Headlight Restoration HELP!!!!!

I

I-AM-FURLONG

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I have my own business based in Thousand Oaks California. I went and did a job on a 2000 Ford Expedition today. I have done dozens of cars to perfection. On the car today I did my usual wetsand, polish, sealant with a orbital. One headlight came out looking like new and the other is just cloudy. No matter how much polish i buffed in, the cloudiness did not disappear. I am stumped to as what i did wrong. I did this full process 3 times and I cant get it perfect. If you look closely you cant even see any scratches, but it looks cloudy. Very weird.
Process.
600 grit by hand
1500-2000 orbital
polish plastx with orbital
sealant
. Grrrrrrrrr
 
Not on the inside of the lens is it? Those were prone to moisture issues.
 
It looks like there is no moisture in the assembly. Im 100% sure there is no moisture. its weird.
 
dont need moisture for the inside of headlight assembly to haze/ cloud. its def inside the headlight.
 
Wow. I did not know. Crap. He already paid me ahead of time. He asked me to come back later in the week to fix it. How can I detect this in the future?
 
I would be willing to bet that one of the lenses had been replaced at some point because of an accident and one is from the factory. Those older Ford lenses get clouded throughout the plastic itself. I've been in your situation before and there is nothing that can be done other than a replacement. Just explain it to him and maybe he will hire you to replace the lens.
 
does it have these lenses?
images-5.jpg
 
In light of what you've already done, short of removing the entire unit and trying to flush it out with some type of cleaner and then rinsing with water to be sure it's not on the inside, I'm at a loss for words. Maybe the next best thing to do is to offer him his money back.
 
I-AM-FURLONG said:
I have my own business based in Thousand Oaks California. I went and did a job on a 2000 Ford Expedition today.
Click to expand...

Just to make sure... the job was only to restore the headlights, not detail the entire Expedition AND restore the headlights?

That's how it reads to me but want to make sure.

Couple of comments...

If sanding the outside and then polishing the outside clear didn't restore clarity to the headlights that's not your fault, the problem is either inside the plastic matrix or on the backside of the lens. This is out of your control and it's out of control for everyone on earth including the owner of the Ford and including the guy that's going to sell him a replacement.

Print this thread out and show it to the owner and let them know in situations like these the best option is to have it replaced.

Charge them for half the job and simply state not all headlights can be fixed.

Just be honest. If they give you a hard time then maybe just refund all their money with a smile and maintain your good name.

:)
 
You should be going with a lower grit (like 220) for maximum results anyways. Try that before also assuming interior fogging.
 
i will try that this afternoon. i will let you know how it goes.
here is my website furlonghlr.com
 
Wow... 220 grit?? I've never had to go that low but I may try it out next time to see how it goes. I.think 400 or 600 is the lowest I've ever needed. How many steps of standing do you need to finish them out
:-)
 
i had a chevy signal light like that.i took the bulb out and used a dry bottle brush to loosen the white powder on the inside then blew it out with air. it actually turned out good all the haze was gone.
 
Yeah. Uusally the lowest I go is 600, but I did 300 grit today. Did the process again and it didnt turn out any better. I am now 100% sure its in the inside
 
I-AM-FURLONG said:
My customer just told me it was NEVER in a accident.
Click to expand...
well i think it on the inside i done a impala like that i sanded/ wet sanded and come to the fact it may have moisture build up on the inside, you may want to go try a 320 or 220 sand disc and try from there and wrk ur way up to 1300 if that dont wrk it may hve moisture in the inside bad seals
 
What last step of sanding do you guys do before you reach for your rotary? I have been sanding 600/800/1000/1500/2000/3000 I am wondering if I am doing unneeded steps.


Chris
 
There are some harder than normal headlights out there and I have actually gone as low as 180 grit. As long as you're careful and follow through using the correct transition of grit up to 3000 or higher, followed through with a fine polish, you will not have any issues. Get some headlights from a junk yard and practice, you'll see that this works OK.

Always remember to use a good sealer and UV inhibitor, this generally seals any imperfections that you missed.
 
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