Bug removers and plastic headlight lenses.

BryanH

BryanH

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Has anyone found an effective bug pre-spray that doesn't cloud/haze over plastic headlight lenses?

So far I've tried:
- Bug Squash
- Road Kill
- Griots Bug & Smudge Remover

They all leave this hazy film on plastic headlights. Not on paint, not on glass. I let dwell 30-60 seconds before rinsing away.

ONR at waterless dilution doesn't leave any spots or clouding behind but it's less effective at breaking bugs' hold on the surface.

Also, is there a way to restore yesterday's clarity of the plastic lens without breaking out the DA and pads again?
 
No one has replied so I'll take a stab, but with a few questions.

Are you referring to getting bug spatter off after a spirited drive through the country side of CA or are you talking baked and caked for months?
Reason I ask is there is a difference. I'm assuming you're referring to a spirited drive and coming back and seeing a bunch of bugs on the lenses. You've named some pretty good products already. Typically a No-Rinse wash dispatches them pretty quickly.

What do you have for an LSP on the lenses? I suspect that this is your real issue, not the methods of removing bugs. I might suggest some kind of coating, i.e. McKee's or CarPro DLUX.

And yes, to answer your second question the only proper way to restore the headlights is some form of abrasive. Judging by the picture in your post, It appears the lower right corner of the lens needs some TLC. I might suggest the McKee's or 3M headlight restore kit. Then follow up with CarPro DLUX. This should solve all your issues.
 
I've used the first two on headlight lenses and never had any hazing or residue left behind.

This is my favorite:

SONAX Insect Remover

This is the best insect removing sponge I have ever used, I swear by it:

SONAX Insect Sponge

Are those by chance Nissan Altima headlights? If so what year?
 
LSNAutoDetailing said:
No one has replied so I'll take a stab, but with a few questions.

Are you referring to getting bug spatter off after a spirited drive through the country side of CA or are you talking baked and caked for months?
Reason I ask is there is a difference. I'm assuming you're referring to a spirited drive and coming back and seeing a bunch of bugs on the lenses. You've named some pretty good products already. Typically a No-Rinse wash dispatches them pretty quickly.

What do you have for an LSP on the lenses? I suspect that this is your real issue, not the methods of removing bugs. I might suggest some kind of coating, i.e. McKee's or CarPro DLUX.

And yes, to answer your second question the only proper way to restore the headlights is some form of abrasive. Judging by the picture in your post, It appears the lower right corner of the lens needs some TLC. I might suggest the McKee's or 3M headlight restore kit. Then follow up with CarPro DLUX. This should solve all your issues.
Click to expand...

+1

A quick detailer or no-rinse should take care of bugs and if it doesn't then your bugs are pretty well dried on. I'm pretty anal about my headlights, they are coated with a ceramic coating (Optimum or Dr. Beasley's) and always have some sort of wax over the top of that. They get a minimum of wash and OCW once a week.

Your lens look pretty spent and will require some work to clear them.
 
I should clarify this haze is just from using a bug removal product once - Griots in this case. The headlight lenses are as clear as they can otherwise be, from recently polishing/sealing them. See picture below -- the headlight on the right didn't get any bug remover on it yesterday.

View attachment 63305

Thus this haze is the result of a chemical, not age. I'm not sure if it's something added that won't come off, or if it somehow micro-etched the surface to make it cloudy like that. The Griots Bug & Smudge Remover states that it's safe to use on plastics, which is why I wasn't super concerned about not getting any on the headlight lens.

Some good questions. Allow me to expand a bit with some answers.

My most typical bug scenario is getting some on the car Friday as I go out of town for a weekend, and more on Sunday as I drive home. I'll then wash the car Monday, or sometimes Tuesday (as in this case).

Typically for light bug splatter that's more fresh, I'll use ONR as a pre-soak and then wash the car with a normal 2-bucket method, saving the bug guts for last and using as much elbow grease as needed (and occasionally using an insect sponge). When there are more bugs or they've been on there a couple extra days, I like to use a dedicated bug remover like the ones mentioned, and rinse well before starting the 2-bucket wash. That's what I did yesterday. I don't think I could leave bugs on for months. :)

I've used various sealants for adding protection to headlight lenses over the years. I think this most recent time a couple weeks ago I used a cleaner wax just for kicks. I use a drying aid such as D156 or Opti-Seal every 2-4 weeks. Nissan headlights of this vintage yellow with regularity, so every 2-3 months I use the DA on them and re-seal.
 
I had a sneaky suspicion it was a Nissan headlight cover. I had the same thing happen to our old 2009 Altima after I polished the headlights and used a cleaner on them at alater point. Way too long ago for me to remember what brand it was but it definitely wasn't Griot's. Can't comment anymore than that, just an observation.
 
I wonder if Nissan used something different on or in the plastic of their headlight lenses. It seems odd for a product to indicate use on plastic and end up altering the look this much.
 
BryanH said:
I wonder if Nissan used something different on or in the plastic of their headlight lenses. It seems odd for a product to indicate use on plastic and end up altering the look this much.
Click to expand...

Ours wasn't from any cleaner it was just age. It was a 2009, as yours is a 2005 I'd tend to lean in that direction. I did restore then and it came back quickly. Thre are some great Nissan online parts sellers I have used in the past. I replaced the front grill and rear bumper deck plate on my 03 Xterra quite reasonably. If you are keeping the Z in the long run you may just want to replace the housings.
 
Are you using it in direct sunlight? If I were you I would intentionally avoid spraying the dedicated bug remover directly onto the headlight and if you do get some on the headlights I'd immediately wash it off with or take your mitt and hit them with your ph neutral car soap. Either way, I'd probably start relying more on presoaking and skip the bug remover unless you are willing to take the time to polish them back.
 
mwoywod said:
Are you using it in direct sunlight? If I were you I would intentionally avoid spraying the dedicated bug remover directly onto the headlight and if you do get some on the headlights I'd immediately wash it off with or take your mitt and hit them with your ph neutral car soap. Either way, I'd probably start relying more on presoaking and skip the bug remover unless you are willing to take the time to polish them back.
Click to expand...

Just a note:

I've used the Sonax Bug Remover for almost a year now on the entire home fleet in the sun with the Sonax bug sponge with zero issues. Down here in Florida, "The Sunshine State" there is no such thing as getting out of direct sunlight on washes etc unless you wash after dark.

The other thing is his Z headlight covers have 15 years of road rash on them, imho having owned lot's of Nissans that's the root issue. The factory finish is long gone.
 
It's a Nissan issue, we have a 14 Armada with 49k on it and owned it a year and seal/wax the headlights and the factory coating is failing on the edges already. Replacing is only way to really fix it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
Yeah I've been through polishing and re-sealing the headlights many times on this car. Even wetsanded them last time. They need it every couple of months. It's definitely an issue for the early 350Zs. The later ones with the updated headlight housings don't seem to suffer quite as much.

It's just the bug remover products ruining the finish on the lenses that I'm curious about. They work so well for getting bugs un-stuck from the bumper and windshield, it'd sure be nice to be able to use them care-free.

I don't wash in direct sun (unless it's 45F in winter), although it was a warm day and the car had only been shaded for 20-30min before washing it this time.
 
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