Headlight Restore & Seal

[Heatgain]

Time: 11:35 - 1:15/1 hour, 40 minutes
Vehicle: 2002 Honda Accord, red
Headlights: Hazed, cloudy
Materials Used: Meguiar’s #17, Meguiar’s #10, PlastX, Optimum Polish, Optimum Compound, Meguair’s #105, ColorX, 4” yellow and orange Cyclo pads, 4” white CCS pad, PB S&W, alcohol, painter’s tape, terrycloth towels, and Krylon UV-Resistant Clear.

I offered to do a co-worker’s hazed headlights at no charge to practice my restoration procedures and experiment with a final coat. I also wanted to attempt my procedures with a cordless drill instead of a DA, planning to go mobile for most headlight restorations.
My procedure was to use the least aggressive method/product first, working my way up in aggressiveness if necessary.
I used the orange Cyclo pad before using the yellow because yellow is described in print as more aggressive than orange. But feeling both after cleaning them, it feels like the orange is more aggressive than yellow. The orange feels rougher and is harder to compress with my fingers. I’m not yet sure to believe the prints ads or my tactile sense.
I used 4” pads and a 3” rotary backplate, driven by a cordless drill.
Here’s what the lenses looked like upon arrival.






I started by cleaning the dirty lenses with Poorboy’s S&W. I then taped off the headlights to protect the surrounding paint




Using an orange 4” Cyclo pad and a cordless drill, I applied Meguiar’s #17 Plastic Cleaner.


The lenses looked much better, but still hazed a bit.


Next, using the orange Cyclo pad, I polished with Meguiar’s #10 Plastic Polish.


An improvement, but still hazed. I was aiming for clarity.


Following my least to most aggressiveness plan, I then used Meguair’s PlastX, still with an orange Cyclo pad.



The lenses still had some haziness in spots, so I soldiered on.


I then used Optimum Polish, the one with the gold “New Formula” sticker on it. I first used the orange pad, and then moved up the aggressive scale by using the yellow Cyclo pad.


Still, some haze remains.


I moved on up to Optimum Compound, the “old formula,” still using a yellow Cyclo pad.


I’m not sure I accomplished anything with this step. I didn’t see any difference from the previous step. It could be because the OP was “New Formula,” and the OC was old formula. Or it could be because I’m an old man and don’t see so well anymore.


I then upped the ante and whipped out the Meguiar’s 105. I also changed from the cordless drill to the G-100 DA, speed 5. I used a 4” Cyclo yellow pad.




This step made me smile. Now the lenses looked good and clear to me. Perhaps I should have started with M105 in the first place? I’m aware that using the G-100 instead of the drill also made a difference, but by that time my 2nd drill battery was getting weaker and left me no choice.


I was satisfied enough with the clarity of the lenses now, and, with trepidation, picked up my newly purchased can of Krylon UV-Resistant Clear (gloss). I had great hopes for this final step. I thought I had found the perfect final coat for headlight lenses, at least according to what I had read about this product.
A blurb from an ad: “Krylon has created an excellent spray that will help protect against harmful UV light rays. It is a non-yellowing permanent coating that dries in minutes. It is even moisture resistant. It can be used on photography, paper, painted surfaces, wood, metal, plastic, papier mache, glass, plaster, ceramic, dried and silk flowers, wicker and more!”
When I first laid the coat on a test spot on the driver’s lens, it looked great. Clear & glossy. So I went ahead and sprayed a coat on both lenses.





However, although it looked great when I first sprayed it, it hazed a bit as it dried. Haze-wise, it threw me backward a couple of steps. I decided against a planned second coat on each lens.


I decided to try and improve the looks and clarity by using Meguiar’s ColorX on a 4” white CCS pad on the DA.





Eureka! It worked! It restored clarity to the lenses and left behind some protection. Whether I removed the Krylon coat with this procedure or just improved the clarity of it, I’m not sure.


Here are some additional pics of the finished job. Although I am not 100% pleased with the final outcome, I learned a few things and formed some new questions.





My search continues to find the “perfect” procedure and sealant for headlight restoration, for working both on-site and at my fixed location.
Thanks for looking.
Comments and suggestions welcome.

[WhiteStripes]

Your results look quite good. However, with my experience, on the more hazed headlights than those, you'll really need to resort to sanding. I actually started doing headlight haze correction before I ever got into detailing, and was told by another experienced person to just go straight to sandpaper. Headlights are so thick and unlike clear that there is a ton of material there so sanding isn't a big issue.

The other thing is that there are specific plastic sealants made by 3M, and Wolfgang that will seal the headlight and UV protect it, and not alter the opacity of the lens like the Krylon did.

It's definitely cool to see that you never did them with sandpaper and still got great results though. Good work!

[Heatgain]

Thanks!
I tried least aggressive to more aggressive. This is all testing for me.
If I didn't get results I wanted, I would have then gone to sandpaper.
What is the plastic sealant by 3M? I know they have a plastic cleaner and polish.

[bsibold96]

I also repaired my first set of clouded headlights this weekend. The car was a 99 Dodge Avenger, I started off by wetsanding with 800 grit. Followed by 1500 grit and then 2000 grit, after all that sanding, the lenses still looked really bad, Then I whipped out the rotary and went to town with meguiars medium cut cleaner, followed by meguiars show car glaze. Then I applied some NXT 2.0 for a little extra protection, the lenses turned out great.
It's nice to see how many different products and procedures one can do to achieve the same outcome.
Also, the total time for my "re conditioning" was approx 45 minutes.

[Heatgain]

As you say, there are many ways to achieve lens clarity, but I'm searching for a decent sealant. Sure, NXT is great, Opti-Seal, Ultima, Wolfgang, whatever is all good, but these are sealants that last a few months. There must be SOMEthing that lasts longer then sealants like those, as a headlight sealer, something that would at least last a year or two. The OEM sealant is usually good for a few years, I'd be happy with half that durability.
The search continues!

[scaswell27]

they look great. i need to get around and do my gfs hondas headlights

[wannafbody]

headlight cleaner, repair and restoration sells a kit that includes a sealant if you are looking to do volume business.

[michakaveli]

Anyone find any good quality long lasting sealant/protectant. I'm in the same boat as our Corolla's lights have hazed over since my last good detail.

Spraying them with automotive clear-coat perhaps?

[Heatgain]

Originally Posted by michakaveli

Anyone find any good quality long lasting sealant/protectant. I'm in the same boat as our Corolla's lights have hazed over since my last good detail.
Spraying them with automotive clear-coat perhaps?

How long ago did you do your headlights and what procedure and products did you use?

I've searched and studied....it seems no one ever talks about what to use as a sealant other than regular sealants, ie: IW845 or paint sealants, which last at best a few months.

Some headlight kits come with a sealant, called a "plastic sealant," but I don't know if that's just a regular paint sealant with a different label or not. I can't imagine it's a "top secret" durable super-duper headlight sealant, unavailable anywhere else.

[michakaveli]

I don't have any before pictures... There was a slight haze and very light yellowing in some spots. I attacked the lamps with th eOptimum line that I had, OHC via UDM & orange, green pads, then stepped down to OP and a white pad. I don't know know, but these lamps also have some deeper scratches. I think in the next few weeks when I tackle the Corolla again, I will sand them with some Unigrit paper, polish them and spray them with some Dupli-Color clear-coat. I last tackled the lights September of '07 It's been a while

Here are 2 after pix.

[WhiteStripes]

As far as I know, they are actually sprayed with an automotive clear coat. That is what hazes and yellows. On some cars it even peels off.

The 3m polish is supposed to seal as well I thought?

[AppliedColors]

Looks great!