Headlight restoration help!!!!

[pedrito0906]

Hi fellow members:

My dog scratched the right side of my headlight , then I went ahaed and tried to restore it wet sanding it and then applying clear coat. The issue is that I've done every combination with wet sanding and then applying clear coat, ending with the same result, faded/opaque headlight. For example:

1. 400 grid > 600 grid > clear coat > polish > opaque
2. 400 grid > 600 grid > 1500 > clear coat > polish > opaque
3. 600 grid > 1500 > clear coat > polish > opaque
4. 600 grid > 1500 > 2000 grid > clear coat > polish > opaque

The clear coat that I'm using is very good, it's a custom aerosol spray can from a car painting car shop.

This picture is the right one which is intact aside from being dirty

This one is the one that I'm trying to get it shiny again, like new.

As you can see is very opaque.

Any help wil be greatly appreciated.

 

[forevercasual]

To me it looks like you are only going left to right? I generally do a pass go L/R then Up/down. You need to sand down your scratches to the smaller and smaller grits. Also, 600 seems a bit aggressive to me, I've always started around 900 up to 2000, and then polish it out. I use the mothers drill attachment and it cleans up the 2k scratches pretty well. After that I would clear to protect the work that you did. I'm by no means an expert, but have had decent results on the 4 cars with UV damage.

 

[Siestarider]

I installed headlight armor first mod. Not much help to you right now, but its possible that rather than spray clear finish you might be better off following Forevercasual's advice on clearing the lens surface and then applying a plastic armor.

Over three years on mine and no visible UV damage yet.

 

[jdubs]

Hi fellow members:

My dog scratched the right side of my headlight , then I went ahaed and tried to restore it wet sanding it and then applying clear coat. The issue is that I've done every combination with wet sanding and then applying clear coat, ending with the same result, faded/opaque headlight. For example:

1. 400 grid > 600 grid > clear coat > polish > opaque
2. 400 grid > 600 grid > 1500 > clear coat > polish > opaque
3. 600 grid > 1500 > clear coat > polish > opaque
4. 600 grid > 1500 > 2000 grid > clear coat > polish > opaque

The clear coat that I'm using is very good, it's a custom aerosol spray can from a car painting car shop.

As you can see is very opaque.

Any help wil be greatly appreciated.

You need an abrasive compound (polish) after the sanding before the clear. Am I reading right that your spraying clear before polishing?

 

[pedrito0906]

To me it looks like you are only going left to right? I generally do a pass go L/R then Up/down. You need to sand down your scratches to the smaller and smaller grits. Also, 600 seems a bit aggressive to me, I've always started around 900 up to 2000, and then polish it out. I use the mothers drill attachment and it cleans up the 2k scratches pretty well. After that I would clear to protect the work that you did. I'm by no means an expert, but have had decent results on the 4 cars with UV damage.

Yes, I'm only sanding in one direction. I have the restoration kit from mothers, I'll try with that later today, after work.

 

[pedrito0906]

You need an abrasive compound (polish) after the sanding before the clear. Am I reading right that your spraying clear before polishing?

Yes, I'm spraying the clear coat before I polish. But the clear coat wouldn't stick to a surface that is polished, would it?

 

[jdubs]

Yes, I'm spraying the clear coat before I polish. But the clear coat wouldn't stick to a surface that is polished, would it?

When I restore headlights I don't spray with a clear coat. I generally apply a few applications of sealant after. This requires constant reapplication over the life of the headlight but that's what I do.

If you insist on spraying with clear it has to be the last step. Your polish will do nothing to remove sanding scratches with a clear coat over them. If you do clear them after polish make sure to clean the headlights well with something that will remove any of the oils or residue from the polish (think dish soap or diluted isopropyl alochol). Obviously do so at your own risk. I'm not sure how well the clear sticks to that surface either. I haven't tried.

 

[VuDoo]

Do not put clear spray on them. It will do what it is doing now turning opaque, will yellow over time, and when rocks start chipping away at it, it will begin to flake. Polishing it should be enough.

 

[V_2]

What type of clear are you using? Are you allowing sufficient cure time before you polish it? Are you sure the clear can be worked (sanded, polished)?

I've used this stuff on headlights, guitars, body panels. It is an automotive 2k urethane clear. Prep your surface, spray, wet sand the cured clear, then rotary machine polish. I use meguiars 105 then 205.

I did a set of headlights probably 4 years ago and they haven't clouded or yellowed yet.

 

[Manta Ray]

Few things, and this is just my opinion

I don't think you should go lower than 800 grit, i dont even have a sheet around.

Headlight restore for me goes like this:
1000 grit for heavy oxidation/etc
1500 grit for most jobs
2000 or 2500
3000 or compound (same stuff used on paints, because I don't believe in "headlight specific" polishes and compounds)
polish
then one of the following or a combination of them (all),
protective film (if available)
coating (on light or film)
sealant (on light or coating.. but its slightly redundant)
wax (something that performs at high temperatures... fk1000p comes to mind to give it that little bit extra between washes)

 

[Murloc15]

Few things, and this is just my opinion

I don't think you should go lower than 800 grit, i dont even have a sheet around.

Headlight restore for me goes like this:
1000 grit for heavy oxidation/etc
1500 grit for most jobs
2000 or 2500
3000 or compound (same stuff used on paints, because I don't believe in "headlight specific" polishes and compounds)
polish
then one of the following or a combination of them (all),
protective film (if available)
coating (on light or film)
sealant (on light or coating.. but its slightly redundant)
wax (something that performs at high temperatures... fk1000p comes to mind to give it that little bit extra between washes)

I think you are using too aggressive of a sandpaper. You should follow the grits outlined here. The last step, 3000 grit, should be a wet sand process. After that polish with 105, or comparable, then 205, or comparable. This should even out all of the marks left by sanding. After use a ceramic coat made for headlights, sealant, or cover of choice. You will have to repeat this step so many times a year as all of the sanding has removed the uv coating/protection from factory.

 

[Manta Ray]

??? im not the one with problems clearinv up headlights.

 

[Murloc15]

??? im not the one with problems clearinv up headlights.

I know, I was just quoting for reference for OP. I liked your sandpaper regime and just wanted to quote it.

 

[milkman42]

I also agree with manta's schedule. I would add that I'd do all sanding wet. I've fixed heavily oxidized 20 year old headlights using this technique. 105/205 refers to meguires polishes fyi and that's what I use as well. I think lamin-x or equivalent after polishing is all you need, no clear, wax, etc necessary.

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[Manta Ray]

ah I see, yeah I forgot to mention, as others suggested, I wouldnt put an exposed piece of dry sand paper anywhere near cars, wet sand only.

 

[pedrito0906]

Thanks everyone for answering. I sanded out the previous coat, and then sanded perpendicular to the previous one by this, 1000 > 1200 > 1500 > 2000, then applied the aerosol clear coat and after 8 hours of drying this is the result that I'm getting.

I just don't know why it's so cloudy and not clear like in the videos on youtube I'm going to leave the headlight alone for 24 hours to see if it clears up, but I don't think is going to.

 

[milkman42]

Mind = blown you're still not polishing the sanding marks out and instead spraying clear coat over the scratches, locking them in. You need to POLISH after wetsanding.

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[pedrito0906]

Mind = blown you're still not polishing the sanding marks out and instead spraying clear coat over the scratches, locking them in. You need to POLISH after wetsanding.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

LOL, thanks again for repying. The DYI videos on youtube that I've watched, they use at most 2000 grit, never polish before the clear coat, and the headlights get super clear without scratch marks.

Take a look at this video, if you could. [video=youtube;y0gbr7YdWLU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0gbr7YdWLU[/video]