How Do I Clean Foggy Headlamps?
Over time, the plastic covers on a car's headlights will haze over from a combination of dirt, scratches, and exposure to moisture and weather. There are many companies that will repair these covers. However, it is relatively inexpensive and easy to do the repairs yourself, either by purchasing a kit, or buying the items separately at an auto supply store.
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Things You'll Need
- Car wash detergent
- Car wax (optional)
- Several Microfiber or soft flanner cloths
- Painter's tape (low adhesive)
- Sandpaper (1000-, 1500-, 2000-, 2500- and 3000-grit, wet/dry)
- Water and hose
- Bucket
- Polishing compound for cars
Instructions
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1
Wash your car to remove any surface dirt. Allow it to dry.
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2
Protect the car around the headlights by applying the painter's tape, making sure not to leave any surface uncovered that could be damaged from the polishing compound or sandpaper as you work.
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3
Apply a small amount of polishing compound to a cloth and rub on the headlights, applying light pressure in a circular motion. You will probably do this for about 10 minutes per lens; if the cover is lightly damaged, this process should show results quickly. If there is a lot of scratching and pitting, you will need to do additional polishing.
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4
Soak the 1000-grit sandpaper in a bucket of water for at least 10 minutes. Wet the surface of the headlight, and sand it lightly in straight strokes, back and forth in one direction only. Continue sanding until the pits in the plastic, as well as any discoloration, are gone. You may need to periodically wash and dry the surface of the headlight before resuming sanding. Wash off any grit before moving on.
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5
Repeat the process with the 1500-grit sandpaper, now moving at right angles to your previous strokes.
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6
Continue to sand the lens with the increasing grit weights. Keep the lens wet, and always stroke the lens at a right angle from the previous sandpaper strokes, until the lens is satisfactorily clear.
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Finish the job with one more application of polishing compound on a cloth, and then wash the lens with mild detergent, and remove the painter's tape.
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Tips & Warnings
You can wax your car before working on the headlights to provide additional protection from spatters of any products.
Sandpaper grit numbers show how many abrasive articles there are per square inch of paper. The higher the number, the softer and less abrasive the sandpaper.
As of February 2010, kits are approximately $10 to $15, but the materials by themselves may cost less.
Cooking spray--such as Pam--can be used as a quick fix, as it coats and cleans the scratched surface of a lens.
References
Resources
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