Cleaning up plastic headlight crazing.

[KemppiFrog]

Micromesh we use it for helicopter canopy's, will take out scratches & haze.

A fuelling hose had been pulled across the screen on one of our a/c. I told one of the young mecs to have a look at the scratch. He polished it out, but only locally causing a hollow. We were testing it the next day and on landing, the runway appeared to have a kink...

I will pass on the ideas to the guy with the 530d, thanks.

 

[Coo]

3M do a kit just for this kind of problem:

http://www.3m.com/product/information/Headlight-Lens-Repair.html

 

[gerrymoore]

Hiya...I have a 307 HDi. Bought it new in Spain but after 10 years of sunshine the lights were really dull. I bought some special stuff off EBAY (something **pol) from a firm in Liverpool and spent a few hours on the lights. They came up fairly well but after a while started to dull again. When I returned to live in the UK I brought my (LHD) 307 back and had to change the lights for left hand dipping. Bought a pair of 'copies' from EBAY for £100 the pair and they are brilliant!! The car is now 12 years old but the lights make it look almost new!!

 

[julianthegypsy]

I just bought a peugeot 206 for a runaround and the lights were dreadful, despite the new mot. When I looked at them I realised that peugeot had fitted clip on covers over the lights. Unclipped them, fairy liquid on lights and covers and good as new! I thought it a really good idea as the covers would fade before the lights eventually and be far cheaper to replace.

 

[normspanners]

Greygate Plastic Polish DTD 770A

 

[500e]

A fuelling hose had been pulled across the screen on one of our a/c. I told one of the young mecs to have a look at the scratch. He polished it out, but only locally causing a hollow. We were testing it the next day and on landing, the runway appeared to have a kink.

I will pass on the ideas to the guy with the 530d, thanks.

KF I use the paper on a softish rubber block to stop that local distortion, the paper comes in about 6 different grades in the kit & lasts a long time, ( we use wet with soap) we have had the pack years but try not to scratch the canopy's, Would suggest beating the fuel monkey
All these T cut type suggestions not good, anything with Ammonia a No No.
Tooth paste is sometimes made of china clay & bonding agent not tried that, other cleaners can have pumice powder base, it only takes 1 larger bit in mix to re apply scratches
Once there is a hollow it is going to take a lot of removing I would think
Where is the 530 based, we work on the Switzer 300 & MDHI 500 series machines

 

[Ed.]

I did my Ford Mondeo and the Falcon AU3 lenses with some fibreglass polish and a buffing pad, got rid of 85% of the glaze, but any fine abrasive should work.

Ed.

 

[Fintray]

KF Where is the 530 based, we work on the Switzer 300 & MDHI 500 series machines

On the road somewhere in France as I'm sure it's a car KF was initially speaking about........

 

[arceyered]

Tooth paste or so I was told rub it on leave 15mins wash off with cold water ,
then buff up?

 

[KemppiFrog]

On the road somewhere in France as I'm sure it's a car KF was initially speaking about........

Yes, he scored a low mileage BMW 530d for rubbish money. Then polished it up... hence the comments about the headlight covers.

The a/c was a Mooney M20E. It was our local hack, except: Cruise at near 200mph on 200HP with a clean retractable airframe.
My fault, as I didn't look too closely at the scratch. It was deeper than at first appeared, mec just polished it down....

 

[tomsutton529]

I once found some military grade plastic cleaner for plastic.. try google for things like mgf rear plastic window cleaner.. I have the bottle somewhere, if I find it its yours to try, dont hold for it though, its in the cupboard. toothpaste will work but its very very very fine, I have used to polish scratches from mobile phone screens in the past. If honda are right and its "bleached" the plastic then its replacement time.

 

[500e]

KF
Thought the d was a miss type for F
Want to fly the F hoped you were part of the 160 NSalkers wishful thinking

 

[PhillipM]

If it's just oxidation, any of the light metal oxidation removers will pretty much wipe it off.

If the coating has actually started to craze, then it will take a hell of a lot of effort to sand it back down and polish back up.

 

[squirrell25]

once the forum is back up take a look at www.vectra-c.com there is a good write up on there on how to restore them

 

[ross27]

I used the 3M kit as posted above. Worked wonders on a set of MK5 Golf Headlights.
They were a horrible white hazy look. The hardest part is polishing. I used Auto Glym Super Resin Polish to get a good shine at the end.

During:

Results:

 

[Old Dog]

When I couldn't get a visor for my helmet I used Brasso followed by silver polish. Worked better than I thought it would.

 

[the snooper]

When I couldn't get a visor for my helmet I used Brasso followed by silver polish. Worked better than I thought it would.

wasn't it hard to see through the tins

 

[the snooper]

I did a Vectra headlight it was really bad used wet n dry then g3 came up ok, but not like new

 

[rich r]

I need to do the driver's side headlight on my Vectra C. Oddly though the passenger side one isn't crazed. I suspect it's had a new one on that side at some point before I got it.

The 3M kit works very well I've heard, as does simply using wet and dry followed by T-cut. I just haven't got round to it yet

 

[overload]

I used the 3M kit as posted above. Worked wonders on a set of MK5 Golf Headlights.
They were a horrible white hazy look. The hardest part is polishing. I used Auto Glym Super Resin Polish to get a good shine at the end.

Good job!