Headlight Restoration

Meghan

Meghan

Super Moderator
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
15,033
Reaction score
0
Headlight Lens Restoration Guide:

Cloudy, scratched headlight lens covers are a safety hazard as well as a blemish on your vehicle. This condition occurs because the plastic is overexposed to UV light. The cloudiness starts at the exterior surface of the lens cover and spreads inward. In intense sun climates, this damage can be apparent within a couple of years of purchasing a new car.

The good news is that this damage is very common and very fixable. This short tutorial will give you all the skills you need to restore your headlight lens covers.

Diamondite Headlight Lens/ Clear Plastic Restoration Guide

Polish headlights with the Diamondite Plastic Lens Kit to remove scratches, yellowing, and cloudiness. Enhance headlights’ performance and restore their like-new appearance with the industry’s finest headlight polishing system!

The Diamondite Clear Plastic Kit is a three step system to restore, clean, and protect your vehicle’s headlights. The system works with an electric drill or polisher using the included 4 inch pads. Remove cloudiness and oxidation caused by UV exposure, as well as light scratches and imperfections with the Diamondite Clear Plastic Kit.

Before you begin…
Tape off the area surrounding the headlights using painter’s tape. Clean off any loose debris using Diamondite Perfect Vision Glass Cleaner and a soft microfiber towel. Screw the drill adapter into the included backing plate and tighten with a wrench. Insert the adapter into your electric drill and tighten the chuck.

Step 1
Clear Plastic Enhancer
Press the included yellow cutting pad onto the backing plate. Apply Diamondite Clear Plastic Enhancer™ in an X pattern across the pad.
If you are using a drill or rotary polisher, set the maximum speed at 1800 OPM.
Work in an overlapping motion until cleaner breaks down into a clear film. Work up and down and side to side. There is no need to apply pressure to the machine.

Use the included soft microfiber towel to remove residue. Severely stained or scratched lenses may require a second treatment.
Note: Avoid polishing over the alignment dowels on the lens cover as they could tear the pad.

Step 2
Clear Plastic Restorer
Remove the yellow cutting pad and attach the included orange light cutting pad. Dispense Clear Plastic Restorer in an X pattern across the orange pad.

Work at a speed of 1800 RPM on your electric drill. Move the pad up and down and side to side for complete coverage. When the polish starts to dry, turn off the drill and slowly lift it off the headlight lens cover.

Wipe the headlight clean with the included microfiber towel. Repeat step 2 if necessary.

Step 3
Clear Plastic Liquid Armor
Mist the headlight lens with Clear Plastic Liquid Armor. Two or three pumps should be enough to cover the lens.

Use a microfiber towel to spread the sealant over the lens and flip the towel to buff dry.

Allow the sealant to cure for an hour and then apply another coat if desired.

Maintain the clear shine of your polished plastic headlights with Diamondite Plasti-Care Plastic Cleaner, Polish & Protectant. This aerosol spray cleans and shines plastic headlight covers, and it leaves a anti-static coating to keep them clean longer.

Diamondite® Clear Plastic System Kit

 
Last edited:
would wetsanding lenses before using Diamonite improve results??
 
what would be the main difference between this and the wolfgang headlight restoration kit. Seems to me that the wolfgang version comes with an orange light cut and a black finishing so would the wolfgang version make a more clear headlight?
 
I'm also interested in knowing the difference between the wolfgang kit and the diamondite one. From the pads it comes with I wonder if the diamondite kit is for more severely degraded headlights. Hopefully the PBMA folks can give us an answer to the differences.
 
The Diamondite kit does come with more aggressive pads.

However, the pads in the Diamondite kit will NOT leave the headlights any hazier than they would in the Wolfgang kit. IMO the pads in the Diamondite kit are more effective and for more oxidized lights it gets my recommendation.
 
Do you know which of the sealants that come in each of those kits is the better one? I've got both but using the diamondite liquid armor, I question if it is adding protection. The surface does not feel slick afterwards, nor does it bead water. So I can't tell if the stuff is on there or worn off. Where the wolfgang plastik definitely leaves a slick water repellent finish.

If anyone knows how each of these plastic sealants perform compared to each other, please comment.
 
bcwang said:
Do you know which of the sealants that come in each of those kits is the better one? I've got both but using the diamondite liquid armor, I question if it is adding protection. The surface does not feel slick afterwards, nor does it bead water. So I can't tell if the stuff is on there or worn off. Where the wolfgang plastik definitely leaves a slick water repellent finish.

If anyone knows how each of these plastic sealants perform compared to each other, please comment.
Click to expand...


Did you by chance wetsand before using Diamondite? If so how did it turn out?
 
id-type-s said:
Did you by chance wetsand before using Diamondite? If so how did it turn out?
Click to expand...

Actually, I only have the wolfgang kit, but also have the diamonidte liquid armor protectant but not the whole kit. No, I did not wetsand first. I actually wasn't able to get all the oxidation off, but i kind of stopped since my drill battery was dying and it was getting dark. I just finished off polishing both and sealed one headlight each with the different products.
 
It may not be a bad idea to throw the Wolfgang Headlight restore kit on here as well. I have used it and still see great results after 6 months of using it once!
 
There's no way these kits would have worked on the headlights on my 1992 BMW 325i. The surfaces of the lenses were exteremely rough to the touch and a very deep yellow color making my Silverstar halogen headlamps look like incandescent lights. I hand-sanded using 1000 grit 3m sandpaper and Meg's Final inspection as my lubricant to wet-sand out the entire top layer of my headlamp until I got semi-smooth surface. I then followed up with 2500 grit 3m paper and the same lubricant to sand out the 1000 grit marks. I used Optimum compound to get rid of the 2500 grit sanding marks and then Optimum Polish to finish for a crystal-clear and VERY smooth and clean surface. I used Poorboy's EX-P as a sealant (2 coats, the first to cure for about 30-45 minutes) and then threw a Meg's Gold Class Carnuba Was on top to add a little more protection. Saved med at LEAST a couple hundred dollars from having to buy new headlights and they look as good as new.
 
i think it does have the same cut. i have the dimondite kit and it works. but just as with paint there are some things your just not going to fix with buffing. Depending on the severity of the oxidation, scratches, etc. you may have to use a more aggressive method. As far as how the sealer works I don't know you may get better results from some home remedies that have been discussed on this forum.
 
i did a set today on a Rav4 and they came out great......except for the inside seemed hazy on the top. If you got close enough you could put your finger on the lens and see that the haze was on the inside.

Is there any way to take care of that? or is it just too much work to get into the lens and polish inside?
 
if its on the inside i don't think there is anything you can do about that. are you positive its on the inside maybe try west sanding if the polishing didn't get it all. been wanting to try it myself just haven't had the time.
 
definitely am sure it is on the inside. I did actually have to wet sand these to begin with. Customer was still happy as can be, but of course being a detailer, I wasn't completely happy with the end results.

This was the only time I have had this happen.
 
Volkswagen A4 Jetta lenses are notorious for turning yellow and scratched up I wet sanded my lenses with 2000 grit, then 1500 grit, then I used rubbing compound then Meguiars PlastiX on it. They look brand new.
 
yeah Pepperjam!! Passats too!

IMG_5816.jpg


IMG_5819.jpg
 
Hey guys,

I've been doing a lot of reading...and I was wondering, would I be correct in saying that pretty much if the light isnt TOO bad, you can use a rubbing compound for paint (like M105) and then a polish (like M205) and then seal it with some sort of wax?

And if the lights ARE pretty bad...wet sanding (from 1500 down to about 2000 or 2500) and THEN compounding and polishing will clean them up to like new? I have a PC and 4" pads for it, I just dont know if it would be strong enough to take out 2500 grit scratches? i would THINK so when dealing with such a little area...or would i be better off getting a drill attachment (I have a ridgid corded drill thats pretty powerful/fast rpms).

Hope someone can clear this up for me (maybe a pun intended lol). thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top