[RESOLVED] acetone + clouded headlights?

[Ksone14]

ok my headlights are really clouded and yellow. ive heard that acetone can clear it up but ive also heard that it can really damage the plastic. any suggestions?

 

[gsxofftheline]

My buddy is a detailer and I asked him same thing and he said never use acetone. What he does is use polishing compound and rub it in good, then use 1000 grit wet sand paper and dip it a bucket of water and go over the entire headlights keeping it wet at all times, then use 1500, then 2000, clean that off and use polishing compound again, looks super shinny now like new and then use paste car wax. This last step will keep acid rain, dirt and road salt from attacking the plastic, for a long time. Hope this helps.

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

acetone works but you have to use wax after cus sumtimes acetone leaves sum nasty sticky residue... but trust me it works just as good as any of those headlight restore kits that they sell at auto parts stores. but you must use wax after.(it doesnt really matter which type of wax you use)

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

My buddy is a detailer and I asked him same thing and he said never use acetone. What he does is use polishing compound and rub it in good, then use 1000 grit wet sand paper and dip it a bucket of water and go over the entire headlights keeping it wet at all times, then use 1500, then 2000, clean that off and use polishing compound again, looks super shinny now like new and then use paste car wax. This last step will keep acid rain, dirt and road salt from attacking the plastic, for a long time. Hope this helps.

or you can do it this way. just takes a lil bit longer

 

[gsxofftheline]

or you can do it this way. just takes a lil bit longer

I agree, thats why I asked my buddy because itll only take a a few minutes instead of 45 min. My buddy just suggest not using acetone because of previous experience using it, hes had customers come back with some parts of the headlight looking horrible, but he just bits the bullet and takes the extra time to do it the wet sand way and he hasn't had any comebacks since.

 

[gsxofftheline]

What happened to the supra? My friend had one of those and 4th gear pulled hard, but the car sounded like its going to blow up, but he said thats normal.

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

gsxofftheline is it just me or is that an evo engine on the eclipse!? wow nice. sry to be off topic but i had to say sumthin bout that

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

gsxofftheline is it just me or is that an evo engine on the eclipse!? wow nice. sry to be off topic but i had to say sumthin bout that

nice photoshop! kinda fooled me there for a while

 

[gudz519]

to be completely honest if you dont mind spending the $20 sumthing bucks the 3m kit from autozone works the f**kin ba**s

 

[Ksone14]

ok thx guys, ill try the sanding

 

[Eff3ct]

to be completely honest if you dont mind spending the $20 sumthing bucks the 3m kit from autozone works the f**kin ba**s

I just used one of these kits and it worked good, but I had deep pitting and so I didn't get all of that out.

But I'd imagine you could just use a bunch of something like Meguiars Eisenglass polish or some such.

 

[highlandgst]

there are alot of ways to do it i didnt feel up to sanding my driver light down so i went to autozone and my buddy told me about mothers mag and aluminum polish . I rubbed it on the headlight real good and wiped it off then pourd some water over and cleaned the left over polish off and its crystal clear now it costs like 2.50 so its up to you

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

there are alot of ways to do it i didnt feel up to sanding my driver light down so i went to autozone and my buddy told me about mothers mag and aluminum polish . I rubbed it on the headlight real good and wiped it off then pourd some water over and cleaned the left over polish off and its crystal clear now it costs like 2.50 so its up to you

yup dats exactly what i use too

 

[Defiant]

any suggestions?

Yeah. Try any of the Headlight Cleaing threads already on the site. Or, perhaps the Tech Articles.