Cleaning Headlights for 2004 Maxima
 

This is just a quick question, i will like to know if is worth cleaning your head lights from that old look it get , or just to go buy a brand new one from Nissan, if you suggest getting a new one please let me know where the link or place will help, and if you suggest cleaning them let me know with what and how much more shiney will it get is it worth it , thanks i am looking to do this i just want it to look good let me know.

I cleaned mine and they came out like new but make sure you sand them...

You have any pics of your headlights up close? Almost any headlight can be restored to look like new. You just need to know how to do it properly. There's two ways that can work. One way would be sanding and another would be a restoration kit.

Either will work. Although there is another way but, you might not have those items on hand and if that's the case. Than you might as well as get the restoration kit.

take 6.5 affiliate's advice and get the restore kit.. it has everything you need for like 20 bucks so you don't need to go looking for each thing like i did. i just recently restored my friends altima head lights by wet sanding, and rubbing compound. if your interested and want to do the same thing, let me know and ill type out a tutorial for you if you want.

here are some before and afters:

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/..._1536997_o.jpg
BEFORE

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/..._4144202_o.jpg
AFTER

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/..._7098294_o.jpg
BEFORE


http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/..._7144021_o.jpg
AND AFTER

I used a drill and it took me about 10 min per head light

sometimes it doesn't look like it, but unless you have a crack, or baked them open and didn't do a good job at sealing it back together, that hazing you see on your head lamps is on the outside, which makes this job real easy. Hazing is a result of sun damage, and normal wear and tear. to prevent it from happening, or happening again, go get some UV protection stuff, or clear coat from autozone.

If you have the money buy some 6.5 headlights for it if it's even possible to do that?

There WAY different....those headlight restoration juts work awesome if yours isnt that bad try tooth paste...

Let me know give me the step by step i hear the kit dont work that well and yours look like it work so i will see if i go this way so let me know how thanks.

There's TSB recommending "3M Plastic Polish (# 39010) to polish the headlamp lens(es)." Has anybody tried it? How effective is it?

i will do this this weekend so let me know for sure need the step by step.

get a bottle of Meguires Plastix. Try using it first without sanding. You squirt it on the headlight and spread it over the whole light. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then rub it in real good. Use some man strength. when your rag turns yellow, flip it and keep rubbing in. You might need to do it twice, but once should be fine depending on how bad you let it get. If that doesn't work, you need to wet sand them. Very easy to do. Get 2000 grit sand paper and some soapy water. I would use 2/3 water, and 1/3 dawn dish soap. You don't need a lot. use a squirt bottle and get the lights wet. then get the sand paper wet. Never let the sand paper get dry. Sand a bit, then wipe down with a wet rag. Make sure the wet rag is wet with only water. once they are to your liking, rinse them off and dry them. Then use the plastix to polish them up and put a protective coat on them.

the 3m restore kit sucks for our lights. I used it and messed my lights up. Followed the instructions to the T. I read about the wet sand with 2000 grit on these forums a while back and tried it. worked like a charm with not swirl marks. I have done the wet sand once in over 6 years. Just keep up with cleaning them when you wax, and you should be fine.

What kind of protective coat?..brand?

Like spray paint clear coat i think but not sure.

Ooooooh ok, thank u siiiir....

thats because you used te 500 grit starter sand paper and your lights weren't that bad to begin with...

in that picture i used 800 very lightly with soap, then moved on to 1500, and finished with 2000, buffed it, done...

500 is too coarse and will make more work for you.

what do i need to buffed it with after i sand it ?

some rubbing compound

No not spray paint. It is the plastix rubbing compound that creates a clear coat.

I agree, I followed the steps in the kit. You can skip all the steps and go right to wet sanding and you will be just fine.

Ok, im gonna do this today, thank you guys

So where to go get it at and what's the name of it.

So where to go get it at and what's the name of it. Is all I need is the compound I need to put on it after thanks.

I used 3M restoration kit on my girl's civic, her headlights were severely oxidized and all that good stuff, and they came out great. Definately the way to go in my opinion.

Can anyone tell me whats the compound name or brand or where to get it , the one to rub on the lights after sanding thanks.

Ive used the 3M rubbing compound bought it at walmart or any auto parts store...

Thanks man going to get this tomorrow, hope it come out ok when i am done will post some pictures , by the way is thats the only kind of compound or there are others , asking cause i am looking for the best stuff i can thanks.

i see that the 3M rubbing compound is not the last thing you do you also have to get protective wax fo finish it off with , wich one will i have to use for for the lights ??? since car and headlights are different when it come to the material of it, so wich kind of protective wax i need to give it a good shine so think on that thanks.

Meguiars PlastX is what you use when you are finishing it off. Be sure to use a buffer.

What if you dont have a buffer like me can i do it with my hand ?? and thast the name Meguiars PlastX cause i will go to the store ask for that lol, and thast for after i use tham 3m compound right ?

Yup, that's the name for it.

Are you going to be sanding it? If you are then no, I don't recommend it since you don't have a buffer or anything similar. Your not going to be getting the results that you are looking for. Basically, it isn't going to be taking the scratches out that you put in there with the sand paper. Even if you use the rubbing compound and a scratch remover after it.

Just wanted to add something. Since your only looking to take off the haze on your headlights then a cheap buffer is only going to cost you 20 bucks or less. You can get it at the same place as the plastX. Also, get some Meguiars ScratchX to use after the rubbing compound.

One thing I wanna say about rubbing compound though. It's some STRONG stuff. If you were to say use some Turtle brand:

http://www.tooldistrict.com/product-p/578422.htm

This stuff is so harsh that if you were to use a terry cloth and some pressure. Then this will act just like sand paper and take the haze right off your headlights. True story! (you still gotta use a buffer and ScratchX to take out all the scratches that are left behind though)

Ok i got the compound and the plastx , going to do this tomorrow add the rubbing compound then the plastx after and thast it right lil scared not trying to make my headlights all miss up they good now just want them to look new thast all lol.

got the same one you suggest in the link and i got the plastx so i will go at it monday or so.

I crashed my frontend about 4 yrs ago and got two new headlights on my 04!

insurance

It'll be the rubbing compound first, ScratchX (takes out the scratches that are created by the compound), and finally PlastX

Ok cool have to go to autozone today to get the ScratchX dont have that one , one more question i can do all this with a rag right ? or at lease the first to steps ?

Cool, I have a question.


I'm kinda confused. What kind of rag do I use? Can I use an old t shirt to rup the compound, or should I go with a microfiber towel?

Where do I buy the microfiber towel? Does it need to be blue or I can get it white?

Should I buy 8k hids or 6k?

Thanks for advice

Of course you can but t do that , you also need to buy front bumper, grill and hood from an 07-08, like I did. It's cheaper to have them buffed out then to do an 087-08 swap, like I did.

Yeah you can use a couple of terry cloths (1 for the compound, 1 for the ScratchX and 1 for the PlastX). The ScratchX and PlastX on the other hand. I would recommend using a cheap buffer. It'll make life a little easier and you'll get that new look that your going for.

But, if you aren't sanding it then yeah, you can do it all by hand. It's going to take a little while though since your going to have to keep applying the ScratchX to remove all the scratches. Also, I would just use about two coats of the PlastX and let it dry for a little bit to kind of bake it onto the headlight lens.