What do you guys do to keep your headlights clear? Any products anyone would recommend? Mine have hazed out a bit, and I want to try to "fix" them, anything?

 

try this mate. I use this and it works for me.

 

Love Meguiars! Use their PlastX but had no idea they made everything, including the sandpaper. Will definitely go out to buy, thanks!

 

yeah but you're gonna need a high speed drill for the polishing cloth.

 

I thought buffing is done with a low speed wheel since high speed generates heat which can severely damage the polycarbonate lens.

 

Good point, but if you know how to control your drill, i reckon youll be alright. The faster the drill the faster itll cut through for a better shine. Thats how ive been doin it and im pretty happy with the results so far.

Besides, i dont think theres a fast enough drill polisher that can generate heat as much as a 55W HID, so i reckon its ok. But, Im no expert so i may be wrong.

 

Flitz polish paste and flits polishing ball for drill.
Try me this stuff really works. I have a 03 model and my headlights are like new. I'll post pics later

 

Autozone sells a 3M kit with a wheel and several grades of very fine paper and compound. I used it when I picked up my 04 E500 wagon with good results. Just put the wheel on a Makita cordless drill and followed the instructions. About $35

 

I install Xpel , a custom manufactured clear flexible plastic/vinyl dot approved film on the front lenses on all my vehicles. The lens on my 09 E350 were new looking so I did not hesitate to order a set which included the fog lights. I did my 06 minivan when new and its been 8 years now and the lens still look new. Perhaps after restoring your lenses it may be a good idea to get a set of xpels. They are easy to apply on most flat and slightly curved lenses , more challenging if there are ridges. Here is the link. http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight_protection.asp

 

I like the sound of Xpel, definitely gonna look into that afterwards and I sanded my headlights about a yearish ago, so I definitely have experience with it. I would love to see the pictures, Eayacht, before I go out to buy. thanks

 

I will upload some pics soon showing my three vehicles with xpel

 

Anyone have any recommendations for keeping them clear if they have not jet got o the point of needing polishing?


(Yes, I know, keep it in the garage during the day, and don't drive with lights on the rest of the time.)

 

Use Meguiars PlastX! Apply every 3 months with a drill (they give you a pad to spread it) and there are clear covers for headlights that you can install to keep them from hazing. That's what I'll be doing after I clear them up again.

 

Seems that is just a very soft polish and its use just adds to the removal of the UV protectant layer on the lights.


I was thinking about maybe once a year applying a UV protectant like the final finish on the refinishing kits to build up rather than cut down the UV filtering layer.

 

Yep, but like any polish it makes it look better by removing a (very) small amount of the surface which has the UV protection.

 

It does do that indeed, but using a clear cover like Xpel (^^^^) will definitely do more to make up for that. So after using the PlastX, I personally am going to cover the headlights up with that.

 

I think I would still find a kit with a UV protectant, even if just to make sure you don't get any yellowing near the edges of the film.


My lights are still real clear, so I was looking just for a little extra UV protection.


might try a very light clean and a coat of this.


Or one of the spray on UV protectant clear coat products.

 

Here are the pics.
left to right
On my 06 sienna (8 years) , on my Volvo..(4 years) , on my 09 E350 (7 months ) , close up shot Benz

 

Well, my 10 year old Honda's looked great (Mostly Garaged) as do the MB's (for now) (Also mostly garaged).


Maybe a real light cleaning and Xpel is the way to go.


Looking ta keeping the E till it is 12 or 13 and the GL maybe longer.

 

Looks good Paul! I just wet-sanded with 1200 grit sand paper since mine were really pitted and bad when I first got the car, then used a $30 3M polish kit from PepBoys and they are looking new and have remained looking new for the past 2 years. They're kind of feeling rough again though I should probably get Xpel, but at leas they aren't the foggy, pitted, and scratched up mess they were before.

 

Are the prefacelift 211 headlight lens different from the post facelift? I've often see the older ones fog up and turn yellow but the face lifted ones don't seem to have that problem. I've never touched mine and they've remained crystal clear over the years.

 

^It's because you live in California lol, it has a lot to do with the roads, salt, winter weather, etc. You have no idea how good you have it car care and road quality wise compared to here - after every extended snow storm and ice build up, water that seeped into cracks in the road and expanded when it froze creates pot holes and sharp cracks you can't always see well and weren't aware of the day prior. There is so much gravel dust here on the roads right now now (after some recent snow) that when a person pulls into a turn lane there is a giant plume of gravel that's kicked up behind them and it looks like they're pulling onto a dirt road. This stuff is puked up by your rear tires all over your car every time you drive and sticks to the paint where unless you dust it off with microfiber and spraywax or a California duster IMMEDIATELY when you arrive somewhere, will stick to your paint forcing you to wash it again. Even when you do take the proper steps to remove it, it degrades your paint and will leave small small scratches.

I leave my car out in a parking lot for 10 minutes and I come back it looks likes it's been sitting in the Mojave desert for a week (ok a little bit of an exaggeration but it's dusty). Mind you this is in concrete roads out in the fully paved suburbs. Not to mention the random patches of dirty water on the road I have to drive like an a@&hole to avoid because it will spray all over the side of my car if I hit it at more than 5mph, lets thank melting ground ice and bad gutters for that one. You wash your car, you finally get a hot day to drive around like today at 74 degrees with the windows down BUT NO IT'S GOING TO BE 40 TOMORROW AND SNOWING BY NOON WHEN I START CLASS BECAUSE GOD HATES CLEAN CARS. GET ME 1000 GALLONS OF THIS XPEL ****, ACRYLIC PAINT SEALANT, AND WAX SO I CAN GET MY CAR LOOKING MODERATELY ACCEPTABLE FOR A DAY AND A HALF. I CRY ABOUT THIS IN THE SHOWER EVERY MORNING.

Moral of the story: All of this chips up and kills the front of your car like no other, especially the lenses. I've had it man, make room I'm moving to Cali hahaha

/RANT (I sincerely apologize for all of this but I needed to get that off my chest)

 

I would say much of the urban city roads here are complete crap, uneven roads everywhere and potholes left and right. But I see your point, with my car born and raised here in the Bay Area, it has never seen a spec of salt hahahaha. The front of my hood actually has quite a few chips too but I guess I can't complain.
+1 for snow free winters.

 

Yeah I've heard that (and experienced it I was in San Fran a few summers ago), but I know some of the roads in suburban south orange county are absolute heaven. Long expressways with little traffic and perfectly maintained. You're lucky about the salt (more a back east kind of thing) and mag chloride (common here) and gravel because I tell you worrying about my car's paint will be the thing that ends up killing me of a massive heart attack at the ripe old age of 19 lol. I can already feel my headlights starting to get pitted again and that's just because of post-storm winter driving.

 

Beautiful rant. Quite amusing actually. I just learned it only takes me a fraction of the effort to keep my car looking fabulous compared to you. For me, if my car gets a little dirty after a wash 2 days ago, just bust out my little power washer and spray that puppy down for 30 seconds. Good as new!

Orange County is basically where AMG's are considered basic cars, so they better have some damn good roads to go with them!