defogging headlights

[fazio93 10+ year member]

I see a lot of methods to defog headlights using different things. e.g. toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, baking powder, or the special kits they sell at stores like "scratch doctor".

what do you recommend for this?

something cheap, yet effective.

thanks.

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[Blasphemy 10+ year member]

Wet sanding and buffing.

 

[The HACKER 10+ year member]

Well if you are talking about taking the water moisture out of them stick a vaccum in the back of the headlight where the bulb goes in and let it run for a while it should take out the most of it better results if done inside. If your talking about how they get all ugly and faded, DOT3 brake fluid will clean them very well ive used that onr cars as far back as the 80's. Another way to do it is to wetsand with like a 800 or 1000 grit sand paper, and the coat it with a clear coat spray paint or autobody paint. Keep it away from the black rubber though. Hope this helps either one of those always works for me.

 

[fazio93 10+ year member]

yea, i was talking about the yellow layer formed by oxidation on the outside. i guess ill try the wet sanding and then get a buffing kit/headlight restoration kit from walmart.

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

click me # 2 is the good stuff

 

[roarzorz 10+ year member]

I picked up a Rain-X headlight restoration kit from Autozone for $15 and it worked great.

 

[k_schutte 10+ year member]

wet sanding and plastic polish all the way!! I charge $30+ per headlight around here and they take me about 10 minutes each...

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

wet sanding and plastic polish all the way!! I charge $30+ per headlight around here and they take me about 10 minutes each...

don't even need to wet sand if you get good polish.. it takes me literally a minute or two to do both head lights with the novus stuff.. swirl one way and rub it in for 30 seconds.. then reverse with clean cloth the other way..

 

[JPWynn 10+ year member]

The proper way to do it is to wetsand then polish/buff. I'm sure the Novus stuff is good but I doubt you'll get as good of results as a proper method.

Here's my process:

800/1000 grit (depending on how bad it is)

1500 grit

2000 grit

Meguiars M105 Compound

Meguiars M205 Polish

This is what I do for my car. For other people I have cheaper compounds and polishes that work 95% as good. Most people will not notice that last 5%.

You can also just use M105 Compound or Megs Ultimate Compound (can buy this from Wally World) and a drill adapter buffing pad (can buy these at Harbor Freight for cheap). Results won't be as good but it'll be 1000X better than doing nothing.

Keep the buffer moving you can burn plastic REALLY easily.

 

[fazio93 10+ year member]

k. thanks for all the advice guys. =]