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TTownEP
06-01-2008, 08:37 AM
Anyone else have their headlights start to turn yellow? Mine are all scratched up from a stupid car wash brush (rant below) and are starting to yellow. Any ideas on how to get them back to shape? I have that Meguiar's Plast-X stuff, and it helped a little, but my scratches are deeper than that. Should I try a buffer of some kind?




Car wash rant- I used to wash my car at this little ghetto car wash by my apartment. Then one day I was driving past and saw the owner out there washing all the dirt from a muddy pick-up down the drain, and sweeping it all down with the car wash brush. What an idiot! Needless to say I never went back to any car wash like that, and started doing it right.
MugsyTheGr8
06-01-2008, 01:39 PM
Anyone else have their headlights start to turn yellow? Mine are all scratched up from a stupid car wash brush (rant below) and are starting to yellow. Any ideas on how to get them back to shape? I have that Meguiar's Plast-X stuff, and it helped a little, but my scratches are deeper than that. Should I try a buffer of some kind?




you can try really fine grit sand paper and wet sand it to a smooth finish.
talonXracer
06-01-2008, 01:58 PM
As soon as the yellowing occurs it cant be helped. The plastic has started to degrade.

I always use the highpower hose to really clean the brush before useing it. I no longer worry about scratchs and dings, it is a DD and isnt worth getting all bent out of shape when something happens to the exterior. Hell it might see wax twice a year if she is lucky!
TTownEP
06-01-2008, 10:06 PM
I no longer worry about scratchs and dings, it is a DD and isnt worth getting all bent out of shape when something happens to the exterior. Hell it might see wax twice a year if she is lucky!

Yeah, same here, I just hate yellow headlights. Exterior-wise, it's probably my biggest pet-peeve. I have a couple parking-lot dings and scratches, and of course being NHBP I've got swirl marks from hell, but yellow lights I don't take kindly to. It looks like there is a thin layer of plastic on the outside that is coming off, like a skin or something, with the real thickness underneath.
prmep3
06-02-2008, 01:46 AM
i bought a kit from wal mart in a silver bag. it was easy to use and it did wonders for my lights
talonXracer
06-02-2008, 05:07 AM
Yeah, same here, I just hate yellow headlights. Exterior-wise, it's probably my biggest pet-peeve. I have a couple parking-lot dings and scratches, and of course being NHBP I've got swirl marks from hell, but yellow lights I don't take kindly to. It looks like there is a thin layer of plastic on the outside that is coming off, like a skin or something, with the real thickness underneath.

If there is a coating that is coming off, it may have been clearcoated, did you buy the ride new or used?
!@#$%
06-02-2008, 05:18 AM
Wet the headlight with regular soap and water.

Get some 2000-3000 grit sandpaper and a sanding block.

Soak the sandpaper in the soap and water for 5-10 minutes.

Put the sandpaper on the sanding block and lightly scrub away the yellow while keeping the headlight wet with soap and water at all times.

Buff with rubbing compound (I use 3m) and the yellowing will be gone. To get a good polished shine, you should use an orbital buffer for the rubbing compound.
TTownEP
06-02-2008, 05:52 AM
If there is a coating that is coming off, it may have been clearcoated, did you buy the ride new or used?

Used. Flood salvage actually.

But I'll have to give that sand paper trick a try. I have wet-sanded before at least, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for my skills...
!@#$%
06-02-2008, 06:44 AM
It's not a trick. It's a method, and it works.
TTownEP
06-02-2008, 10:23 AM
It's not a trick. It's a method, and it works.

Ok sorry, I'll have to try that METHOD. I must have missed that subtle difference. Thanks for the tip.
RedSiBaron
06-02-2008, 10:30 AM
i bought a kit from wal mart in a silver bag. it was easy to use and it did wonders for my lights

walmart is the devil


If there is a coating that is coming off, it may have been clearcoated, did you buy the ride new or used?

i was told by my body shop that the headlights were probably cleared from the factory and that a lot of people strip the clear off when the get htem...:noidea:
TTownEP
06-02-2008, 03:27 PM
i was told by my body shop that the headlights were probably cleared from the factory and that a lot of people strip the clear off when the get htem...:noidea:

On purpose?
skoo74
06-02-2008, 05:28 PM
just came back from the body shop for the same yellow problem.. they recommended sanding with grits of 800 > 1000 > 1500 then spray clearcoat on it... and do this every couple of years...

don't have time to try this yet but it sounds like it may work...
civiCholo
06-02-2008, 06:16 PM
just came back from the body shop for the same yellow problem.. they recommended sanding with grits of 800 > 1000 > 1500 then spray clearcoat on it... and do this every couple of years...

don't have time to try this yet but it sounds like it may work...

it does... i've done it before and it works...
RedSiBaron
06-02-2008, 07:32 PM
On purpose?

yah he was saying that a lot of body shop guys he knows just wet sand new headlights right away to remove the clearcoat the factory applys and just takes care of them or something...or maybe they just reclear coat them with better clear, factory clear isnt all that great compared to top of the line clear, a GOOD clear wont yellow for a long long long time, whereas my 02 ep, with 65k has yellowing headlights and i can tell the clear on the paint is slightly yellowed, since it does not match fresh TW perfectly, though only noticeable if you know its there...
cser22
06-18-2008, 12:01 PM
yah he was saying that a lot of body shop guys he knows just wet sand new headlights right away to remove the clearcoat the factory applys and just takes care of them or something...or maybe they just reclear coat them with better clear, factory clear isnt all that great compared to top of the line clear, a GOOD clear wont yellow for a long long long time, whereas my 02 ep, with 65k has yellowing headlights and i can tell the clear on the paint is slightly yellowed, since it does not match fresh TW perfectly, though only noticeable if you know its there...

True, I just installed my HFP spoiler and the body doesn't quite match, I'm hoping a good clay bar/polish/waxing will fix it.
3dkahuna
06-25-2008, 12:41 PM
I came across this article at Meguiars Online (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8011) and it sees to be a great method way to restore your headlights.

Here is another really great write-up (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20994) as well
TTownEP
06-25-2008, 05:50 PM
Thanks!
dobbs02si
06-25-2008, 07:06 PM
Holy crap..that insight's lights turned out sweet!
Aries
06-25-2008, 07:46 PM
i bought a kit from wal mart in a silver bag. it was easy to use and it did wonders for my lights

I bought this as well at an auto parts store.
It has sandpapers, special polishing cloth, and some type of epoxy-like clear to coat it with when your done.
Cost me about $20.

It worked so well I would have liked to have made a DIY thread.
I didn't think to get before and after pics when I started.
JohnyBlaze
07-02-2008, 07:58 AM
You can also use friction polish and do a 2-step machine polish / buffing to get the yellow out, in the same way that you'd refinish your car's clear coat.

I've had this done by a pro (wouldn't dare do it myself). Take it to any pro detailer that does machine polishing -- they can do it.