Seeing how some of you guys are wondering how to clear your yellow, hazy, or discolored headlights i took it upon myself to write this lil guide today.

Seeing how my headlights were getting this buildup of crap on the bottom and starting to get unclear i decided to polish em up

Before Pics:



So here's the supplies you will need:

1. spray bottle with some mild detergent
2. 3m rubbing compound (pickup at walmart $5.96/bottle)
3. plastic polish
4. painters tape
5. sandpaper (best to get a wide range from 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000)
6. terry cloth

First step is to tape off the area around your headlights so you don't accidently sand your surrounding area.


Next, begins the fun. Basically wetsand down your headlights with the sandpaper. The idea is to keep the area wet and sand in a linear motion. Start with lowest grade sandpaper (400) and work your way up to 2000. Each grade should take approxiately 3-5mins. Should look like this after your done


Next step, use some 3M rubbing compound and a clean terry cloth and start rubbing again in a circular motion till you cover the entire headlight. You will properly have to appy about 5-10 layers if not more until the headlight will begin to clear.



Then apply the plastic polish/wax on the headlight and polish until crystal clear. If scratches still remain reapply the rubbing compound until scatches are removed and repeat waxing/polishing.


Repeat on other side:

wetsand, compound, wax/polish...

Finished product should come out like this:


No more haze or dirty buildup on bottom! Looks practically brand new again! Looks better in personal without the glare...

 

clean man, but won't u have to do it again if u don't clear coat the lights? on a sidenote u figure out any good EQ settings for the 9831? i have one also, and the eq def has me baffled.

 

yeah over time the headlight will probably get oxidized again, but thats why you just wax/polish them again. Or put on one of those headlight vinyls to help slow the process.

I just leave my EQ on pop mode.

 

Sorry for reviving this old thread -- but I searched!

Haha, anyway, when do you stop sanding it? Sand it until... it feels smooth or what? I'm kinda skeptical about sanding it down... I know it's only to remove the coating. Please advise.

 

you sand it until you remove the layer of buildup/oxidation. It should look cloudy yet clearer then before you spray on the soap.

 

So you use the detergent in the spray to keep the headlight wet while you sand?

 

yea u use a mild detergent solution

 

I did this whole procedure and did everything manualy of course. No matter what... a mechanical buffer works much much better than elbow greese. You can use elbow greese to buff the lights till the cows come home but it wont ever match a buffing wheel

 

Would you believe some WD-40 and a paper towel did wonders for me...???