anyone have any input on products or procedures to restore hazy headlights to like new clarity ? i saw an array of products at pep boys yesterday i just wanted to know if anyone has used one or not. i was thinking about trying the mothers brand version but i figured i would ask before buying since people on this forum are super helpfull. thanks

 

the 3M version is an entire kit..damn thing is less than 20 bucks on amazon shipped, or like 22 or so at the AutoZone or whatever...

LOVE it. One kit was enough for my headlights AND fogs on my 97 GA...did the same to the wife's Outback. Comes with everything but the drill.


http://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Headl...6777841&sr=1-1

 

I recommend the 3M kit as well.

 

cool thanx for the input i will give the 3m kit a shot , my max is an 09 but the sun in florida is brutal and i can see the starting of the hazing which drives me nuts , thanx for the replys gentlemen

 

Once they're clear, start waxing them whenever you wash the car. That'll keep them clear and protect them from the brutal sun.

 

yes i have used that 3m kit and it is great!! Just as said above you must put some kind of UV protection on after you do this. I used this kit on my older truck and it worked perfect. Here is a pic:

Before:


After:



Now they are yellow and hazy again after 2 years. I did wax them, but not often enough. There are some sealants around but they are supper expensive. I have heard of people using poly urethane and it working great. I will try this the next time I do this. Search google for some advise on this.

The factory puts on a UV coating from the get go, thats why they don't just get hazy right off the bat. On our max, I put my Zaino on them regularly, I hope this will be enough to keep the factory protection on there as long as I can

 

try brasso. very effective and very cheap.

 

Meguirs cleaner/wax also works if you have some.

 

Gotta be careful with Brasso. It worked great on my belt buckles when I was in the Army (3 years in the 1950s). But once you use Brasso on anything, it has to be used again rather frequently, because it will take the top layer (usually a protective layer) off anything you use it on. My brother-in-law used it to shine up the metal grave marker on his parent's grave, and it removed the protectant that comes on the marker. Within a year, it looked so bad we had to refinish the entire marker (over $1,000).

I would be very leary of using Brasso on any part of my Maxima, unless I was going to apply a protective coat afterward to protect the finish.

 

Believe it or not my body guys told me to use Nu-Finish Scratch Doctor on my 03 Maxima headlights after I have one replaced new and the old one looked like crap. It worked really well and every other car was I just appy some just to keep it clear.

Only $9.99 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Finish-NFS-.../dp/B000AME50Y

 

Before I polish my headlights, I take a claybar to them. You wouldn't believe the amount of crap a claybar can lift and remove from your headlights. That alone will clear them up quite a bit so long as they haven't yellowed severely. I then take a foam polish/wax pad and hit them with some Meguair's PlastX and some elbow grease. I then buff off with a microfiber towel. During the hot Florida summer months when the UV index is 10+, I do it about once every other month. Doesn't take that long to do at all. Other than some road rash scarring over the years from my car being a 2000 model with 168k miles, they practically look brand new.

Here's a picture I took not long ago with my Maxima parked next to an 02-03 Infiniti I-35. You can see how much more crystal clear my lenses are over the hazy yellowing that the Infiniti has. Yeah I know they're completely different head lights, but I posted this so a visible difference between clean and clear lenses over hazy yellowed lenses.

 

I used Meguiar's Headlight restoration kit, works good!

 

polishing works good for a year or so at the max. if you really wanna make your headlights look new and last for a while, get them sanded with 1000 grit and clearcoated. 2-3 good coats of clear will have them things lookin better than new, and for a long *** time too.

 

This is a good way to go. It can cost you some upfront money to take them to a body shop to have them cleared after they're wet sanded and buffed. I thought about going this route with my headlights, but I don't mind breaking out the claybar and PlastiX every few months.

 

well, you dont really wanna wetsand and buff them before getting them cleared. its just a waste of time. theyre gonna sand them with 1000 or something of the like, in order for the clear to stick, before they spray. also a buffing compound you use, or wax, would be removed with a solvent before they spray them with clear.

 

Ok, I see what you mean about prepping the plastic lense for the clear coat, that makes sense.