How to Remove Head Light Haze on VW's With a Cleaning and Polishing Kit

The head light lenses on VW's and domestic cars are made from a plastic material called Polycarbonate. The ultraviolet rays over a period of time will cause the lenses to turn yellow and cloudy. A lens cleaning kit is needed to restore the original optical clarity and distance vision when driving the vehicle at night.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lens cleaning kit
• Cordless or electric 3/8-inch drill.
• Cold water
• Car wash soap
• Clean lint-free towel
• Air compressor (optional)

1. Thoroughly wash the yellow and hazy drivers-side and passenger-side head light lenses with a solution of car wash soap.

2. Dry the lenses with compressed air or a clean lint-free towel.

3. Fill a pail with approximately eight (8) inches of cold water.

4. Place a resurfacing pad and backing plate in the chuck of a 3/8-inch cordless or electric drill (1200 rpm's minimum).

5. Wet the abrasive resurfacing pad in cold water.

6. Allow thirty (30) seconds for the water to soak into the fibers of the resurfacing pad.

7. Energize the switch on the drill and move the pad across the lens in a horizontal or back and forth direction.

8. 
    
   Resurfacing Head Light Lens

   Continue this movement of the pad across the lens for a period of five (5) minutes (each lens) (Figure 1-1).

9. Replenish the resurfacing pad with cold water when there is no wetness on the lens.

10. 
     
    Resurfaced Head Light Lens

    Continue the resurfacing process until all yellowing and haze on the lens have been removed (Figure 1-2).

11. Wash off all residue from the resurfaced lens with a solution of car wash soap and cold water.

12. Remove the used resurfacing pad attached to the drill from the backing plate and discard.

13. Attach a self-sticking polishing pad to the backing plate.

14. Apply a generous amount of polishing compound to the polishing pad.

15. Allow three (3) minutes for the compound to fully saturate the polishing pad.

16. 
     
    Polishing Head Light Lens

    Energize the switch on the drill and move the polishing pad across the lens in a back and forth motion (Figure 1-3).

17. Apply more polishing compound to the polishing pad.

18. Continue the back and forth motion until all yellow haze and residue has been removed.

19. Remove all excess polishing compound from the polished lens with a clean lint-free towel.

Tips & Warnings

• A typical head light lens cleaning kit can be obtained from an Internet store front or at most auto parts stores. The kit contains several resurfacing and polishing pads and polishing compound.
• When resurfacing the lens with the resurfacing pad, very little pressure is needed using the drill to remove the haze from the lens.
• Other foreign and domestic make automobiles using plastic head light lenses are cleaned and polished using the above steps.
• To protect the eyes, safety glasses should be worn when using power tools.

Resources

• Darell's VW TDI Maintenance Page