Headlamps

One headlamp on my 2008 MK3 is clouding over. It appears to be on the outside but nothing I try seems to remove it. Has anyone got any experience of rectifying this problem. I expect it has been covered before on the forum but I can’t find it. Any ideas will be gratefully received.  

Never done it but I seem to remember toothpaste has been suggested

Do a search on eBay for “Headlight Restorer”. There are a number of different kits available.

Richard. 

I’ve worked on 3 cars with cloudy headlights caused by sun damage, the best and most aggressive was a 3M kit from Amazon which includes a drill operated sponge pad, a number of abrasive/polishing pads, and a finishing paste… from memory cost was about £15. The result was pretty good but, I suspect temporary, as it removes the UV protection coating.

I have also tried toothpaste/Brasso/bodywork paste and a number of other chemicals as an alternative, they will remove the ‘yellowing’ but leave the clouding which requires move aggressive action as above.

I guess it’s all about how bad your headlights are affected as to whether replacement may be the best option.

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Thanks for the replies.

It all sounds a bit fierce using abrasives and pads fitted to a drill on plastic headlights.

It must be worth a try though with a new headlamp coming in at just under ÂŁ200.

 

 

Who buys new headlamps for an old car ?

 

 

It does, but either way you’re removing the damaged (cloudy) plastic off the headlight… if it’s not too bad you may get away with using toothpaste/Brasso or whatever on a drill pad without using such an aggressive remedies, but mine were on a 2005 Honda CRV that were well on the way to an MOT failure.

I did try the toothpaste/Brasso trick but TBH it really didn’t do the job, whereas the 3M kit restored the headlight to absolute clarity, however, you do remove the anti-UV coating and it leaves the plastic open to further deterioration by sunlight. There are kits that claim to replace this coating but I’ve not tried them.

 

Who buys new headlamps for an old car ?<<

Me, it it’s going to fail an MOT  :)   well, Ebay 2nd hand ones anyway!

 

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Wait until you try to shift the stuff!!  When I started to clear the stuff off the headlights on my Mercedes I was all very gentle and doing it by hand, terrified I was going to damage the headlight.  After several hours of making virtually no impression I resorted to the battery drill.  After I flattened the battery on that, again without making a huge difference, out came the big Black & Decker and the wet and dry and from then on the headlights were on their own.  The final result isn’t perfect but they are better than they were.  The key thing to remember is that you can always polish the plastic afterwards.  Remember to wax them when you have finished to keep the UV off as best you can.

Done this on my previous family hack - a VW Passat estate.  Treat them as if you’re flatting down and polishing new paintwork or lacquer.  I started with 1200 wet’n’dry, then 2500 wet’n’dry, then cutting paste, then T-Cut - then a cutting polish - and finally a regular polish.  Needed patience, but they came up crystal clear, like new.   However I think, as others have noted, that once you’ve done it once, it’s going to need re-doing every couple of years - I sold the car a few weeks ago, and when prepping it, noticed that the headlights once again had a ‘bloom’ on them.

 

HTH - Steve

I used Arm and Hammer toothpaste on mine recently and it really worked! (Other toothpastes are available).

Mine were only slightly cloudy but came up a treat.

Best of luck.

 

Cheapest solution is to buy a tube of abrasive toothpaste such as Arm& Hammer. Using a dry cloth, work it into a small area of the plastic with a fair amount of pressure and wipe it off in the same way as you would when waxing a car. This may require a few runs but it transforms all but the very worst cases.

Result !

Have just spent the morning with Arm & Hammer toothpaste on my headlamp and it now looks very presentable. It wasn’t easy though because the bloom on the lens did not want to give up easily. You need to rub until you think you are probably going to ruin the lamp, then clean down and then do it several times more.

Thanks again for all the replies.   

Halfords do a kit no idea how good it is though

I was in Halfords this afternoon, there are a number of kits there all about £25-£30… but like Steve (above post) I have no idea which is best.

I used Tcut on my neighbours Yaris. They came up a treat.

Me too on our 2002 Sport’s. About the only thing Tcut is useful for bar polishing old silver.

Tried everything,comes up nice and clean …then bang back to cloudy a month or so later .!

Save yourself a fortune by not buying expensive abrasive specialist gear and use a small tube of Arm&Hammer toothpaste.

Hmm, the UV protection needs to be restored after removing the top layer, otherwise the sun will turn it cloudy again. 

Some people claim to have used this clear lacquer below to protect them.  Please note that I’ve not yet tried it, and I would be wary of it reacting with the plastic of the headlamp, and it will require skill to end up with an even smooth glossy coating.  But it might be worth trying on one that will have to be scrapped anyway.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rustoleum-AE0040001E8-400ml-Crystal-Clear/dp/B001W03PRM