Sarge Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Do these things work? Our 13 year old van has headlights that are almost completely opaque. The effectiveness of the headlights is cut drastically. I was going to pick up one of the kits and tinker over Christmas. Any thoughts? Experiences? Alternatives? tips?etc... Thanks Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoganbillJ Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 They work great. I prefer the 3M kit. Picked mine up at my local O'reilly Auto Parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottlep Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Yep, they work if you put in the time and follow the directions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Yep, they work if you put in the time and follow the directions. ^ Key. I did the 3M kit. I went through 2 fully charged (newer) Dewalt 18v batteries. It felt like it wasn't going great. I probably could have took even more time with it. Turned out decent. Get a bucket or something comfortable to sit on. You will be there a while. I would do it again, if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) I have done this using both kits and just basic sanding and polishing techniques. My experience has been that is works better on the older style headlights which were not "see through". My 2001 F250 for example. The totally clear, see through lenses, like found on most cars today, require more work. It all depends on how bad the oxidation is. Essentially you are sanding off the oxidized layer and then buffing it back out. I used a drill with a cord to avoid the battery issues. It does take some time to do this. Edited December 8, 2014 by ToddKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 3M works great but take the time to mask off your hood and bumper or you'll spend more time cleaning the splatter than you did polishing the lights. You can also go a step further and remove the lenses and after polishing them spray them with a couple of coats of clear coat. I use clear engine enamel as it's pretty tough and resists stone chips well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Essentially you are sanding off the oxidized layer and then buffing it back out. Makes me wonder if it might go faster if you used a cotton cloth slightly damped in acetone to lightly rub the surface before polishing. That might remove some of the dead surface. I do that on my wife's saturn tail lights that cloud up badly and it usually helps. Edited December 8, 2014 by bountyhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Ok here's the deal. I have used these products a lot. I work for a fleet. Probably done well over 200 vehicles. So... When you use one of these products you are sanding off the oxide which formed on the lens. As well as the sun induced "haze". When you do this you are creating very very small scratches in the surface of the lens. Which actually accelerates the process of it reoccurring again, which it will. Now here's the trick. After you get the lens all pretty again, clear coat it. We have done this in the fleet and it greatly prolongs the repair. If you can remove the lens assembly fairly easily, and know someone that can airbrush, you will likely never have to do it again. If you don't clear coat the lenses, likely life is 2-3 years. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Round_Gun_Shooter Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 I don't know guys........ So far in all the videos I have seen the headlights are in pretty good shape before they even start working on them compared to mine. Like I said, mine are so bad that sitting in front of the garage door in the dark with the lights on, it looks like the parking lights are on only. The lenses are white like skim milk. I don't mind putting in the work to fix them but so far I have not seen any demonstrated that are anywhere near as bad as mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 These look pretty opaque to me. http://www.instructables.com/id/Fixing-those-stubborn-faded-opaque-headlights/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 It's a three stage kit. Spend more time on the first (coarsest) stage and it'll cut right through that shit. It looks thicker than it actually is. Besides, if they're as bad as you say $22 for even a 50% improvement is a dealio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intel6 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I used the 3M kit and it worked well. My lenses were not too bad so I didn't start with the most aggressive grit paper. I started with the next level down and it came out well. Neal in AZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorCal707 Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I too used the 3M kit to polish my lenses on my 96 Silverado and it brought them back to probably 90% clear. Am going to start applying Plexus Plastic Cleaner/Protector on a monthly basis to the now clear lenses as I have read that doing so definitely helps to keep the lenses clear longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Have done lenses that were literally opaque. Completely shot. They do clean up sarge. 3M has a product that comes in a black bottle. It works awesome with just a slightly moist shop rag. That's all I use. Have tried most of the products out there and the 3M bottle is easily the best option. As I said, have done hundreds. If you wish I can help you with it. Only takes roughly 30 minutes total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterpuc Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I don't know guys........ So far in all the videos I have seen the headlights are in pretty good shape before they even start working on them compared to mine. Like I said, mine are so bad that sitting in front of the garage door in the dark with the lights on, it looks like the parking lights are on only. The lenses are white like skim milk. I don't mind putting in the work to fix them but so far I have not seen any demonstrated that are anywhere near as bad as mine. Sarge, I'm in the same situation with one of our cars.... a 2001 Expedition. They can be toooo far gone to be salvaged. I am getting ready to sell this one, I'm debating on trying to sand/buff out 13 years of oxidation, buy new headlights, or leave it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Have done lenses that were literally opaque. Completely shot. They do clean up sarge. 3M has a product that comes in a black bottle. It works awesome with just a slightly moist shop rag. That's all I use. Have tried most of the products out there and the 3M bottle is easily the best option. As I said, have done hundreds. If you wish I can help you with it. Only takes roughly 30 minutes total. Over the holidays I'm going to pull it in the garage and go to work with one of the kits and a drill. The black bottle I will have on hand will probably have JD in it. I will take a before and after pic and let you guys be the judge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 3M works great but take the time to mask off your hood and bumper or you'll spend more time cleaning the splatter than you did polishing the lights. You can also go a step further and remove the lenses and after polishing them spray them with a couple of coats of clear coat. I use clear engine enamel as it's pretty tough and resists stone chips well. Is the clear engine enamel you mention available at auto parts stores? Or is it more of an Automotive paint store kind of product? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 3M works great but take the time to mask off your hood and bumper or you'll spend more time cleaning the splatter than you did polishing the lights. You can also go a step further and remove the lenses and after polishing them spray them with a couple of coats of clear coat. I use clear engine enamel as it's pretty tough and resists stone chips well. Is the clear engine enamel you mention available at auto parts stores? Or is it more of an Automotive paint store kind of product? Thanks!! I use the Dupli-Color clear engine enamel which is available at any auto parts store. http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/duplicolor-engine-enamel-clear-12-oz.-aerosol-de1636/7140673-P It sprays on cloudy but dries clear so don't worry about the way it looks wet. It's actually better because you can see if you put enough on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 3M works great but take the time to mask off your hood and bumper or you'll spend more time cleaning the splatter than you did polishing the lights. You can also go a step further and remove the lenses and after polishing them spray them with a couple of coats of clear coat. I use clear engine enamel as it's pretty tough and resists stone chips well.Is the clear engine enamel you mention available at auto parts stores? Or is it more of an Automotive paint store kind of product? Thanks!! I use the Dupli-Color clear engine enamel which is available at any auto parts store. http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/duplicolor-engine-enamel-clear-12-oz.-aerosol-de1636/7140673-P It sprays on cloudy but dries clear so don't worry about the way it looks wet. It's actually better because you can see if you put enough on. Got it and thanks for the tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9146gt Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 If you search many times you can buy replacement units complete with bulbs for little more that the $30 kits. The three I have done Toyota and VW were all installed in under 30 minutes. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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