JoeFromPA Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hi all, This is more a general question: I have a 2006 Civic SI with 107k miles. I've noticed that it's headlights, towards the top, are really starting to show wear from micro scratches getting into the outside of the plastic cover. It's getting the "fogged" look from the outside wear. I'm just getting my first random orbital and some griots garage machine polish 3 (a light chemical and physical abrasive polish). I was wondering if I can use the random orbital with that polish, or a headlight cleaning kit polish, to remove these swirls? Just confirming I can use the same device and looking for advice on the compounds to use. I don't want to do any sort of wet-sanding and such - hoping I can just remove the aged look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTPpilot Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 It can be done, but go easy. If you get too aggressive you will find you have to polish them quite often due to the UV coating being worn away. [ame=http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtppilot/sets/72157625438050872/]MDX Headlight Polish - a set on Flickr[/ame] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShrinerMonkey Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 There are several headlight restorer kits on the market that have a polishing ball that attaches to an electric drill. Meguiar's makes one that is about $20. I would just try one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euclid Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 If the headlights are hazing it's very likely the UV protection is gone anyways. To mitigate the need to continually polish the lights to keep them nice and clear, polish them with a machine, or use a kit and then cover the lights in a clear-bra like film. That will protect the lights from hazing, and protect them from rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsurge Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 There are several headlight restorer kits on the market that have a polishing ball that attaches to an electric drill. Meguiar's makes one that is about $20. I would just try one of those. for experience. The Meguiars kit worked very well. Just be sure to mask the headlights and clean them before starting. I have to redo mine already though since I found a bunch of scratches afterward on the turn indicator area (They may have been there already)... http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=100233&d=1305670416 I did this a couple months ago and I haven't washed the car since, so I'll have to do that (been raining a lot lately) and see how they've held up. I may need to apply a protective film as stated, but it took 10-15 minutes to do the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeraldG Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 those lights look brand new! im gonna have to try this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Define "orbital". If this is a $50 craftsman buffer, then forget it. It won't do anything for the headlights regardless of the polish you use. This one is really going to come down to the tools that you use. You can get good results with just about any medium level abrasive polish and above as long as your machine has the right amount of power. A waxing machine isn't going to work. You need a serious polisher. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 OCD - Griots garage random orbital Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Oh, that's right. I forgot about that. You'll be able to polish them out fine with that then. I've been polishing headlights for a long time just using something like XMT4 or Meguiar's ScratchX as the polish and an orange cutting pad. It does the job nicely. On really bad lights I'll wetsand them first and then polish them out. That works out even better. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 here are some examples of headlight polishing with a DA polisher. Specifically with a PC7424. These were done before I got my Flex. before: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06330.jpg after: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06331.jpg before: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06334.jpg after: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06336.jpg before: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06340.jpg after: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/headlights2/DSC06342.jpg It even works on lenses that some FREAKING MORON decided to use a wire brush on. This guy put a yellow tint on the outside of his headlights and when he finally realized how retarded he looked, he decided to use a wire brush to scrape it off and then come to me to fix his screw up. Damn DIYers sometimes... before: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/polishingheadlights/DSCN0963.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/polishingheadlights/DSCN0964.jpg Same process as paint, really. I wetsanded it and then polished like a madman to remove the haze. http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/polishingheadlights/DSCN0970.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/polishingheadlights/DSCN0976.jpg It came out looking SOOOO much better. And of course the coup de grace... I had to remove the bumper for this one, but damn it came out nice. http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/teg-300/DSC07155.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/teg-300/DSC07159.jpg Light output before: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/teg-300/DSC07154.jpg Light output after: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/teg-300/DSC07153.jpg Nothing special was used for those. I know they have all sorts of headlight polishing kits, but I stick with 1600 grit sand paper and meguiar's ScratchX or something similarly abrasive. Just be careful around any paint in the area. You are in an area where the paint will be thin (around the edges of panels) and you are using the most abrasive pad and products you will probably ever use on the highest setting on the machine. This is what you would do to your paint if you were hell bent on getting down to the primer, so make sure you either remove the lens (like I did with the mustang), remove the bumper (like on the integra), or just be really careful. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 for experience. The Meguiars kit worked very well. Just be sure to mask the headlights and clean them before starting. I have to redo mine already though since I found a bunch of scratches afterward on the turn indicator area (They may have been there already)... http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=100233&d=1305670416 I did this a couple months ago and I haven't washed the car since, so I'll have to do that (been raining a lot lately) and see how they've held up. I may need to apply a protective film as stated, but it took 10-15 minutes to do the whole thing. How come you don't have any chips in the paint on that 05, the paint looks new. I'm jealous 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 How come you don't have any chips in the paint on that 05, the paint looks new. I'm jealous Yeah, no kidding. My paint didn't look that good when I brought it home from the dealership. lol After six months it was more hammered than my ten year old Honda. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Cool, I've got some turtle wax rubbing compound or similar product I'll put on my orange pad, at the highest setting speed, with the area around the headlights taped off and I'll go slow and light. Basically polish until it looks clear, then stop, wipe it off, and maybe apply some klasse all in one for a safe protectant and final layer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Here is what I would suggest. This is sight unseen too, so I’m really not sure of the damage you are dealing with, but I believe this is good advice for most situations. I don’t know what the abrasive level is of the Turtle Wax product. In my experience the paste products are not going to have the cutting power you need. I would strongly recommend you go get a tube of Meguiar’s ScratchX. To polish headlights you really need some strong cutting power and ScratchX is pretty high on the scale. Don’t just squirt it on the pad and go to town. You’ll want to start the machine on a slower setting and spread the product around a bit before kicking it up. You don’t necessarily have to be on the highest speed either. That is the nice thing about variable speed polishers. You should only go as fast as you need in order to get results. I don’t know the numbering system on the Griot’s machine, so I can’t tell you which one to use, but you’ll figure it out. Start it off in the middle of the power settings and click it up one number at a time to see what works best. Be sure to work the polish for enough time that it breaks down. Many polishes use diminishing abrasives, which means they cut hard at first but then break down and get lighter to remove the haze as you go. Give each lens about three or four minutes of time before wiping it off and checking your progress. Klasse isn’t really going to do much for the lenses. Sure you can use it, but if the clear coat has come off or something, then waxing it won’t really do all that much. The headlights are just like paint in that regard. If they are far gone enough then they might require wetsanding to the point that you have to reclear coat them. I don’t know which car you are working on, but I can’t imagine an ’05 or newer Legacy would have those kinds of problems yet. But yeah, go ahead and put a sealant on them when you are done, but it isn’t really going to do anything other than make them shiny. J Hopefully that helps a bit. You’ll figure it out as you go I’m sure. Machines like this take a little getting used to, but the learning curve is pretty short and you’ll be a pro in no time. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Thanks man. The turtle wax compound is pretty seriously abrasive IMHO - not the most hardcore, but improperly used it'll easy scratch the hell out of paint. I'll give it a gentle try and see what happens This is on an 06 Civic with surface scratching turning into surface fog. 107k highway miles will do that to ya. I'll use the process as you described. I figure I'll remove some protectant, so I'm just thinking "What can I apply to plastic headlight lenses to give them some protection after removing some of their surface protectives" - so I thought klasse simply as a very light protectant against, I believe, UV. Maybe I should use Aerospace protectant 303 instead since it's marine grade? IDK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsurge Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Yeah, no kidding. My paint didn't look that good when I brought it home from the dealership. lol After six months it was more hammered than my ten year old Honda. How come you don't have any chips in the paint on that 05, the paint looks new. I'm jealous Thanks! I just washed it the day before this with rain-x. I didn't know you all had paint chips on your bumpers. It was a single owner in PA. My current commute is about 4 miles one way and I occasionally go interstate for a couple hours. I have a bunch of car polish and other goodies I need to get on this summer to make it happy. I have either Meguiars ultimate compound or Mother's equivalent - it was a gift, so I don't remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 Just an update. I did this yesterday on my 2006 Civic SI. I used some really old and mostly seperated Turtle Wax Polishing Compound, which is rated like a medium cutting compound - i.e. more aggressive than the really light stuff, but still for "light to medium scratches". Worked like a charm. Here's the one crappy photo I got with one headlight untouched and one just after cleaning. Took maybe 2 minutes per headlight, really easy. http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/ae281/joefrompa/Headlights.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 My "SI refresh" has been a really long process due to interruptions and rain and such. I spent 1 hour washing it, drying it, cleaning the wheels, engine, and exhaust tip. Then maybe 30 minutes clay barring it. Then ~45 minutes polishing it with griots machine polish 3 - 30 minutes removing the polish. 15 minutes applying klasse sealant glaze with a buffer (the buffer makes applying polish to large sections fly by). Now probably an hour to remove the sealant, hehehe. And I spent another 15 minutes or so applying mothers back to black to trim (with little success, I might add, it just faded right back within 2 hours of being in a garage). Anyway, I'm thrilled with the headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssbtech Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 How the heck do you even get a 4" pad into the bottom inner corners of the LGT's headlights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Sometimes you have to just do it by hand if your pads are too big. They do make smaller pads which attach to drills that you could use. I know autogeek sells them, but they may come in other headlight restoration kits too. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRMacGuyver Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 lol I just used a dab of brake fluid on a cloth and it looks fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yikes... yeah, don't get that anywhere near your paint. Brake fluid contains polyethylene glycol which is highly corrosive to paint. Some of the stronger solvents out there contain it and I wouldn't recommend getting it anywhere near something you don't want a hole burned through. Just sayin... _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRMacGuyver Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Yikes... yeah, don't get that anywhere near your paint. Brake fluid contains polyethylene glycol which is highly corrosive to paint. Some of the stronger solvents out there contain it and I wouldn't recommend getting it anywhere near something you don't want a hole burned through. Just sayin... yeah no kidding. That's what makes it work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I have no doubt it works, but it is sort of like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. If a little rubbing compound and some elbow grease will do it safer without risking burning a hole in your headlight or in the paint anywhere near the headlight, then I think that might be a better way to go. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRMacGuyver Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 yeah I'm cheap and lazy. I have no excuse. Maybe next time they need doing I can afford to do it correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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