Polishing headlight lenses

[DiscoJeffster]

So, I gave it a crack today, trying to polish up my headlights which are pitted and sun damaged. I thought it would be far easier than it turned out.

The kit I had came with a P800, P1500 and P3000 rotary pad set and some UV safe polish. All was going well until I found that the lenses didn’t sand up evenly. Some parts went rough and others polished. Hard to explain so I have pictures. No matter how much I sanded and polished I couldn’t get a consistent finish. The end result once polished was a distinct difference in the end result. I found hitting it with some scratch remover helped to even out the finish and then polish, but it’s still noticeable.

So, does anyone know what I did wrong, what I don’t understand, how to get an even finish?

In the first photo you can see the finish anomaly on the edge and the top. The second photo it’s more pronounced on the left.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220604/70e531f6a1303950fd7ddf0400158158.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220604/0cdf3f111a88e688c2bd45b341e55206.jpg

[Jeffoir]

Hi,
is there sun damage on the inside of the lens in addition to the front?

[DiscoJeffster]

Hi,
is there sun damage on the inside of the lens in addition to the front?

Quite possibly, but that texture for want of a better word only showed up once sanded.

Edit: you can feel the texture difference on the lens so it’s not an effect of the inner. Weirdly it doesn’t matter how much I sand the texture difference remains

[Eric SDV6SE]

The polycarbonate still has fissures in it (thats the texture you feel) so you need to keep polishing. I had the same yellowing but only on the top edge. I think my bullbar shades most of the front face and its inside a garage most times. I used a Dremel and the polishing pad, then finished off with toothpaste. Came up ok. Issue is the new layer of poly that you expose does not have a uv protective layer, so it ages 3x as fast. I did the headlights on my kids' cars with an electric polisher and "cut and polish", Came up like new but they yellow again so fast.

[DiscoJeffster]

Nah. It’s not the fissures, it’s lumpy. It’s weird. It’s like there a hard and soft part in the polycarbonate. You can feel that it’s smooth on the weird sections and then rough. When polished there’s a clear difference. I tried sanding on the spots and it doesn’t change. It’s weird. Maybe I need to hit it with a P400 to really get into it and see.

Yeah I know I’m now screwed with the UV, but they were trashed anyhow. I wonder if you can get new lenses for them?

[Mog60]

Nah. It’s not the fissures, it’s lumpy. It’s weird. It’s like there a hard and soft part in the polycarbonate. You can feel that it’s smooth on the weird sections and then rough. When polished there’s a clear difference. I tried sanding on the spots and it doesn’t change. It’s weird. Maybe I need to hit it with a P400 to really get into it and see.

Yeah I know I’m now screwed with the UV, but they were trashed anyhow. I wonder if you can get new lenses for them?

You may be able to get what you need from Powerful UK.

You are being redirected... (https://www.powerfuluk.com/vehicles/land-rover/discovery-4/lamps-lights-upgrades/land-rover-discovery-4-replacement-headlight-lens-early-type-right.html)

Video showing removal of lens: How to remove and strip down Land Rover Discovery 3 headlight - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUC1DOZvPi0)

Hope this helps. Peter

[Eric SDV6SE]

Nah. It’s not the fissures, it’s lumpy. It’s weird. It’s like there a hard and soft part in the polycarbonate. You can feel that it’s smooth on the weird sections and then rough. When polished there’s a clear difference. I tried sanding on the spots and it doesn’t change. It’s weird. Maybe I need to hit it with a P400 to really get into it and see.

Yeah I know I’m now screwed with the UV, but they were trashed anyhow. I wonder if you can get new lenses for them?

You're a perfect candidate for the chinesium Defender headlights that were released for the Discovery a while ago?

[DiscoJeffster]

You're a perfect candidate for the chinesium Defender headlights that were released for the Discovery a while ago?

No I’m not. No money!! [emoji4]

[DiscoJeffster]

You may be able to get what you need from Powerful UK.

You are being redirected... (https://www.powerfuluk.com/vehicles/land-rover/discovery-4/lamps-lights-upgrades/land-rover-discovery-4-replacement-headlight-lens-early-type-right.html)

Video showing removal of lens: How to remove and strip down Land Rover Discovery 3 headlight - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUC1DOZvPi0)

Hope this helps. Peter

Nice find. Cheers!



You're a perfect candidate for the chinesium Defender headlights that were released for the Discovery a while ago?

No I’m not. No money!! [emoji4]

[LGM]

I tackled my headlights a while ago now in April 2019 and even though I live in a 'Sun Drenched' location the headlight have remained clear. Like DiscoJeffster the headlights were uneven in the finish so I persisted trying different grades of grit and then plastic polish followed by a liquid nano ceramic coat. They came up quite well and have not yellowed despite parking in the open quite a bit.

I have attached a few pics. On the before and after close up pics of the headlight lens you can see the pitting etc.

I tried using a kit with a wheel arrangement for my electric drill but did not like the aggressive nature of it so I reverted to the old school arrangement of hand rubbing! Bugger of a job but it did get results. Not every blemish came out but the lenses are vastly better than they were!

If I (when I) do it again I will be more persistent and reckon I will get a better result!

[ontheway]

I tackled my headlights a while ago now in April 2019 and even though I live in a 'Sun Drenched' location the headlight have remained clear. Like DiscoJeffster the headlights were uneven in the finish so I persisted trying different grades of grit and then plastic polish followed by a liquid nano ceramic coat. They came up quite well and have not yellowed despite parking in the open quite a bit.

I have attached a few pics. On the before and after close up pics of the headlight lens you can see the pitting etc.

I tried using a kit with a wheel arrangement for my electric drill but did not like the aggressive nature of it so I reverted to the old school arrangement of hand rubbing! Bugger of a job but it did get results. Not every blemish came out but the lenses are vastly better than they were!

If I (when I) do it again I will be more persistent and reckon I will get a better result!

That is really helpful.. I am due soon...

That being said, not being in a sun drenched location, after changing the light bulbs I now realise how easy it is to remove the headlights and I will do it inside where it is warmer... and I am more patient :p

[oka374]

I used a Turtlewax kit from supercheap on the wifes volvo wagon which came with three grades of sanding blocks, a polishing liquid, a cleaner liquid and a then a UV sealer liquid.
followed the instructions and achieved a very good result and over 12 months on the headlights still look good despite being exposed to the UV as it lives in a partially shaded carport.
Coating the cleaned lens with a UV protectant/hard coast when finished sanding and polishing is a must for a good result.
The original kit only came with enough sealer for one pair of headlights but I used the kit on a second vehicle and used Rustoleum spray on clear coat from Bunnings to seal the lens with also great results.

[ATH]

So many vehicles on the road with such badly obscured headlights because of the plastic going off and their indicators are barely visible as well. Not that many of them use them here but it would help see where those that do are intending to go> :)
AlanH.

[101RRS]

What I find amazing is that the front headlights on my RRS are heavily UV damaged and will require replacement - the polycarbonate has internal cracks that will never polish out. However the clear covers on the tail lights have remained crystal clear even after 15 years - why not make the front covers out of the same plastic as the rear lights. Too easy.

Garry

[LGM]

I also had to remove my ARB Bar to get to the headlights!


That is really helpful.. I am due soon...

That being said, not being in a sun drenched location, after changing the light bulbs I now realise how easy it is to remove the headlights and I will do it inside where it is warmer... and I am more patient :p

[DiscoJeffster]

I also had to remove my ARB Bar to get to the headlights!

Yeah that’s a real design failure on their part that OL got right.

[shack]

Nah. It’s not the fissures, it’s lumpy. It’s weird. It’s like there a hard and soft part in the polycarbonate. You can feel that it’s smooth on the weird sections and then rough. When polished there’s a clear difference. I tried sanding on the spots and it doesn’t change. It’s weird. Maybe I need to hit it with a P400 to really get into it and see.

Yeah I know I’m now screwed with the UV, but they were trashed anyhow. I wonder if you can get new lenses for them?I'll take a stab that someone has tried to "Polish" them before you did.

I have the equipment here and rellys in the trade, and we use Pro stuff.

Basically my understanding is that if you aren't getting the right results, someone has had a go with the wrong stuff and damaged the light.

Solvents can be really bad.

Other than that... Who knows.

[DiscoJeffster]

I'll take a stab that someone has tried to "Polish" them before you did.

I have the equipment here and rellys in the trade, and we use Pro stuff.

Basically my understanding is that if you aren't getting the right results, someone has had a go with the wrong stuff and damaged the light.

Solvents can be really bad.

Other than that... Who knows.

Yeah it’s weird. I’m going to get some heavier grade wet and dry and hit it hard, then refine and see. Worst case I’ll just buy some new lenses. At the same time I think I’ll paint the grill for that black look [emoji4]

[veebs]

I'm a lazy, lazy person, so paid a pro to do it.

Came to the house, used proper products, and got an 'as new' result. This was a few years back, and they still look perfect.

Best $150 i've spent on the car. Makes it look so much younger again!

[DiscoJeffster]

I'm a lazy, lazy person, so paid a pro to do it.

Came to the house, used proper products, and got an 'as new' result. This was a few years back, and they still look perfect.

Best $150 i've spent on the car. Makes it look so much younger again!

Exactly. It’s the Botox equivalent!

[Epic_Dragon]

I used to restore a lot of headlights at work, it looks like the uv coating has been sanded off in areas, and not in others. The best way to now restore these (and is how I did it at work in my trade - spray painter) is sand till those different feeling and lumpy areas are all gone. Till it's all uniform. Spend a lot of time with very fine grit sand paper used as wet rub method only (bucket of water, keep sand paper wet) ensure a sponge to wipe the what is called lollie water away before it dries as it will stain. Then using a 2 pack spray can of clear (yes these exist) do a light coat, then 2 full ones on each headlight. 2 can is sufficient for both headlights.
This gives crystal clear lights, uv protected as 2pack offers and you can very easily keep them protected with fine resin polish by autoglym or similar, they will stay nice for an extremely long time

[DiscoJeffster]

I used to restore a lot of headlights at work, it looks like the uv coating has been sanded off in areas, and not in others. The best way to now restore these (and is how I did it at work in my trade - spray painter) is sand till those different feeling and lumpy areas are all gone. Till it's all uniform. Spend a lot of time with very fine grit sand paper used as wet rub method only (bucket of water, keep sand paper wet) ensure a sponge to wipe the what is called lollie water away before it dries as it will stain. Then using a 2 pack spray can of clear (yes these exist) do a light coat, then 2 full ones on each headlight. 2 can is sufficient for both headlights.
This gives crystal clear lights, uv protected as 2pack offers and you can very easily keep them protected with fine resin polish by autoglym or similar, they will stay nice for an extremely long time

Thanks Epic. That is what I was thinking. It was definitely like there were distinct layers. I wondered if it was a UV layer or something else. Awesome mate, thank you. Yes I was going to just go hard now and cut it right back, but thanks on the two pack clear. I’ll see if I can track it down.

[Epic_Dragon]

Most welcome :) you'll find it from your nearest crash supplies shop or online. This is what it is, there are many brands :) Spray Max Automotive Car 2K Component High Gloss Clear Coat 400ml – Wholesale Paint Group (https://wholesalepaint.com.au/products/spray-max-2k-high-gloss-clear-coat)

You can even get colours mixed and put in the cans as 2 pack too if ever need.
Make sure you pop the hardner in right before use and shake well. It won't dry without that and if popped in too early it will go hard in the can. (Its the red thing at the base, just press in)
Thanks Epic. That is what I was thinking. It was definitely like there were distinct layers. I wondered if it was a UV layer or something else. Awesome mate, thank you. Yes I was going to just go hard now and cut it right back, but thanks on the two pack clear. I’ll see if I can track it down.

[Eric SDV6SE]

I tackled my headlights a while ago now in April 2019 and even though I live in a 'Sun Drenched' location the headlight have remained clear. Like DiscoJeffster the headlights were uneven in the finish so I persisted trying different grades of grit and then plastic polish followed by a liquid nano ceramic coat. They came up quite well and have not yellowed despite parking in the open quite a bit.

I have attached a few pics. On the before and after close up pics of the headlight lens you can see the pitting etc.

I tried using a kit with a wheel arrangement for my electric drill but did not like the aggressive nature of it so I reverted to the old school arrangement of hand rubbing! Bugger of a job but it did get results. Not every blemish came out but the lenses are vastly better than they were!

If I (when I) do it again I will be more persistent and reckon I will get a better result!
Hard work, but paid off, looks great. Can you detail what you used?

[LGM]

Hard work, but paid off, looks great. Can you detail what you used?

I have wandered up to the shed and checked out the supplies.........Isopropyl Alcohol, Mothers plastic polish, 600, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 wet and dry abrasive paper. A can of Rustoleum 2X clear coat. I also purchased a small but expensive bottle of ceramic nano polish which sadly I don't have around and am not sure of the brand. I was tossing up which to use, the Nano Ceramic or the Rustoleum clear coat. The old memory aint what it used to be and I did say I used the nano coating but from the pics (att) I reckon it was the clear coat that was used.

Sorry if I bum drummed anyone, but it was 3 years ago now!

I found a pic that really give you a perspective on the damage to the headlight covers.....lots of stone / sand pitting plus scratches. Also another pic with the spray tin of clear coat included just to jog the memory!

Its a bit scary when you get stuck in with the course abrasive paper as from that point on there is no turning back! You really need to keep the water up to the process and make sure you don't get too much of the residue on the vehicle as its a pain to get off once dried. I pretty much had a crack with all of the various grades of abrasive some were good and some were not. Go ugly early, but remember you need to get it baby's bum smooth before any clear coat is applied! If you jump in too aggressively you will need to spend the extra time to rub out the deep marks that you may make.

As others have stated you need to keep at it until you remove all previous coatings. It gets better as you work through the finer grade abrasives but it still looks cloudy until you apply the clear coat.

Hope that helps

[Eric SDV6SE]

Awesome, thanks for the advice. I may have a go. I will supply my own bikkies and tea as well.

[Gower]

Hi DiscoJeffster, I used wet and dry on mine until all was smooth and it looked so bad that I thought that it would never come back and then cut and polished until smooth, followed up with some Uv friendly clear (must get the good stuff, cheap stuff makes it worse than it was when you start), if your clear get a orange peel you can Wet and Dry with 2000 grit and the cut and polish until nice and smooth, made a good job, done it 3 years ago and still the same as when I done it, hope it helps, Cheers Merv

[Canvas Hat]

There have been various comments about the poly lens originally having 2 layers.
For what it's worth, that fits with the fact that polycarbonate sheeting for windows has a thin acrylic layer on both sides. According to my supplier, the acrylic is there to improve the clarity of the sheet but he warned me that the coating is softer than polycarbonate so scratches easily.

[DiscoJeffster]

I’ve since been reading there is a UV protectant layer over the poly which I suspect is what I sanded through. Now I need to go harder across the entire lens to get rid of it, get a uniform finish, and then I’ll seal with two pack clear.

[Ilike2disco]

Like LGM already detailed, I used more grades of wet and dry paper. I think it’s asking too much if 2000 paper to clean up the scoring left by 800.

It’s worth putting masking tape on the body work around the headlights so the times you go off the lense you don’t scratch the paint.

Using a cork sanding block helped spread the sanding load.

Like has been said before, you’ve got to get to an even white/opaque lense with 800 before you start with 1200, then 1500 etc

Keep the lenses wet while you are sanding to get rid of the scrapings. You can get build up under the paper resulting in scratching.

Lastly, spray them with a UV resistant clear acrylic coat. Otherwise all the effort you put in will be gone in a couple of years.

It bloody takes ages and I reckon whoever wrote about spending $150 to pay someone else to do it was on to a good idea.

[GHYOUNG]

For what it's worth, I have a D2a and, from time to time, I polish my headlight lenses with Silvo which is a mild abrasive used for polishing silverwares. I work a reasonable amount of Silvo on a clean cotton rag then leave to dry and polished off with the buffer machine. It doesn't take out deep scratches but the result is good enough for me. Brasso is just as good and a bit more abrasive.

[Jetfisher]

What I find amazing is that the front headlights on my RRS are heavily UV damaged and will require replacement - the polycarbonate has internal cracks that will never polish out. However the clear covers on the tail lights have remained crystal clear even after 15 years - why not make the front covers out of the same plastic as the rear lights. Too easy.

Garry
Agreed! My RRS is the same. Rear tailights like new. Have polishing front lenses and 12 months on need to do them again

[l00kin4]

Most welcome :) you'll find it from your nearest crash supplies shop or online. This is what it is, there are many brands :) Spray Max Automotive Car 2K Component High Gloss Clear Coat 400ml – Wholesale Paint Group (https://wholesalepaint.com.au/products/spray-max-2k-high-gloss-clear-coat)

You can even get colours mixed and put in the cans as 2 pack too if ever need.
Make sure you pop the hardner in right before use and shake well. It won't dry without that and if popped in too early it will go hard in the can. (Its the red thing at the base, just press in)

Thanks for this guidance.

I did this over the last week or so and although I had to sand and polish orange peel out of my clear coat probably due to my poor painting skills, very happy with the result. Before and after photos below.

David

[scarry]

Had to get a roadworthy for one of the vans,14yrs old,never been in a garage,headlights badly UV damaged,very cloudy.
I polished them with toothpaste,they both came up very well.
One that was worse i also used a bit of jiff,which helped.
Then some polish.

Parked it in the sun,so they looked even better,and the roadworthy guy said nothing,and it passed.[bigsmile1]