We’ve all seen car headlights that have turned into a foggy haze. Not only does it look bad, but it’s also unsafe because it can’t produce as much light. Sure you could buy a new headlight, but for modern cars you can plan on paying a couple hundred dollars for a replacement.
I’m going to take you through a few simple steps to restore a headlight. Depending on the condition, you can probably get it back to 90+% of new.
This example had some pretty serious damage to it. I could tell that it had been hit by something as it had pretty deep gouges all across the light. Given the condition, I knew I was going for “better” as opposed to like-new.
For this condition, you’re going to need at least several steps of wetsanding followed by several steps of machine polishing. You also want to tape all around the headlight to protect any seals/trim as well as painted finishes. If the lens has only a mild haze to it, then you should be able to clean it up with just the polishing steps without having to wetsand.
Here I am starting with 1500 grit sandpaper. I started off just like I would with any wetsanding project…go in one direction first, and then alternate directions as you move up through the different levels of paper (cross hatching). Here I started with horizontal passes. I know, I know…my tape job was less than stellar on this one!
Next I stepped up to 2000 grit sandpaper, and I switched to vertical passes:
After about 4 different grits of paper, I switched to the Makita rotary to take out the sanding haze and to polish out the finish. I first used a 4″ Purple Foamed Wool pad with Megs 105 compound (alternatives would be Menzerna Power Gloss, Optimum Hyper Compound, or Poorboy’s SSR3), and then used an orange pad with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish, and finally finished it up with 106FF and a white pad.
Once again…before:
After:
Since this light was hit with some force, it had micro-fractures all through the lens that was well below the surface and obviously couldn’t be corrected. When it was done, it looked probably 75%-80% of a new one.
One thing to remember is that headlights typically get to this point after they’ve lost their UV protection (some are/were made better than others). Once you polish it out, you’ll need to give it a light polish every now and then to prevent the haziness from returning. This simple maintenance step can even be done by hand.
Don’t be afraid to give it a try. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can make a big difference in the overall look of the vehicle!
If you have any additional comments or questions, please submit your reply in the comment box below.
Hi Todd, Would it be a good idea to seal the headlight assy after polishing it with a sealer like a wax sealer for UV protection. I did this to my Acura TL Headlight about two weeks ago.
Hi John!
Yes it’s always a good idea to apply a sealant and/or wax to the headlights just the same as you would the rest of the vehicle. If you wanted to add even more UV protection, then I would recommend a product like 303 Aerospace Protectant.
Hey Todd what speed do you use with the makita for the wool pad, orange pad, and white pad? i think the last two typically i use 1500-1800 rpms but i do not know on the wool pad. thanks
Jose,
The speed is more polish dependent than it is pad dependent. When using wool with a product like M105 I’m typically at about 1500rpm.
I went to 303 Aerospace Protectant for headlight uv protection after restoring them. The site says it leaves a matte
finish and doesn’t mention headlight use. Should I use it or what else can I try? My headlights look great now and I would like them to stay that way.
Thank you
John,
Yes, you can use it on your headlights…303 is incredibly versatile!
Thank you.
I’ll try it.
Hi Todd, you mention 4 grits of sandpaper but you only list the 1500 and 2000, what are the others? Thanks.
2500 and then finally 3000…
Hi Todd:
Firstly I want to introduce myself : My name is Juan Carlos and I’m trying to start a “HeadLight Restoration” bussiness.I must say that when I discovered this site I found here all what i was looking for about Headlight Restoration and beyond.Now I actually am thinking about a lot of things more , like cars polishing and others.Really you have a great very easy to learn site. Well I’m a “new kid in town” and i have a lot of ??questions to you.My first one:
-First,you guess I finished a Headlight Restoration like this one successfully. I would like to know how long it could last without using some UV Protection Product.
-Next, I already saw that you recommended the 303 Aerospace Protectant.Is this the best product to do this or there are more of them with similar effects?.Could you throw me some lights , please?.
If I use a UV Protection product how long it would last then?.
And Finally , thanks a lot for having this site and for your help and please, forgive my english.
Juan,
I’m glad you’ve found our site to be helpful.
There’s no way to know just how long it will last because you don’t know just how much of the original UV coating is still there…if any. Also, some headlight manufacturers do a much better job than others when they’re made, which also dictates how long they will stay looking good. If I had to do this to my own personal car, I would probably apply something like 303 Aerospace protectant each time I cleaned the car just to make sure it had some protection on it. Once they get as bad as this one was though, it will eventually get cloudly again and will require another polishing. Just make sure your customer is aware of that, and assure them that clearing it up through polishing is the smartest move since it will greatly improve the amount of light that is able to show through (added safety).
Can we substitute a PC7424XP for the Rotary? Will it be strong enough to remove the sanding marks?
You should be able to…it just may take a little longer. If doing this, I’d highly recommend getting yourself some 4″ Surbuf pads to use with your Meguiar’s M105 and the PC…this combination does a great job of removing sanding marks! You’ll then want to step down in aggressiveness as necessary to further refine the finish.
Todd, fantastic informative write-up. My question is, as im sure alot of others reading this is, how to accomplish similiar results without the use of a mechanical polisher/buffer? I know I know, I should go buy a decent buffer machine but im too afraid of ruining my paint finish with one, so its good old fashioned elboy grease hand power with me. What are your thoughts? And again, thanks for taking the time to post a great write-up.
Timmy,
The answer to your question can be found in Marc Harris’ article on headlight restoration by hand.
Do we need to put a lot of elbow grease in to the sanding process or can you get results with light pressure?
Typically all you need is light, even pressure to do the job.
Dear Todd,
as always, I really enjoy reading your write ups. I do have a question or am looking for your opinion/advise. When you apply a sealant, what is the type of sealant you would typically use?
Would any of these be good as well?
Optimum Poli-Seal
Blackfire WetDiamond with polycharger
Poorboy’s World EX-P sealant or EX sealant w/ carnauba
Thank you.
William,
You could use whatever sealant that you apply to the rest of the vehicle…and any of those you have listed would be good.
Thanks,
Todd
Dear todd,
I am 17 And just geting into auto detailing, I have a few headlight repair jobs lined up and i was wondering if you can replace the Menzerna Super Intensive Polish SI 1500 (PO83) used in the second step of polishing with megs 205.
Thank you for thaking the time to read this and respond and thanx for all of the write ups you do i really enjoy them.
Thanx, chad
Chad,
There are a lot of different combinations that can be used…this is just one recommendation. SIP has quite a bit more cut than 205, but if you finish down well enough in your first cut then you’d be fine. It also depends on how fine you finish it during the sanding stages. Find yourself an old headlight to practice on with the tools and chemicals that you have and you should easily be able to come up with a system that works well for you.