Are your headlight lenses getting cloudy?

"Mike Hunter" > wrote in message
...
> In our business we see plenty of high mileage older Explores that do not
> have clouded leases. Regardless of brand or model clouded headlamp covers
> are a result of poor maintenance, period. Lens cover should be
polished
> to prevent the clouding. There are several commercially available lens
> cleaners the will remove the clouding. One can then keep them clear by
> applying a polymer polish on occasion


I do polish mine regularly, but there is nothing I can do about the
reflectors inside. My lenses are pitted from sandblast on the highway, so I
use polish to fill in some of the smaller pitting to increase clarity. It
barely makes a difference, but at least I'm extending the life of the lens.

What polish do you use or it's equally hopless. I am thinking of a
plastic polish:
1. Blue Magic, Pep Boys
2. Meguiar's PastX, directly from Meguiar.com
3. Have seen special kits and polishes from Novus #1 #2 #3, 3M, and
other. If you used the really tough plastic polish, #3 for example,
would it matter or there not much more to polish before something goes
south?

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005, wrote:

> What polish do you use

TR3-brand car polish, green label.

Remember, you're *not* polishing plastic; you're polishing the hardcoat
applied to the surface of the plastic -- essentially buffing-out a chalky
paint job.

Why do you put up with having to periodically polish headlamp lenses? It is
not a maintenance item covered in your manual. We should go after the car
mfgrs somehow for putting out an usafe, mediocre product, like a
class-action something or other. These things are a hazard to everyone, and
Neons are the worst out there, some lenses are opaque. The 96 model year is
just starting to turn cloudy.
Rick

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
.umich.edu...
On Thu, 22 Sep 2005, wrote:

> What polish do you use

TR3-brand car polish, green label.

Remember, you're *not* polishing plastic; you're polishing the hardcoat
applied to the surface of the plastic -- essentially buffing-out a chalky
paint job.

Rick wrote:
> Why do you put up with having to periodically polish headlamp lenses? It is
> not a maintenance item covered in your manual. We should go after the car
> mfgrs somehow for putting out an usafe, mediocre product, like a
> class-action something or other. These things are a hazard to everyone, and
> Neons are the worst out there, some lenses are opaque. The 96 model year is
> just starting to turn cloudy.
> Rick

Umm - because life's too short? If you start jousting at windmills over
this, where do you stop? Windshiled wipers that don't work right below
29°F? Window motors that fail? Window lift brackets that fail? Brakes
that vibrate?

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

"Bill Putney" > wrote in message
...
> Rick wrote:
>> Why do you put up with having to periodically polish headlamp lenses? It
>> is not a maintenance item covered in your manual. We should go after the
>> car mfgrs somehow for putting out an usafe, mediocre product, like a
>> class-action something or other. These things are a hazard to everyone,
>> and Neons are the worst out there, some lenses are opaque. The 96 model
>> year is just starting to turn cloudy.
>> Rick
>
> Umm - because life's too short? If you start jousting at windmills over
> this, where do you stop? Windshiled wipers that don't work right below
> 29°F? Window motors that fail? Window lift brackets that fail? Brakes
> that vibrate?
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address
> with the letter 'x')

Rick is one of those "my car has Warranty for life, guys" Doesn't matter
what, nothing should ever break, or get worn out. Christ, I'm surprised the
fact he has to change his engine oil was not brought up. Oh, and the
tid-bit in the manual about washing a car properly is a waste too. Since it
does not specifically mention headlights! Lets not mention the fact that the
headlamps are covered under the basic warrany, but yes sand abrasion, and
fogging due to the increased UV rays, from air polution is the manufacturers
problem.

David wrote:

> Rick is one of those "my car has Warranty for life, guys" Doesn't matter
> what, nothing should ever break, or get worn out. Christ, I'm surprised the
> fact he has to change his engine oil was not brought up. Oh, and the
> tid-bit in the manual about washing a car properly is a waste too. Since it
> does not specifically mention headlights! Lets not mention the fact that the
> headlamps are covered under the basic warrany, but yes sand abrasion, and
> fogging due to the increased UV rays, from air polution is the manufacturers
> problem.

It's probably a good idea to put in UV 400 protection into almost
everything. I believe it's standard in plastics like CR39 for
eyeglasses although they try to charge for UV coating. And
polycarbonate and glass naturally have UV 400 protection. I don't know
the details of how much all the above protect from ultra-violet rays.

If there is increased UV now because of thinning of the ozone layer,
then this is a probably everywhere from our eyeballs to auto lenses.

No, David, I'm just discouraged by D-C's (and other mfgrs) trend towards
using ****poor quality parts, like changing clocksprings, front stabilizer
bar bushings, head gaskets and other items that fail at 36,001 miles, thats
all. Read the litany of complaints in this NG, its all there.
I dont think your personal attacks are very productive, since you know
nothing about how I maintain my vehicles.
--
Rick

"David" > wrote in message
news:bIYZe.13677$GQ4.6994@fed1read05...

"Bill Putney" > wrote in message
...
> Rick wrote:
>> Why do you put up with having to periodically polish headlamp lenses? It
>> is not a maintenance item covered in your manual. We should go after the
>> car mfgrs somehow for putting out an usafe, mediocre product, like a
>> class-action something or other. These things are a hazard to everyone,
>> and Neons are the worst out there, some lenses are opaque. The 96 model
>> year is just starting to turn cloudy.
>> Rick
>
> Umm - because life's too short? If you start jousting at windmills over
> this, where do you stop? Windshiled wipers that don't work right below
> 29°F? Window motors that fail? Window lift brackets that fail? Brakes
> that vibrate?
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address
> with the letter 'x')

Rick is one of those "my car has Warranty for life, guys" Doesn't matter
what, nothing should ever break, or get worn out. Christ, I'm surprised the
fact he has to change his engine oil was not brought up. Oh, and the
tid-bit in the manual about washing a car properly is a waste too. Since it
does not specifically mention headlights! Lets not mention the fact that the
headlamps are covered under the basic warrany, but yes sand abrasion, and
fogging due to the increased UV rays, from air polution is the manufacturers
problem.

Understandably, because it's clear from that litany that the
recent trend is towards Chrysler (Throwaway) Engineering.

BTW, forgot to mention those serpentine belt tensioners...


Rick wrote:

>No, David, I'm just discouraged by D-C's (and other mfgrs) trend towards
>using ****poor quality parts, like changing clocksprings, front stabilizer
>bar bushings, head gaskets and other items that fail at 36,001 miles, thats
>all. Read the litany of complaints in this NG, its all there.
>I dont think your personal attacks are very productive, since you know
>nothing about how I maintain my vehicles.
>

For one thing we know for sure is you obviously did not provide the proper
maintenance for you headlamp covers or they would not have degraded


"Rick" > wrote in message
...
> No, David, I'm just discouraged by D-C's (and other mfgrs) trend towards
> using ****poor quality parts, like changing clocksprings, front stabilizer
> bar bushings, head gaskets and other items that fail at 36,001 miles,
> thats
> all. Read the litany of complaints in this NG, its all there.
> I dont think your personal attacks are very productive, since you know
> nothing about how I maintain my vehicles.
> --
> Rick
>
> "David" > wrote in message
> news:bIYZe.13677$GQ4.6994@fed1read05...
>
> "Bill Putney" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Rick wrote:
>>> Why do you put up with having to periodically polish headlamp lenses? It
>>> is not a maintenance item covered in your manual. We should go after the
>>> car mfgrs somehow for putting out an usafe, mediocre product, like a
>>> class-action something or other. These things are a hazard to everyone,
>>> and Neons are the worst out there, some lenses are opaque. The 96 model
>>> year is just starting to turn cloudy.
>>> Rick
>>
>> Umm - because life's too short? If you start jousting at windmills over
>> this, where do you stop? Windshiled wipers that don't work right below
>> 29°F? Window motors that fail? Window lift brackets that fail? Brakes
>> that vibrate?
>>
>> Bill Putney
>> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
>> address
>> with the letter 'x')
>
> Rick is one of those "my car has Warranty for life, guys" Doesn't matter
> what, nothing should ever break, or get worn out. Christ, I'm surprised
> the
> fact he has to change his engine oil was not brought up. Oh, and the
> tid-bit in the manual about washing a car properly is a waste too. Since
> it
> does not specifically mention headlights! Lets not mention the fact that
> the
> headlamps are covered under the basic warrany, but yes sand abrasion, and
> fogging due to the increased UV rays, from air polution is the
> manufacturers
> problem.
>
>
>
>