In the case of yellowing, the further action of sanding your headlights' surface may be necessary if a more detailed cleaning does not fix the issue. Before you get started, it’s a good idea to tape off your headlights with painters tape since you will be using sandpaper. And since a lot of us are at the brink of mind numbing boredom, now is the perfect … One product that I would recommend is to try a product by Meguiar’s called PlastX. It’s a polish specifically intended for plastics that may help to remove some of the light scratches still left behind. This is where it gets fun. I’ve gotten a better experience with Johnathan than most repair shops. To protect your headlights against further damage from the elements, you can then apply a standard car wax to their surfaces with a clean cloth, using circular movements. The next step is to wipe down the compounded surface with a microfiber towel and apply a polish. You're going to sand down the plastic surrounding the scratch so that you can eventually polish out the scratch completely. The most popular service booked by readers of this article is Headlight Bulb Replacement. Use the polishing compound on a soft cloth in a circular motion on your … Sanding Your Headlights Using the spray bottle, dampen a sheet of 1000-grit sandpaper. Your Altima has both high and low beam functionality. Hi Carl, I tried a wool polishing pad instead of foam, and it seemed to get more of the tiny scratches out. Nevertheless, you should be able to get your headlights pretty close to clear after compounding and polishing. The worse the headlight damage, the great the incidence of accidents occurring from poor visibility. I think you can get the kit that comes with the PlastX and a wool pad. Once you have applied compound, the next step is to polish. There is a list of disappointments which untidy and dirty headlights can cause, considering the priority ‘the looks of the car’ and they also reduce the visibility at night or in a different atmosphere. Simply put, this is a UV coating applied by the manufacturer to help protect your headlights from fading or turning yellow over time. This video will show you how to clean and restore your headlights so they will never turn yellow or hazy again! Prepare a soapy mix in a bucket or similar container using warm water and a mild detergent like dish soap. Different grits of wet/dry sandpaper (1000, 2000 and 3000) Blue painters tape; Polishing compound; Paste wax; UV sealant; Microfiber towels; How to Clean Headlights with Toothpaste. Beginning with your roughest grade of sandpaper (1000-grit), soak it in cool water for approximately ten minutes. Informative as well. Clean using a microfiber cloth without risk of scratching your headlights. A 600 grit sandpaper will do the job just fine. Professional detailers use wet sanding methods with various sandpaper grits along with polishers to get the desired clarity from the lens. As you can tell in the picture below, I did see a drastic improvement in clarity after wetsanding as opposed to compounding and other DIY techniques I’ve tried. Shows up, works quickly, and does a great job. Repeat with each variety of sandpaper from coarsest to smoothest grade (smallest to largest grit number). Step 2: Polish your headlights. As with a comprehensive cleaning, you will want to protect the other surfaces on your vehicle with painter's masking tape. Afterwards, wipe your lights with another clean cloth. Optimize fleet uptime and compliance via mobile vehicle repairs, Partner with us to simplify and scale fleet maintenance, Over 25,000 topics, from beginner tips to technical guides, Check cars for recalls, common issues & maintenance costs, Hand-picked, community-rated professionals, Our mechanics make house calls in over 2,000 cities, Explore nationwide job opportunities for automotive technicians, Trusted mechanics, rated by thousands of happy car owners, Fleet maintenance with certified mobile mechanics, The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. All in all, this process should at least improve the clarity of your headlights when done properly. Changing from one to the other is easy. Simply apply some to a clean pad and wipe down when finished. Rinse with plain water and allow to air dry. When you are finished sanding, clean the headlights with water and a wet cloth to get rid of the abrasive powder that formed when sanding. LEARN MORE. Introduction: How to Clean Car Headlights. You’ll want to sand in horizontal, straight strokes. If your seat belts get dirty, you can clean them very easily. To get the oxidation off these headlights we’re going to be using three different grits of sandpaper to sand down any oxidation we’re gonna start with a 500 grit. First, clean the headlights with Windex or soap and water. So you want to clean your car's headlights? Wipe your headlights with a towel. This will make it quicker to work since you won’t have to worry about making contact with the paint. Fast, free online quotes for your car repair. Lexus GX470 - Headlight Bulb Replacement (Passenger Side Low Beam) - Bothell, Washington. Keep in mind, an orbital sander (or DA polisher) with sandpaper disks can work as well, just be sure that you are comfortable using them since you don’t want to apply too much heat to plastic. Hey, I'm Baxter! To clean plastic headlights you would need an abrasive to lightly scrape off the oxidized layer. I would apply this coating as evenly as possible in light coats, as I have had beads of it dry on contact by mistake. Clean the headlights again with clean water. Nissan Altima - Headlight Bulb Replacement (Driver Side Low Beam) - Atlanta, Georgia. Rinse all of the polishing compound off of your headlights with plain water and allow to air dry or gently dry with a clean, soft cloth. Take your time and add compound as needed - this will likely take 10 minutes per headlight. Cracks and peels indicate serious damage to the polycarbonate lens of your headlights, and this will require professional resurfacing (at the bare minimum) to achieve a like-new look. Go over the headlight again with wet 600-grit sandpaper, using a circular motion Once you’ve sanded the whole headlight, wash it off with clean water Plastic is far to soft and scatches up too easily to use something like sandpaper on it. A standard wash is just as it sounds. Apply a decent amount to a clean pad, and evenly apply it to the headlight lens. I’d recommend wearing gloves and possibly a face mask and glasses for this step, since dust tends to fly around a lot when dry sanding. Spritz the mixture onto the headlight … Step 1: Tape off the headlights and cover the paint Before you get started, it’s a good idea to tape off your headlights with painters tape since you will be using sandpaper. After you spray your headlights with water, it is important to wipe it with a clean cloth or towel paper. I'm currently working on a Jeep Wrangler that I enjoy modifying and detailing, and look forward to helping other detailers and hobbyists as I continue this journey. This is why knowledge of proper cleaning techniques for headlights is important for keeping vehicles in tip-top condition. I hope this post has been helpful if you are considering tackling wetsanding. The problem is that the sun will actually burn up this coating as the car gets older, causing your headlights to appear foggy. Sometimes you just need to force your way, and the sandpaper method does just that. For more extreme damage, replacement may be your only option. Step 3: Start sanding the headlights. Step 2: Get Your Headlights Clean The first step will be a thorough washing of the headlight lenses with car soap and water. Acts as a great polish for plastic housing and copper contacts, like in my rear Suburban door. Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST. From there, simply follow the same steps. If you don’t keep the surface wet, you run the risk of scratching the headlight. Repeat steps three through five on the other headlight, then dry both headlights with a clean cloth. Any solution that contains a UV protectant should be fine, even if you opt for a clear sealant or coating. Very helpful....went into detail about his entire process. Am I seeing that accurately? Even dirty headlights, an easily remedied problem, greatly reduce night-time visibility for drivers and also increase the glare seen by others on the road. This will not, however, completely restore them to pristine condition. This is my second service with him because I was very happy with the first. Step 1: Block off the surrounding area with tape. Take your water bottle (a bucket of soap and water works great too) and rinse off the initial white powder. Use clean water to remove any remaining toothpaste residue from the headlight. Place the sand paper on the headlight (it will stick by itself) and continue to spray the whole headlight until the whole headlight is wet. Start with the lower grit sandpaper and rub it in circular motions over the plastic lens. This vinegar-baking soda solution is actually so abrasive that you do not need to apply too much pressure.