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Cloudy headlight covers: a temporary, “halfway” cleaning method?

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by davide, Sep 1, 2023.

  1. davide

    davide Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2006
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    Location:
    suburban Detroit
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    I’ve had to park my beloved 2012 Prius c outside since I bought it (new), so the sunlight has clouded my headlight covers. I bought a Rust-oleum “WIPE NEW” Headlight Restore kit quite a while ago, so it’s possible the chemical in the wipe may have dried out by now).

    My car-savvy neighbor (before he moved far away) told me it wasn’t so simple—at least in my case—and that it would involve sanding the surface. (He was going to do the job for me (free) with an attachment to his electric buffer, but then he had to move out fairly quickly.)
    I don’t have such equipment, & I’m thinking that my over-70 right shoulder wouldn’t handle this job very well, so I should “take it easy.”
    Is there a temporary “halfway” method of removing at least some of the cloudiness, so my driving will be safer? If I do try sanding it by hand (as a 1st step), what “grit” of sandpaper should I use?
    —Davide
     
    #1 davide, Sep 1, 2023
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
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    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Polishing the headlights takes a lot of elbow grease, even if you use an electric tool.

    When you do that first cut at 800 or 1000 grit (wet) that removes the sun-damaged plastic, the rest of the headlight will be extremely cloudy. You are thus committed to polishing again at 2000, then 3000 then 5000 and higher grit, or their equivalents if using a cutting paste instead of sandpaper or sanding film.

    In other words, the first step of restoration makes the headlight uniformly bad, and all the work after is about getting it uniformly better one stage at a time. Stopping early = worse than when you started.

    Even that isn't great, because once you clear the lenses they will cloud up again quickly unless you apply a UV-blocking clearcoat.

    Probably best to find another car-savvy neighbor.
     
    #2 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Sep 1, 2023
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