Good tip! I will check.

 

I just finished restoring my headlight, I've used Meguiar's Heavy Duty Headlight restoration kit and it works well and very it's easy to use !

 

Yes. Brilliant. Thank you! You are da man. The simplest tests are the best. OK, so are there more detailed steps in the DIY section? I really don't want to take the lights off the car, and being that they're adaptive headlights, wouldn't that be a royal PITA? Is good ol' 3M blue painter's tape good enough to mask around the lights? I'm gettin' PSYCHED!

 

read back in this thread for some pointers. taking the lights out is not too bad, there is a youtube video out there showing how.

 

Don't worry about taking them out. All my headlights I had are adaptive and nothing ever went wrong by taking them out.

 

Yikes! I really overused the emoticons. Thanks for all the help! I will see if the weather cooperates, and may make this a weekend project.

 

Taking your car to a professional headlight restorer is not a bad idea, as long as he is a pro. A pro uses materials that aren't available to DIYers such as the final protective coating. The problem is finding a pro.

With the coatings we usein our operation, we offer our customers a written guarantee from 1 to 3 years, depending on the type of restoration performed.

The DIY kits are good at removing the factory coating (that's what turns cloudy) but don't replace it with a new one. They simply apply polish or wax. It's no different than waxing your car. One trip to the car wash and your protection's gone. Depending on your headlight condition, expect to pay around %40-$80 and should be guaranteed at least 2 or 3 years.

ray6

 

Cloudiness is rarely on the inside. To check, wet the headlight surface. If it is clearer than when dry, it's on the outside. The DIY kits are O.K. as far as removing the old protective coating applied to the headlight when manufactured, but if you don't replace this coating with a new one, they'll cloud up again. Applying wax or polish as some kits do is like saying wax your car once and it will last for years. It won't. Pro coatings are basically polyurethane or phenolic resin based with UV absorbers. They are cured by oxygen, UV exposure, or chemical reaction(like epoxy resin).

There are products that re-apply a protective coating, but not available in small quantities or retail. Some of the products we use for headlight restoration are over $200/quart, but that's only about $1.00 per headlight. My advice is to try to find a pro and pay the price. He or she should offer a written guarantee and be able to refer you to customers done long ago.
ray6

 

If i did lights I'd carry my mini airbrush around, use automotive clearcoat and guarantee for life. 5 coats of clear you can't lose.but it's impractical because I would have to take lights out, refinish and then wait for dry to install. What a pain in the arse when not in a shop. Anyway all i know is i've guaranteed mine for life and I'm happy with them.