How to Restore a Faded Headlight Lens
Since the invention of the automobile and until recently, headlight lenses have been made of glass. Sealed beam headlamps are still made from glass, but are not widely used today. Since the mid-1980s, automobile headlight lenses have been made from plastic. Plastic is much more flexible than glass and can withstand impacts that would shatter their glass counterparts. Plastic, however, will dull with time. This will affect your ability to see clearly at night with your headlights on. If your plastic headlight covers have become faded and dull, don't spend big money on replacement lenses. Try these polishing techniques:
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic spray bottle
- 800 Grit sandpaper
- 1000 Grit sandpaper
- 1500 Grit sandpaper
- Chamois
- Polishing compound
- Micro fiber cloth
- Automotive wax
Instructions
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Dampen the entire surface of the headlight with water sprayed from a plastic spray bottle.
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2
Sand the headlight with 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper in a circular motion, covering the entire area of the headlight lens. Keep the headlight wet using the spray bottle.
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Use 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper next. Continue to keep the headlight wet with water from the spray bottle. Sand in a circular motion, until the headlight is smooth.
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Finish up with 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Keep the headlight wet using the spray bottle, and work in a circular motion.
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Dry the headlight thoroughly with a chamois.
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Using a micro fiber cloth and polishing compound to polish the headlight by hand in a circular motion.
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Periodically, wipe off the haze with a soft, clean cloth to see which areas of the lens may need more attention.
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Continue polishing the headlight using the micro fiber cloth and polishing compound. Wipe the haze off and check your results. Repeat this step as many times as necessary to achieve the result you desire.
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Finish the job by giving the headlight a coat of wax with a micro fiber polishing cloth. Once the wax has dried to a haze, buff the wax off with a soft, clean cloth.
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Tips & Warnings
Inexpensive plastic spray bottles are available at discount dollar stores.
Turn the headlights on during the sanding and polishing process. The bright light will help you to see which areas may need more attention before moving on to the next step.
Avoid using power operated polishers. The heat generated from a high RPM polisher can burn or melt the headlight finish.
