viren.89

Hello, All

My car's headlights are suffering from extreme oxidation and I tried Mother's kit to buff it out but didn't work at all. By mistake tried a product which had gasoline in it and made it worse.

Canadian Tire says it will cost 157$ to fix it but cannot guarantee how much better it would get.

Do you think I should just pony up almost $450 and get new headlights ?
Well there would be installation costs too or just take the risk and check it out how it will look first ?

something like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/03-06-BENZ-W...47df3e&vxp=mtr


Also since the headlights are Adaptive , like they move when I start my engine, that would still work with the new ones right ?

dunwoodydtailr

post a picture of them.....then can make some suggestions

djrabbi

Don't get new headlights unless they are OEM.

I would just have a detail shop do them. Places around here charge $100 to do them and look almost new

viren.89

I added pictures, it might seem like that could be cleaned by some water but the return to this condition once the water dries.

Also only little is salt rest is the oxidation itself. Is it possible for this to happen inside out ? As in like oxidize from inside ?

djrabbi

have you tried buffing it out with a machine? My dad's lexus was same way and put a buffer on around 3000RPM and cleared it right up. Just need to polish them once a month is the only problem.

dunwoodydtailr

That can be fixed real easy less than 1 hour....i can tell you how to do it yourself , or go to a good detail shop should be around $100 to make them look new......oh 99 % is on the outside.

viren.89

I did try buffing it out, and also did the sandpaper and all too, but didn't work. Well buffing I tried only for 20-30 secs and didn't see anything happening to stopped

dunwoodydtailr

start with 1200 grit sandpaper wet sand till its all even then move to 1500 then finish with 2000. after that grab some megs 105 and 205 buff with them at 2200-2500 rpms and that should make them look new.

viren.89

Yeah Canadian tire is charging me 99$ for their services and 30$ for the 3M kit. Plus tax and all.

Okay then I'll just drop the idea of getting new headlights. I was just not sure if they were on the outside or inside.

Thanks all

djrabbi

Use rubbing compound on the headlights and used a machine buffer at 2500-3000 RPM and should take it all off. Then apply wax to it...

Before:


After:

dunwoodydtailr

this was a buddys dodge he really f@$K these up but i fixed them

viren.89

damn!!!! exactly my condition right now lol...this show that mine would be fixed.

thanks man

dunwoodydtailr

good luck pm if you have more questions

naudi

I have tried many of the kits and methods and most work very well but the lights always dull out again in short time. Use the Sylvania kit, its the only kit I have found that you apply a UV protection barrier at the end to make the results last. It's been great on my audi lights.

Link to a post and pics on an audi site.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/a4/msgs/97478.phtml

desired_speeds

yea, you need some form of protection after you sand the headlight. I wetsanded my w210's headlight with 1500 grit then went over it with the sealant and its nice and glossy. Still a little bit of yellow but 80% improvement from before when it was just dull.

sunil517

1200 1500 2000 get it nice and level....

stockC43

Wet sand and Buff is best. You are removing the mar resistant coating so afterwards they will scratch easyier however it's worth it I started with 1000 that 1500 then buffed with a high speed buffer. Treat it like paint.

viren.89

what kind of protection is good ? as in like a wrap or 3M plastic ?

BBBSS

I was wondering if you could just get that protective plastic film over them after you buff them as well?

Something like this?

http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight.asp

The Lexus guys seem to like this stuff.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ligh...able-xpel.html

AMG E Power

Just buy new headlights. The car will look brand new

stockC43

Some people like the films, clear coating them works well also. I just use a quality wax (zaino) and don't use anything harsh to wash them. The uv light from my understanding is what cracks them in the first place. A good wax will slow that process down. Kind of like the cheap clear coat on some 90's cars. Neglected ones oxidize and the clear coat fades. I treat it the same as the paint. So far so good, no haze or scratches on my polished ml lamps or my 04 s unpolished lamps but frequently waxed

lowprofile

I would say they are still repairable. My results are below using a 3M kit with 3000 sanding disc. Afterwards you should coat them with a uv sealant. Helmsman Spar urethane diluted with mineral spirits will do the job nicely.

From this...




to this...

pearlpower

Look it up via Google, never mind what many here have posted.

If it does not improve with cutting compound, sand it using progressive grit, this will take some time. You will also remove the UV protection. Again, google it up on how to properly apply a new UV coating. Did one set and it came out brand new but it does take a lot of time. Not a single dimple or scratch once it was done.

To be honest, I would not do it again, just buy new headlights, they are cheap.

viren.89

New lights are cheap ? How much are they ? any link ? or are you talking about the ebay link ???

400RWHP

The sandpaper is the best. I used the 3m kit on my wife's E430 and they look brand new. Then you MUST seal them or it will be back to crap in a month or two. Use this product:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Blue-Magic-H...812#vi-content


$8.99 at O'reilly and do several coats, mine is holding up beautifully! Seals them up close to new. Great product and stops you from having to do it over and over. 4 detailing shops told me they use this as well.

And don't be afraid to use the 3M kit yourself, it's amazing and starts at 500 grit then moves up to rubbing compound in stages and then apply the above sealer.

My results: