Are your headlight lenses getting cloudy?
 

Ever notice all the older Neons, minivans, Intrepids and some Fords on the
road suffering from opaque lenses? I even spotted an older Mercedes
developing the problem. It is unacceptable that we have to constantly buff
or replace cloudy, yellow polycarbonate plastic headlight lenses because
Chrysler and Ford were too cheap to specify a few cents worth of UV
protection in the plastic mix. Headlight performance on these cars was
mediocre when new. It is a downright hazard when cateracts set in.
If you are as mad as hell about this problem as I am, and want to tell
someone about it, click on the link below and let the NHTSA know that you
have trouble seeing road hazards and pedestrians while driving at night.
Demand a recall, an enforced new standard, and a permanent fix. Glass was
good.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
Rick

Rick wrote:
> Ever notice all the older Neons, minivans, Intrepids and some Fords on the
> road suffering from opaque lenses? I even spotted an older Mercedes
> developing the problem. It is unacceptable that we have to constantly buff
> or replace cloudy, yellow polycarbonate plastic headlight lenses because
> Chrysler and Ford were too cheap to specify a few cents worth of UV
> protection in the plastic mix. Headlight performance on these cars was
> mediocre when new. It is a downright hazard when cateracts set in.
> If you are as mad as hell about this problem as I am, and want to tell
> someone about it, click on the link below and let the NHTSA know that you
> have trouble seeing road hazards and pedestrians while driving at night.
> Demand a recall, an enforced new standard, and a permanent fix. Glass was
> good.
> http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
> Rick

Your link does not work. Did you try it before you posted or is it only
good during daylight hours when headlights are not needed? Oh well,
time to buff my headlights. I think I'll start using very abrasive
toothpaste since most auto stores don't care the plastic stuff like
Meguiar's PlastX.

On 1 Sep 2005 22:45:44 -0700, "
> wrote:

>Rick wrote:
>> Ever notice all the older Neons, minivans, Intrepids and some Fords on the
>> road suffering from opaque lenses? I even spotted an older Mercedes
>> developing the problem. It is unacceptable that we have to constantly buff
>> or replace cloudy, yellow polycarbonate plastic headlight lenses because
>> Chrysler and Ford were too cheap to specify a few cents worth of UV
>> protection in the plastic mix. Headlight performance on these cars was
>> mediocre when new. It is a downright hazard when cateracts set in.
>> If you are as mad as hell about this problem as I am, and want to tell
>> someone about it, click on the link below and let the NHTSA know that you
>> have trouble seeing road hazards and pedestrians while driving at night.
>> Demand a recall, an enforced new standard, and a permanent fix. Glass was
>> good.
>> http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
>> Rick
>
>Your link does not work. Did you try it before you posted or is it only
>good during daylight hours when headlights are not needed? Oh well,
>time to buff my headlights. I think I'll start using very abrasive
>toothpaste since most auto stores don't care the plastic stuff like
>Meguiar's PlastX.

I don't have any problems with it... Oh, but it is daylight right now.

-- Christian

" > wrote in
oups.com:


>
> Your link does not work. Did you try it before you posted or is it
> only good during daylight hours when headlights are not needed? Oh
> well, time to buff my headlights. I think I'll start using very
> abrasive toothpaste since most auto stores don't care the plastic
> stuff like Meguiar's PlastX.
>

The link works fine.

And plain ordinary unsanded ceramic tile grout (mixed as a paste) also
works fine to polish the lenses.. and it's a helluva lot cheaper.

Of course, every time you polish or buff these lenses, what you're
doing is stripping away more and ever more of the anti-UV hardcoat,
which means the lenses then degrade faster and ever faster. :-(

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Of course, every time you polish or buff these lenses, what you're
> doing is stripping away more and ever more of the anti-UV hardcoat,
> which means the lenses then degrade faster and ever faster. :-(
>
3M has a plastic sheet laminate that is supposed to be placed on headlamps
after they have been polished by glass shops that sell 3M window tint. Not
all do, It is another product they can sell to customers that need headlight
polishing. And the clear plastic laminate(sticker) is cut to fit the model
of car. The laminate is supposed to be UV resistant, and has a two year
warranty.

David wrote:

> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>>Of course, every time you polish or buff these lenses, what you're
>>doing is stripping away more and ever more of the anti-UV hardcoat,
>>which means the lenses then degrade faster and ever faster. :-(
>>
>
> 3M has a plastic sheet laminate that is supposed to be placed on headlamps
> after they have been polished by glass shops that sell 3M window tint. Not
> all do, It is another product they can sell to customers that need headlight
> polishing. And the clear plastic laminate(sticker) is cut to fit the model
> of car. The laminate is supposed to be UV resistant, and has a two year
> warranty.


If 3M is still even making that, they go out of their way to make it
difficult to find information on it or even a source for purchasing - at
least that is what I saw 3 years ago when I sought it out and actually
purchased it. Several months ago, I searched the www for adiitional
consumer info. and source for purchase, and found it even more
scare/difficult to locate - gave up.

Here's what I've come up with under a non-3M brand name:
http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=332

I wouldn't be surprised if the material is actually made by 3M, but I
have concluded that 3M is not interested in marketing such a product
under their own label.

My opinion is, rather than polish up a hazed headlight assy., replace
with new, and then install the X-Pels to extend the useable life of the
new headlights beyond the life of the vehicle. Worst case, the X-Pels
themselves may need replacing every coupla years due to UV damage, but I
don't know that to be true - but even if so, a lot cheaper to replace
them than the complete headlight assy.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

http://www.3m.com/us/auto_marine_aer...ir/index.jhtml

I can't find any mention on the 3M website of a UV protectant film suitable
for headlights. They specifically state that the paint protectant films are
not suitable for headlights. http://www.clearmask.com/headlight_v2.htm
claims they use a 3M film designed for the aerospace industry to make their
headlight protectors. I can't really find any info on this particualr film
on the 3M web site.

Ed

"Bill Putney" > wrote in message
...
> David wrote:
>
>> "Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>>
>>>Of course, every time you polish or buff these lenses, what you're
>>>doing is stripping away more and ever more of the anti-UV hardcoat,
>>>which means the lenses then degrade faster and ever faster. :-(
>>>
>>
>> 3M has a plastic sheet laminate that is supposed to be placed on
>> headlamps after they have been polished by glass shops that sell 3M
>> window tint. Not all do, It is another product they can sell to customers
>> that need headlight polishing. And the clear plastic laminate(sticker) is
>> cut to fit the model of car. The laminate is supposed to be UV resistant,
>> and has a two year warranty.
>
>
> If 3M is still even making that, they go out of their way to make it
> difficult to find information on it or even a source for purchasing - at
> least that is what I saw 3 years ago when I sought it out and actually
> purchased it. Several months ago, I searched the www for adiitional
> consumer info. and source for purchase, and found it even more
> scare/difficult to locate - gave up.
>
> Here's what I've come up with under a non-3M brand name:
> http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=332
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if the material is actually made by 3M, but I have
> concluded that 3M is not interested in marketing such a product under
> their own label.
>
> My opinion is, rather than polish up a hazed headlight assy., replace with
> new, and then install the X-Pels to extend the useable life of the new
> headlights beyond the life of the vehicle. Worst case, the X-Pels
> themselves may need replacing every coupla years due to UV damage, but I
> don't know that to be true - but even if so, a lot cheaper to replace them
> than the complete headlight assy.
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address
> with the letter 'x')

worked just fine here lol

turtle wax seems to work for me. not a permanent solution but cheaper then
new fixtures
"Rick" > wrote in message
...
> Ever notice all the older Neons, minivans, Intrepids and some Fords on the
> road suffering from opaque lenses? I even spotted an older Mercedes
> developing the problem. It is unacceptable that we have to constantly buff
> or replace cloudy, yellow polycarbonate plastic headlight lenses because
> Chrysler and Ford were too cheap to specify a few cents worth of UV
> protection in the plastic mix. Headlight performance on these cars was
> mediocre when new. It is a downright hazard when cateracts set in.
> If you are as mad as hell about this problem as I am, and want to tell
> someone about it, click on the link below and let the NHTSA know that you
> have trouble seeing road hazards and pedestrians while driving at night.
> Demand a recall, an enforced new standard, and a permanent fix. Glass was
> good.
> http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
> Rick
>
>