffing wheel out and polish the uniform haze to a high shine with Meguires plastx or menzerna intensive polish. Keep the buffer moving if you stay in one place you may scar the lens.Also do't have the buffer going crazy fast.
The first and last pics are the befores the third pic is the during the second pic is the almost done and the night time pic is with the 65watt www.danielsternlighting.com
rally bulbs installed. No malfunction warnings and lots more light.
More headlight polishing tips on www.benzworld.org w210 diy section.
400 600 1000 2000 grit wet sand paper
a bucket of water with a splash of dish soap. Lightly sand with a sponge wrapped under the sand paper after you have soaked the sand paper for a half hour. Keep dipping it in the water sand side to side for about 5 minutes with the 400 grit then 5 minutes top to bottom the next grit and so on up till the 2000 grit and then get the buffing wheel out and polish the uniform haze to a high shine with Meguires plastx or menzerna intensive polish. Keep the buffer moving if you stay in one place you may scar the lens.Also do't have the buffer going crazy fast.
The first and last pics are the befores the third pic is the during the second pic is the almost done and the night time pic is with the 65watt www.danielsternlighting.com
rally bulbs installed. No malfunction warnings and lots more light.
More headlight polishing tips on www.benzworld.org w210 diy section.
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From: Pittsburgh,PA, Cambridge, Ontario, CN
2003 S210 3.8L Brabus wagon
Starting with 400-600 is really aggressive. My wife's car had bad yellowing haze and I started with 1000 then 1500 and finally 3000. Then polished it with Meguiars lens cleaning polish bot from Pep Boys. They sparkle. Word of caution , go light pressure with the sanding action. It is only plastic and scratches pretty easily. Too much and you will scar the lens. Also Griot's Garage.com has a really nice 3 inch oribital polisher for about a hundred bucks with the pads. Great for doing this kind of work.
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09' E320
Secrets to long life: Keeping up with a reasonable level of DIY service, preventive maint, a good oil and watching gauges always.
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00 E320 W210
I'm just scared of scarring the lenses, so do I do it all over again. I was thinking of using the 3M restoration kit, what do you guys think? I got a pic of what the headlights look now, you can see the couldiness still hanging in there after two time of sanding and polishing.
Last edited by absolutevodka; Jul 3, 2009 at 08:17 PM.
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From: Santa Clarita, Calif. (SO. Calif.)
1999 Mercedes E320 Wagon & 1927 Bugatti Kit Car
I'm just scared of scarring the lenses, so do I do it all over again. I was thinking of using the 3M restoration kit, what do you guys think? I got a pic of what the headlights look now, you can see the couldiness still hanging in there after two time of sanding and polishing.
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From: Honolulu, Hawaii
2001 E55, 2002 ML55, 2002 SL500, 2003 CLK55
I bought a kit from Harbor Freight for $14.95 and I used a 20% off coupon which made it even less and it did a great job but it's only good for 2 headlights. I only needed to do the left side because the body shop just replaced the right ones (I hit a pickup truck). This kit requires a 1200 RPM drill (I used my cordless 1100 RPM drill) and I really had what appeared to be hard water stains on the lower half of the lenses. I had previously hand sanded with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to no avail. It really needed the 1100 RPMS to do the job. I can reuse the kit by cutting new discs and gluing them on and I believe I can use the lens cleaner I bought previously for the final polishing with this kit. I am very happy now.
Amazon sells the 3M kits for under $20 if I recall correctly.
To get off the original coating that yellows is in my experience nearly impossible by hand. If the kits were more expensive I'd consider doing it by hand but being so inexpensive it's hard to beat.
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
4 sheets
of wet paper, some polish and a sponge or sanding foam pad and a buffer. What could be easier than that. Look at the results in my post.
Can the results be any clearer
Easy way to get off the yellow haze before sanding. Mask off area and lightly spray easy off oven cleaner let sit for a few and wash off with plenty of warm soapy water. Then start sanding.
Can the results be any clearer
Easy way to get off the yellow haze before sanding. Mask off area and lightly spray easy off oven cleaner let sit for a few and wash off with plenty of warm soapy water. Then start sanding.
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From: Pittsburgh,PA, Cambridge, Ontario, CN
2003 S210 3.8L Brabus wagon
Take it easy go gently on the pressure. It does not take that much elbow grease to do this job correctly. Consider that 3 inch random polisher. It does make the job go by very quickly.
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John Deere
Ohlord, is that you in the picture? Reminds me of the tall guy with the murderous floating orb in Phantasm. 
I have a kit I intend to get around to. Cost about $18. I'll post pictures eventually.
I have a kit I intend to get around to. Cost about $18. I'll post pictures eventually.
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Honolulu, Hawaii
2001 E55, 2002 ML55, 2002 SL500, 2003 CLK55
I'm just scared of scarring the lenses, so do I do it all over again. I was thinking of using the 3M restoration kit, what do you guys think? I got a pic of what the headlights look now, you can see the couldiness still hanging in there after two time of sanding and polishing.
The problem you're having is that the coating that yellows is still on your lens. You need to take all that crap off so that the lens can actually start shining up.
Just use nice even strokes but don't be afraid to cut through all that stuff. If your kit is anything like the 3M one it'll work out in the end. Don't be too afraid to scuff things up a bit. Just don't stay in one spot and dig a hole in the lens!
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300E a couple 1994 w124wagon E320 Wagon/,1971MGB Track/Rally, MG Midget Autocross ,2000 E320 wagon.
Nope
I had to pass on that role.
My smile was to fetching and they wanted a more menacing look
Besides that ball was really sharp when you had to hang onto it for any period of time
My smile was to fetching and they wanted a more menacing look
Besides that ball was really sharp when you had to hang onto it for any period of time
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00 E320 W210
Absolutevodka, sorry, didn't look carefully at your post and the pics.
The problem you're having is that the coating that yellows is still on your lens. You need to take all that crap off so that the lens can actually start shining up.
Just use nice even strokes but don't be afraid to cut through all that stuff. If your kit is anything like the 3M one it'll work out in the end. Don't be too afraid to scuff things up a bit. Just don't stay in one spot and dig a hole in the lens!
The problem you're having is that the coating that yellows is still on your lens. You need to take all that crap off so that the lens can actually start shining up.
Just use nice even strokes but don't be afraid to cut through all that stuff. If your kit is anything like the 3M one it'll work out in the end. Don't be too afraid to scuff things up a bit. Just don't stay in one spot and dig a hole in the lens!
