Jetpilot718

Hello all,

Just thought I'd offer an easy DIY to the seemingly common problem the E60 crowd faces concerning hazing inside the lenses of the headlamp assembly. Since the general consensus is that these headlights cannot be cleaned without destroying them, here's some documentation on how I cleaned them without destroying them...

Of the things I tried, lets start off with the things that DO NOT work, to save everyone some time and clarify this issue.

• The haze is not on the outside, it's on the inside. In case there is any confusion. Polishing the outside lens will do nothing, "Wipe Clean" will do even less... lol
• You cannot remove the lens without destroying the headlamps. Not with heat. Not with magic. Not with cursewords. Not with green eggs nor ham. It's not happening. Trust me. You'll break em, guaranteed.
• Pouring alcohol or solvent into the inside will clear up the haze *temporarily*, but once it dries, it's back to the sh*t-tastic glazed insides.

Here's what works, and some photos to follow.

.Video of the general idea. Basic steps like removing and reinstalling headlights have been omitted.

Some pics showing before and after comparisons, the "tool" I made, etc...



Before: We're all pretty used to that look...





Just terrible. Couldn't stand looking at it anymore, and that was on my fiancé's DD - not even mine!



And After: Big difference!





Left VS Right comparison:


So, How'd I do it?

I cut an access hole:


Don't worry - this will be covered up and sealed by the plastic/rubber trim that goes over it! You won't see this at all!

I made a tool: It's a sponge on a coat hanger lol


You can probably buy something that looks like this, but the wire hanger allowed me to bend and shape it perfectly to get into all the spaces where the film was.

And then you put some Plastic-X on the tip, stick it in the hole, and work your magic. No puns, please.



Once you're done polishing out the haze, spray some glass cleaner in there and stuff in a microfiber towel. You won't lose the towel forever. There's plenty of room to retrieve it later. Use either your wire hanger tool or a long screwdriver (being careful, really careful) to move around the micro until all the residue is clear.


Now, before everyone goes and tries this, and blames me for F'ing their headlights, understand that you CAN damage your headlights if you aren't careful. GO SLOW. They are easy to scratch. If you don't trust yourself, I'd consider doing this for people on a one-off basis (PM me if interested for pricing etc.)


Enjoy the fresh new headlights! What a change it was on the overall appearance of her car. Looks so fresh again!

Booyaazaa

Interesting. You'll have to let us know how long it goes before hazing up again.

Jetpilot718

Yeah def, I'll keep you guys posted. The car is a MY07, and I can't say I remember the headlamps looking like that when we purchased it about a year ago. So if it took 6 years for it to cause an issue, I'm hoping you won't hear from me until September 2020.

tonyb635

Was this hazing or fogging? I've never seen this form on the inside. Ok, I've seen fog or moisture in some lights.