Any product with Isopropyl Alcohol must not be used on headlights, taillights, marker lights, and foglights. It mentions the fog lights will crack.

Even diluted or spray mist, you will have damage.

While many cleaning products contain alcohol and shouldnt be used, there is alot of potential damage from using alcohol based products when installing clear mask or graphics.

quoted (and summarized by me) from Mobile Tech News, Jul/Aug 2002 issue.

 

What happens with the headlights? tailights? Do they crack as well?

 

wow! Thanks for the heads-up...I was going to install my 3M stuff this weekend. Part of the solution is alcohol for slip agent...gonna have to think how to do this then.....hmmmmm

 

does this mean on the actual lights, or the covers like for the hid's? cuz mine always seem to have fogginess on the outside looking or, or condensation, im not sure which.

 

is there enough clearance around the lights on the 2002's+ to wedge a nonabsorbent towel or something around it ligh (like a strange kind of shower cap)?

 

or else I'd just scan the article for you all.. but I think it was saying there is a urethane agent in the plastic that will freak out.

 

I am going to guess you mean that if the original size of the 3M large enough to make a "shower cap" out of it. Answer is: no. Its cut to be short and you have to kinda stretch it for maximum coverage....if that is not what you mean..explain further as I have had one of "those" lunches ...he he

 

Tim, did they recommend any products in the article, or at least mention which brands contain isopropyl alcohol? I've been using Plexus for cleaning the lens, markers, etc. but its ingredients are unknown.

 

I've used Amor-all glass cleaner wipes. Did I mess them up??

 

No, you should be fine. Most auto shops sell non-alcohol based glass cleaner for exactly this reason. Alcohol-based cleaners like Windex should also not be used on the inside of tinted windows...will damage the tint and give you that lovely purple color over the long haul. You'll see that most of the Armor-all and similar products specifically state that they are non-alcohol based.

 

no, they did not..

 

When I was younger I used some isopropyl alcohol to clean my plastic eyeglasses and plastic frames. The plastic lenses were fine, but as soon as the frames dried, the frames themselves turned a dull white.

 

Not to flame or act retarded but, why would you guys need to use any special product to clean Tails, Heads or Tint? I read ages ago that any alcohol based cleaners will definitely, as another poster mentioned, ruin your tinted windows. Now, since the interior of our cars is b=never directly exposed to dirt, why wouldn't you guys just
wipe the inside of your windows with the water from the outside of your windows when you towel-dry your car? I've been doing that for ages and have never had a problem. I clean my Heads and Tails with whatever car soap I wash the car, again have never had a problem. I really beleive that car cleaning liquid manufacturers over-do their marketing of products aimed at group like ours. Please give me your impressions on any drawback to my cleaning techniques, that is if you are aware of any drawbacks that might exist.

 

Most of the warning was centered around installing clear mask, which ALOT of people here have done and will have done. It mentions cleaning products secondarily. Most installers use an alcohol based solution to move the parts around for best fitment.

 

Didn't I post this about 3 weeks ago?


Thanks for the info.

 

Am i right to assume Meguiars Plastic Polish will be fine on the headlamps?

 

Where? not here... Anyway, I didnt say it was copywright ME 2002 did I?