My car got through the MOT today (after some work) but and advisory was the headlamps which I knew were discoloured. The garage would charge about £45 to polish them and I could get a kit to do it myself from halfords for £22 but I was wondering if there was some other way I could do it, a friend mentioned using t-cut but I am after some further suggestions or advice. Cheers
Meguirs Plastx isnt bad some people say toothpaste as well. Personally I have had more luck with the Plastx than anything else
Speaking from experience, last year MOT had an advisory for deteriorated beam pattern (due to lens damage from UV) I used toothpaste, gave it a couple of goes, whilst not perfect it did work quite well. Neat tooth paste, rub in circular motion all over the lens. Add a bit of water to the cloth to dilute the paste on the lens and continue until the paste is removed. Continue until lens appears better. It took me 2 or 3 go's to see some results. Cost less than 50p. I used sainsburys basics toothpaste, cant remember the cost, I think it was around 20p, oh and a cloth, time and elbow grease.
My car failed - no headlight pattern. I bought a drill attachment polishing disc with a couple of buffing pads and a tube of t-cut rapid scratch remover. 20 minutes each and the headlight lenses came up like new. Apply the t-cut to the lens and use one pad to work it in, back and forth. Then move to the other lens. By the time you've done, any remaining t-cut on the first lens has dried to powder and you can use the clean buffing pad to finish it up, before finishing the second. I swear, less than an hour's work and they looked fantastic. Three of my neighbours were so blown away by the difference they asked to borrow my gear to do theirs. [edit] in fact, the last of them has yet to return it!
no, they are circular fluffy pads that fit over the buffing disc and tie off. the disc surface is about the size of a CD.
Ah soz my brains only running on three cylinders tonight, just re-read your post and it's clear now .
As I understand it, it's a coating that goes crappy. When you clean it up you buff through the remains of it and that coating is no longer there and they'll cloud up again sooner. I can't remember what it's for or what it does, though! Still, cheaper than replacing the headlights! I've used the Megs kit with some success before, so I'd have to recommend that!
Actually it does work very nicely. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive, mild enough to polish up very sensitive plastics anyway. It does, however, need persistence before it works well (preferably an electric polisher)
That's my point - if you have an electric polisher/power tool attachment to hand then the toothpaste is largely irrelevant. Washing up powder on the polishing pad works just as well. If you're doing with toothpaste by hand, you'll be there until the rapture and you'll get very mediocre results.
In times with fewer tools I did it by hand - only took me 15 mins/side and the results were very good. Either way, a very mild abraisive (Brasso, toothpaste) will work, T-cut etc is too harsh imo.
Halfrauds or CYC do a headlight kit. Just remember to re-seal the headlight with a UV protective sealant as the plastic will degrade quickly once the surface has been removed. I would also avoid cleaning the headlights while they are in the car as you can easily damage the bumper.
