i recently upgraded my lighting to HIDS and then i realized that it wasnt my bulbs that made my lights dull but it was that my headlight were blurry and fogged up. Should i report it to the dealer or do you think it can be a do-it-yourself if so what product should i use?

 

Trust me just take it in to the dealer let them do a lens restore for you a buddy of mine had his ml350 done a came back looking like a new set of headlights.

 

Just use PlastX

 

Meguiar also makes a headlight restorer. ~$20.

 

My car is so clean that you can eat off it, but wont, both of my headlights are starting to haze and it pisses me off. Has anyone used these products mentioned above and do they really work?

 

I've used the Meguiar's kit..on another car.I can't believe headlights are hazing over after 3 years.I have 65k on my ML - 82 highway miles a day and mine are crystal clear.May I suggest Zaino Z-14 plastic cleaner and polish - http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...oduct_Count=17

 

Thanks for the tip!!!

 

I have used the PlastX on my previous car, an Infiniti FX, and on friends' cars. If your lenses are completely destroyed it may not work well. But overall it works great! I remember my MB dealer advertised $199 for fixing the lights. That is a rip off!

 

Nothing like taking your car to the stealership!!!

 

I'm going to cast a somewhat dissenting vote here. I have no experience with MB headlights that have "hazed", but have had the issue with cars belonging to myself and others. I've used the polishing kits.

While the haze is frequently attributed to the lens being scratched or having condensate, I believe the root cause to be photo-oxidation of the plastic.

Think about how the sun will degrade paint, plastic, etc over time. Basically, the more photons you pass through plastic, the more it will degrade. Chemical additives (antioxidants) are compounded into the plastic to minimize the chemical damage resulting from light on the polymer, but the chemical damage eventually becomes physically visible in terms of small cracks, surface damage, softening and even color changes. Much of the damage is on the surface (near the oxygen source), which is why polishing can help - at least on the outside. However, there is likely damage on the inside surface and even within the plastic itself.

In my experience, the polishing products do "work" - sometimes with significant improvement. Polishing smooths the outside surface and minimizes the points where light is diffracted - and the damage looks improved. However, this activity is a treatment of the symptom and improvement is temporary (a few months). There is no cure.

If you look at different brands of cars, you see some that suffer this faster than other - due to the specifications on the plastic used. You'll also see that those with HID lamps suffer the problem faster - and poorly installed aftermarket HID will show the most damage of all. Some lenses even take on a yellow hue - logically not due to scratches, but due to oxidation of the plastic.

Polishing (and you can only reach the outside) will help for a short time, but the damage continues as you turn on your miniature solar beams every day and continue to "damage" the plastic. The only "cure" that I know of is to buy a new lens with a fresh load of antioxidant.

I'm not saying that polishing isn't worth a try. It will likely improve the situation - for a few weeks/months. If you plan to keep the car for a significant period of time, you may want to opt for new lights.

 

Good write up, I was more than less thinking the same. I remember my older Benzes having glass and I think Mercedes should have done better with the newer cars, I mean you cant just swap out the lenses which makes it a very costly repair when you have to change out the entire lamp assembly.

 

I agree.However , with the new body styles it becomes more difficult and costly to have glass in the headlights.It seems more and more that parts that should last the life of the car are requiring replacement in a shorter time frame.

 

Maybe so, but a three year old vehicle should not suffer from deterioration of the optics in the lens. If the surface has just been 'sandblasted' by salt or dust, one of the restorer products should fix it. If there is any sort of deposit on the inside, it should also be removable (although I would wonder as to the cause). But if the actual lens material has deteriorated, I would be inclined to have a chat with my dealer. It is, after all, a safety issue.

 

Radmin02, you claimed your lights were "foggy". Does this mean with water vapour?
I may be speaking out of school as I do not know how the MB system works, but with the Aston Martin, they have a tube running from the air-con to each lamp to prevent fogging.
Perhaps someone can advise if MB do likewise.
Ian

 

Just had a quote done from a MB dealership in Melbourne to replace the whole Headlight assembly cost over $850 each plus labour ..they charge $168 per,Hr what a rip off.

 

Thats crazy, eBay is your friend.

 

I believe radmin02's point was about internal lenses. Not the plastic cover that protects headlight assembly. Friend of mine cleaned them by himself and they has to be crystal clear as he said. The challenge here it is not easy task to do. You need to take out front bumper to remove headlight assembly. Then you need to unseal that assembly using heated gun as it is factory sealed to get access to that lenses. He pointed that mine are fogged while I was about to buy new H7 bulbs thinking that it is just bulb's got dim. He did that for his car, and it is amazing look and light. So I am waiting him to visiting my area, so we can do for mine w164.

 

Fading/clouding of the lens seems to be related to;
1) Sun exposure (Garaged cars are much less likely than cars stored outside)
2) Polishing the lenses and wearing through the factory UV coating. (Over buffed cars will show damage earlier than non buffed cars)

In all the 07 and 08 GL's I looked at the only one showing damage was a FL car with all types of sun damage. (Paint, Roof, etc.)

If you get them polished to "fix" the problem, you MUST get them resealed with a UV protectant or they will fog in just a few months.

 

Bought my 08 320cdi used. Whoever had it must have kept garaged, paint is great, headlight last ic very clear. I use a plastic spray polish/cleaner called Plexus, found during my motorcycle hobby for helmet visors & bike windshields. Amazing stuff. Now I use on all my car's headlights & tai lights. Keeps them looking brand new. I have an 09 Impala patrol issued to me through work. Always outside, not washed often. Headlights look perfect from using Plexus every few months.

 

.This is the problem that I'm seeing.

The outer plastic cover is crystal clear. However, the inside lens is cloudy, and it looks like from an inside opaque coating on the inner surface next to the H7 bulb. And maybe that's why the lights seem so dim.

Did the lights come like this from the factory? I got it used so I have no reference. I was tempted to try to remove this but feared it was a factory thing to keep the lights from glaring too badly at oncoming vehicles. To clean this really requires uninstalling and unsealing the unit? No way to poke it clean with a huge Q-tip like swab through the bulb socket opening?