3M headlight lense restoration

[Soundguy]

I'm posting this here as good headlamps are a good part of towing..

I had slight yellowing or frosting of the plastic lamp covers on . well.. most of our vehicles. I decided to try the 18$ system 3m sells.. grabbed the kit at walmart.. a guy on the isle saw me pick it up.. said he used it.. works good.. but told me to go ahead and pick up a 6$ bottle of their 3m rubbing compound ont he shelf under it, as the lil 1oz packet they give you in the kit is about good for 2 small car lamps.. aor 1 big truck lamp

got home.. figured what the heck.. read the directions.. did the prep, cleaning and masking tabpe to protect all the other surfaces. used my 450 as the test case.

WOW.. works great... dern near almost crystal clear. now my 350 and 450 have good lamps. plan on doing the wifes yukon as well.. heck.. might even do the old beater dodge before i sell it..

worth the incestment if yo have frosted lenses.. and DO get the lil extra bottle of compound.. a variable speed 3/8 chuck drill is what you need. takes a good bit of swirling.. so i don't reccomend a battery powered on.. use a corded one.

and DO use 2 layers of tape as the instructions suggest.. not just a single layer.

soundguy

 

[peterc38]

Thanks, I have been curious about how effective those kits are.

Now if they could make something to take the pits out of the glass in my windshield too that would be great!

 

[clemsonfor]

I have used the One on sale for like $9 from Harbor Freight! It worked way better than i could imagine, turning my 1990 rangers yellowish cloudy lenses crystal clear. But they are the textured on the inside type not the flat clear plastic on new vehicles. So this weekend used another package on the wifes 2001 Toyota Highlander that had been restored i think by carmax about 2.5 yrs ago when purchased, but was hazing at the sidees and middles. I did it and it is 95% better but can still se a tat of the pitting i guess that causes the cloudyness? But you have to look close at first glance they looked brand new!!

I say that cause yesterday my wife was hit by someone on the front right and busted my newly restored Lense busting it as well as everything else! I guess i get at least one new on now, so i will see how they will look compared to the 10 yr old restored one. Im gonna try to get a matched pair though!

 

[deerefan]

I'm posting this here as good headlamps are a good part of towing..

I had slight yellowing or frosting of the plastic lamp covers on . well.. most of our vehicles. I decided to try the 18$ system 3m sells.. grabbed the kit at walmart.. a guy on the isle saw me pick it up.. said he used it.. works good.. but told me to go ahead and pick up a 6$ bottle of their 3m rubbing compound ont he shelf under it, as the lil 1oz packet they give you in the kit is about good for 2 small car lamps.. aor 1 big truck lamp

got home.. figured what the heck.. read the directions.. did the prep, cleaning and masking tabpe to protect all the other surfaces. used my 450 as the test case.

WOW.. works great... dern near almost crystal clear. now my 350 and 450 have good lamps. plan on doing the wifes yukon as well.. heck.. might even do the old beater dodge before i sell it..

worth the incestment if yo have frosted lenses.. and DO get the lil extra bottle of compound.. a variable speed 3/8 chuck drill is what you need. takes a good bit of swirling.. so i don't reccomend a battery powered on.. use a corded one.

and DO use 2 layers of tape as the instructions suggest.. not just a single layer.

soundguy

I had the same results with my 97 F150. Typically, it needs to be redone every 6 months or so. Mine are due again.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks, I was wondering about those too. You see so many things advertised on TV, and at least half of them are scams, its kinda hard to know which ones work and which ones don't without someone trying them..Thanks again

James K0UA

 

[schmism]

you can use 1500 grit sandpaper to get out deeper pitting. you should have a smoooth frosty lense after the sandpaper.... then buff it out with the buffer.

I need to do the ones on my bmw again.

but my ford van and toyota truck both have glass lenses :thumbsup:

 

[clemsonfor]

I had the same results with my 97 F150. Typically, it needs to be redone every 6 months or so. Mine are due again.

I used a HF kit like i said. I too used a corded 3/8 drill. Had 1 scuffing pad per lense, really was foam mounted to like 1000grit sand paper or something. You wet sand them then use a foam applicator with a rubbing typ compound in the drill to polish them up.

Anyway i did my ranger at least a year ago if not more and i think it still looks good! Maybe not as the second i finished but i cant tell that there is a bit of haze returning yet. They may not be as bright as i see them overtime and cannnot tell they are dulling but i honetly cant tell. The package i got is sold at HF. Its made by like CCP chemical company here in the USA! I think HF also sells a 3M KIT BUT cant remember. The one i got is routinly on sale or has a coupon availible and can always be had with these for under $10. Its a onetime use kit, not sure about the 3m?

 

[PoorPlowboy]

One small trick that will keep you from having to redo so soon is 3 coats of a good hard wax like pure carnauba. It will help prevent sand and bug blasting pits.

 

[CowboyRon]

I'm posting this here as good headlamps are a good part of towing..

I had slight yellowing or frosting of the plastic lamp covers on . well.. most of our vehicles. I decided to try the 18$ system 3m sells.. grabbed the kit at walmart.. a guy on the isle saw me pick it up.. said he used it.. works good.. but told me to go ahead and pick up a 6$ bottle of their 3m rubbing compound ont he shelf under it, as the lil 1oz packet they give you in the kit is about good for 2 small car lamps.. aor 1 big truck lamp

got home.. figured what the heck.. read the directions.. did the prep, cleaning and masking tabpe to protect all the other surfaces. used my 450 as the test case.

WOW.. works great... dern near almost crystal clear. now my 350 and 450 have good lamps. plan on doing the wifes yukon as well.. heck.. might even do the old beater dodge before i sell it..

worth the incestment if yo have frosted lenses.. and DO get the lil extra bottle of compound.. a variable speed 3/8 chuck drill is what you need. takes a good bit of swirling.. so i don't reccomend a battery powered on.. use a corded one.

and DO use 2 layers of tape as the instructions suggest.. not just a single layer.

soundguy

I bought the kit at pep boys that comes with the sand paper. It does work great. Your next step should be to get an HID kit, man are they bright on a dark country road.

 

[Soundguy]

i didn't know HF had a kit.. should shopepd around.

I had another idea as well.

when ;ooking, I saw two types of kits.

1 type was just a clear 'coating' you applied with a sponge tip applicatior.., the other was the sand and buff type.

i wonder if you did the sand and buff, thensealed it with the other type if it would last longer?

happy right now.. my two trucks have clear lamps not frosted...


soudnguy

 

[clemsonfor]

i didn't know HF had a kit.. should shopepd around.

I had another idea as well.

when ;ooking, I saw two types of kits.

1 type was just a clear 'coating' you applied with a sponge tip applicatior.., the other was the sand and buff type.

i wonder if you did the sand and buff, thensealed it with the other type if it would last longer?

happy right now.. my two trucks have clear lamps not frosted...


soudnguy

The HF kit like i said had a 1000+ grit sanding disk for the drill. Thats got to be bettter than the rubbing by hand grit or any mirical polish that you see at the stores in my mind as your basically resurfacing the plastic to a shine.

Like i said HF has at least 2 kits . The one i got made by CCP and one by 3m and maybe another one, just not sure? The one i got looks cheap and i just got it cause it was only $6 or $9. I tried it on my old ranger before i put i to the the new highlander cause i did not want to ruin anything. It worked so well i bought it again to use on the TOY. I have seen at the parts places as well ad walmart some of the polishes that you use by hand and ther is no way that they can work near as well as the drill powed sanding ones like i got or sounds like you got!

 

[Soundguy]

The HF kit like i said had a 1000+ grit sanding disk for the drill. Thats got to be bettter than the rubbing by hand grit or any mirical polish that you see at the stores in my mind as your basically resurfacing the plastic to a shine.

Like i said HF has at least 2 kits . The one i got made by CCP and one by 3m and maybe another one, just not sure? The one i got looks cheap and i just got it cause it was only $6 or $9. I tried it on my old ranger before i put i to the the new highlander cause i did not want to ruin anything. It worked so well i bought it again to use on the TOY. I have seen at the parts places as well ad walmart some of the polishes that you use by hand and ther is no way that they can work near as well as the drill powed sanding ones like i got or sounds like you got!

i wasn't doing any hand rubbing. the 3m kit comes with a pad that chucks to a drill, then 2 sanding stages, and 2 polishing stages. last polish stage is the rubbing compound. before that is a 3000 grit sponge, and before that two harsher.. like a 400 and an 800 or something to that effect. yellow disc, then purple disk, then grey disk, then sponge and compound... grey disc is used with water.. etc.

soundguy

 

[clemsonfor]

i wasn't doing any hand rubbing. the 3m kit comes with a pad that chucks to a drill, then 2 sanding stages, and 2 polishing stages. last polish stage is the rubbing compound. before that is a 3000 grit sponge, and before that two harsher.. like a 400 and an 800 or something to that effect. yellow disc, then purple disk, then grey disk, then sponge and compound... grey disc is used with water.. etc.

soundguy

That should be better than the HF kit i got. It had a sanding step then a polishing grit on a foam pad. But the quality was still good.

There is A kind of mystery liquid you just rub on, and there is a kind you hand buff, neither of these can last anytime is what i think, not saying they may not look good till the liquid or juice wears off or whatever.

 

[WilliamBos]

Thanks for the review Chris!! What year is the Yukon?? My 04 Sierra is as clear as the day it was new.

 

[Soundguy]

That should be better than the HF kit i got. It had a sanding step then a polishing grit on a foam pad. But the quality was still good.

There is A kind of mystery liquid you just rub on, and there is a kind you hand buff, neither of these can last anytime is what i think, not saying they may not look good till the liquid or juice wears off or whatever.

yep.. I've seen some that are just a clear liquid like a thin fingernail clear polish. I hear they wear off over time.. kinda like those scratch restorers for glasses.

i think this sanding kind should work better.. should get you to a virgin plastic ( polycarbonate? ) surface much like the original lense had, minus of course any surface treatment it may have had.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Thanks for the review Chris!! What year is the Yukon?? My 04 Sierra is as clear as the day it was new.

2000


soundguy

 

[CWOSCSU]

The first kit I ever used was made by Permatex. Worked great, but all the sanding and buffing was by hand. Not fun, but that was about 3 yeas ago, and I don't 3M had a kit at that time. Anyway, what I found to work very well to prevent dulling / yellowing is Mother's Plastic Polish. Just wipe on, light buff off, and the leans look good as new. The lens I did 3 years ago (89 F250) look just as good today. Used the 3M kit on my VW Jetta last year, and with the Plastic Polish, they also look just as good.

 

[Soundguy]

might have to look at that plastic polish

 

[dstig1]

There are really two issues at play here.
1. The surface is pitted, eroded, oxidized, etc and the kits fix that by re-smoothing the lens.
2. The lens is not quite what you think it is.

Let me explain. Almost all of the plastic headlight lenses are made from polycarbonate as it is very strong, super tough, can take the temperatures of a headlight, and is quite optically clear. It has a couple weaknesses as a lens material: it does not hold up to just about any solvent, and it scratches very easily.

There is a solution for this: They Hardcoat the PC lenses after molding to improve both of those weaknesses dramatically. It is a common siloxane-based coating (glass-like, is a simple way to put it) but it is thin and can be brittle to some degree.

So when you refinish a lens, you are basically buffing off this coating and any other surface defects. This is why the lens will likely not hold up in the long term. Unfortunately I do not know of any aftermarket hard coats as the original requires a precise coating and then an oven drying procedure.

Just so you know. Something like a hard carnuba wax, as one poster recommended, may help extend the life, but once the surface degrades that much you are in a cycle of wash, rinse repeat. But of course by the time you do this, the vehicle is already pretty old so it may not become a big issue for the remaining life.

Here, I found one for you:
http://www.momentive.com/momentiveI...les/Documents/Data Sheets/SHC5020 MB.indd.pdf

 

[Soundguy]

I was guessing they were polycarbonate.

I wonder if there are any clear coat laquer or other coatings that could be used on it that would not attack the plastic, yet offer it some protection?

soundguy