General How can I remove this from my headlight?

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General How can I remove this from my headlight?

cgarr04

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May 24, 2011
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Belfast, Northern Ireland
Hey folks,

Any idea what this is (below) on my headlight and any recommendations how to remove it?

Sandpaper won't do the job as the headlight is plastic rather than glass.


Thanks!
 
Wet & dry used wet to smooth it out then plastic polish on a mop and battery drill to get the shine back. Used a block with the wet & dry and avoid anything too coarse as it just causes even more scratches.
If its on the inside you need a new light unit.
 
Thanks guys, great advice.

It seems there is a combination of it, both inside and out. I tried a very small area with something similar to a brillo pad (but not as harsh) whilst wet and it did seem to lift it a little - although that could possibly have been the water deceiving me. I think i'll give this G3 stuff a shot,

How much did you pay for replacement lights and were they from a breakers? There's a yard of the street which has a heap of puntos so i'm thinking replacing might provide better results for not much extra cash.
 
i had quite a few marks on my lights albeit not as bad as yours but i started off on 1000 grit wet n dry paper sanding horizontally then i just went up in grit 1500,2000 up to 3500 i think, switching between sanding vertical and horizontal etc. I then used meguiars plastX on the lights.

i found the wet n dry worked best soaked for an hour or so with a small drop of car shampoo in, and fill a spray bottle with water and shampoo and spray regularly while sanding.

alot of this has already been said but i thought i would put it anyway even if it has.
 
Hey guys,

I got some 2500 grit wet/dry paper and g3 scratch remover today. Spent about 20minutes of elbow grease with sandpaper on both, and ~10 minutes with the g3 in total for both lights.

Here's the results:
20110713_001.jpg


Obviously not much I can do about the stuff inside but that's definately £10 well spent.... Result!
 
just had this exact same problem and actually got an MOT advisory on it. I used T-Cut and about 30 mins elbow grease each light - works a treat
 
just had this exact same problem and actually got an MOT advisory on it. I used T-Cut and about 30 mins elbow grease each light - works a treat

This was the main reason why I wanted to get this sorted out as my MOT is due in a few months! It looks much better too, it's just a pity my lights are slightly cloudy on the inside and there's not much that can be done about that except replacing them!
 
This was the main reason why I wanted to get this sorted out as my MOT is due in a few months! It looks much better too, it's just a pity my lights are slightly cloudy on the inside and there's not much that can be done about that except replacing them!

That can also be an MOT fail.
You can open up the lights with a Dremel and clean them out. You could also Detango them while at it and fit some silver/orange bulbs. See the Punto guides for details.

When you put the lights back make sure all boots and seals are good.
 
That can also be an MOT fail.
You can open up the lights with a Dremel and clean them out. You could also Detango them while at it and fit some silver/orange bulbs. See the Punto guides for details.

When you put the lights back make sure all boots and seals are good.

Indeed, which is why I cleaned them, but what factor is the decider wether it passes or fails. I'm guessing if it blocks a certain % of the light being emitted?

I paid £850 for it, and the car has has 85k on it currently and also isn't in great condition but has ran fine for 4 months (no overheating, coolant leak issues etc) and i've put 5k on it. I've replaced the brake pads, heater resistor, air/oil filter and done an oil change within the last month. The clutch pressure plate is also on it's why out (creaking noise when clutch is pressed) and the cam belt is more than likely needing replaced too.

Is it really worth while putting any more time/money/effort into it considering I only plan to keep it for another 7 months until the R plates are down?

That's the dilemma I have, which is why i took the cheap and cheerful route. It's a lovely first car, but it has to go once i've had it a year and sadly it seems like it's going to be dismantled or scrapped as it's not worth replacing the clutch and cambelt i think as I won't get my money back in 7 months if i tried to sell it with a new clutch etc (n)
 
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Indeed, which is why I cleaned them, but what factor is the decider wether it passes or fails. I'm guessing if it blocks a certain % of the light being emitted?

this is what it said on the advisory notes.

Nearside front headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.4a)
Offside front headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.4a)


so im guesing if it was really bad it would start reducing the light output. It does look hell of a lot better after the t-cut, like new headlamps :)

for reference I also tried normal car polish, a strong solvent (NU-sol rapid solvent), meths, and my dad tried a buffing wheel on a dremal (not a good idea as it melted the plastic and left a nasty melt line which took me a further 30 mins with the t-cut to get out!). I also watched a video on youtube about restoring headlights and they recommended either polish or an avacado ( ). As long as you use a mild cutting compound (like the t-cut) and take your time you should see results, I even read someone online you could use toothpaste, obviously being the gritty pasty type.

As for the marks inside the headlamp from what Ive re-searched you'd have to seperate the back part of the headlight from the plastic lens using heat to melt the seal (some people even suggest putting it the ovan!) then clean, re-assemble and re-seal the headlight. Personally unless the marking was really bad inside I would give it a miss as any gaps on the re-seal would lead to really bad moisture getting into the headlights and look worse than before!
 
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You mever get your money back on any car. Old ones need new parts and newer ones depreciate. The only way to decide is work out cost per month of buying a newer car and the cost of repairs on the older car. Thinking about new clutch costs as proportion of the car's value is false economics.

What matters is the total proportion of expected costs and any show stoppers like serious rust. A head gasket is by no means a certain cost, especially if the engine is properly serviced.

A far cheaper option is a proper system flush and replace anything that leaks. e.g. radiators are only about £30 and easy to fit.
 
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