Foggy Headlights?

[ProfessorGAC]

My wife had a parking lot event not long ago. Broke the passenger side headlight assembly.
So, I bought a new one and installed it. (Grrr; stupid engineers)
Anyway, the new one is crystal clear but the old one looked like a bathroom window in comparison.
So, I bought one of the 3M headlight refurbishing kits.
Yep, they work!!!! Just as advertised.
I did the old headlight on her car & both on my car. Wow!
4 step process, which is basically sequential sanding (dry then wet).
Takes 6 or 7 minutes per light.
Admittedly, the driver side on her car is not as crystal clear as the new one, but darned close, with no scratches.
If you have dim headlights at night, I recommend this product highly. All you need is a cheap drill which most folks already have. And, headlights can easily be done while sitting in a lawn chair.
I figured I'd give it a shot and it worked better than I expected and was easier than I thought.
If I'd known, I'd have done it a couple years ago.

[gab13by13]

1. Does it work on cataracts?

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Umm, No

Besides, getting that 3" wheel on your eye would be a problem!

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. I've never understood why windshields never fog, but headlights do.

[Phoenix61]

4. Because headlights are plastic. nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. My point exactly....why not use the same material.

It's a conspiracy, I tell ya, a conspiracy.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Plastic Vs. Glass

UV light & oxygen (particularly in combination) affects plastic very differently than they do glass.
Also, on more modern cars, there is a very thin coating over the lens, and this an even more susceptible plastic.
Glass absorbs uV, but it's not an organic (carbon containing) material, so the light is merely absorbed & converted to heat.
They could use glass for the headlight lens, but car makers look for every place to reduce unnecessary weight. A pound here, 5# there & the car weighs 2% less which improves mileage. So, plastic headlights are here to stay.
Because of the obvious safety risk of a foggy or distorted, or prone to glare windshield, that's not something they can replace with plastic. So, it stays glass specifically because it won't fog over any reasonable lifetime of a car.

[Phoenix61]

5. I use buffing compound for clear coat.

I do mine every couple of months. It works well and is a lot cheaper.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Makes Sense

I've even read that toothpaste can be used, but as I know toothpaste formulas, I don't know that there is sufficient abrasive in toothpaste.
Rubbing compound makes way more sense.
Do you use a super fine grit?

[Phoenix61]

9. If you mean sandpaper no. I just put it on a cloth.

To me one advantage is it definitely won’t hurt the paint job as that’s what it’s intended for.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. No, Not Sandpaper

But, there are rubbing compounds with different particle size abrasives.
The 4th step in that kit I bought is, by it's appearance, a paste-like rubbing compound.
Putting some between a finger and thumb, the abrasives feel really tiny.
The kit I bought does use a sandpaper of sorts. 800, 1,200, (dry), 1,800 (wet), and then the paste on a sponge.
The stuff you use is way cheaper than what I bought. I probably should get that and do it more often so I don't need the heavier duty steps.
Now that I know how quick & easy it is, I probably will.

[chouchou]

8. Ah..That's what my husband uses on his truck. Looks great!

[Ferrets are Cool]

12. WD-40 will work wonders, but it is temporary.

Maybe a month or two...but real cheap.