cleaning head lights

[SwaintaN]

so i just put new head light bulbs in and then noticed the house/ lenses was really dirty/yellowish, does anyone know how to clean them to make them clearer? i tried the outside, nothing happened.

 

[tvalentino]

if its the inside ur screwd but otherwise wetsand then plastic polish then buff and polish and wax

 

[SwaintaN]

its on the inside, i figured to i was screwed.. lol bought them HID lights so i can see better at night, did a lil better, just need cleaner housing

 

[SwaintaN]

just a heads up, no dice, no good, lol just a waste of time more so. didnt clean them, let it sit for hours, took out bleach and rinsed it, nothing, smells nice, like lemons.. but notta.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Try antifreeze- worked on a bunch of old Foxbody Mustang lenses... Swich around a bit then rinse out well.

Then hit the outside with "3M Finish Restorer" and then some polish.

This was about 30 seconds of buffing on my old SHO with the 3M:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[boggs1227]

antifreeze ! ? ...really? does it act like " CLR " does it get rid of the mineral build up inside the lens if so i'll try this on my colorado turn signal lens as they are starting to get a bit foggy .

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yep- poured some inside, swish around and rinse. Worked on 4-5 sets of foxbody lenses. Only the inside though...

 

[bt93]

This is good for the outside of the lenses. I've used it once and it worked great!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3M-HEADLIGHT-LENS-RESTORATION-SYSTEM-39008_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ270270903194

 

[gmanpaint]

i heard to use #0000 grit steel wool. I bought some today, going to give it a try, unless someone knows different!

 

[YourNameHere]

50/50 coolant mix or straight antifreeze?

 

[NYMount21]

if you don't mind dropping a few dollars, ebay some brand new headlights. I know ur prob not looking to go this angle, but a real simple way to make ur truck look new again is installing some crystal clear new headlights. I did it to my Mounty and it made a huge difference

 

[Joe Dirt]

straight dope, not mixed.

try the polishing compund on the outside. Plastic boat windshield scratch remover works well also. Everyone has their methods, but to me, a few seconds with a rag and a $5 bottle is a heck of a lot easier than sanding, resanding, resanding, resanding, resanding, and clearcoating lenses. If they're that bad, replace them- if not, a few seconds with a rag and all is well.

Interested in the steel wool, but really- if the polish works, why not use that?

 

[bisjoe]

Brasso, made for polishing brass is slightly abrasive and works great for this.

 

[SwaintaN]

ill prob just save a lil money and buy new ones, noticed there was some broken parts on the old, plus gonna order at the same time the clear lenses to... if i can save a lil extra money.. lil tight now, starting the xmas shopping already, shoo.... 4 kids.... thanks all though for the tips!!!

 

[Explodr94]

Eastwood.com has a kit that comes with a buffer and some polish. You use your die grinder. Worked good for me.

 

[redrockexplorer]

Ive polished mine with never dull it works pretty good

 

[tzilla356]

Toothpaste is suppose to work as well.

 

[gmanpaint]

I used the steel wool to clean the crud off, then used Mcguires plastic polish for clear plastics. The result is fantastic! I can see at night so much better now!