Polishing glass headlights.

[WAMP]

After 10yrs & 190k mi of highway driving, by the previous owner, the glass housing is pitted, dull, and cloudy. Does anyone have suggestions to somehow clear them up? (besides buying a new set ofcourse) Would appreciate any help, and thanks in advance.

[Q451990]

I'd try cleaning them with an abrasive cleaner, just to get as much baked-on bug guts, grime, etc off. I've heard good things about this stuff for glass polishing.

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/products.htm

Heath

[911/Q45]

Don't discount replacement, I just did it on my other car and some people thought I'd replaced the car! It may not be as costly as you think either.

[VimyJ]

I bet new replacement glass lenses for the J are expensive.

[maxnix]

I bet new replacement glass lenses for the J are expensive.

Cheaper than driving blind, I bet.

[WAMP]

I've heard some people using alum/chrome polish. Autobody grade wet sandpaper? I'm guessing that with glass housings, and dual projectors, the j30 headlight assemble is pretty expensive. Clear headlights can take years off a car and I'd like to do it cleanly and w/ minimal cost.

[VimyJ]

I have not heard of a way of polishing glass. I'm not saying that there isn't a way but nothing that I've ever read on this site. A couple threads once upon a time brought it up but that's it.

Glass is a supercooled liquid. Any type of polishing will mar the surface, IMHO. I checked out the site that was mentined and I didn't see anything that might restore transparency.

Keep checking it out.

[VimyJ]

I did a "google" on glass polishing:

http://www.scratchpolish.com/glass_restoration.htm

http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/r....html

[szh]

"Jeweler's Rogue" is what you would need to polish glass (and gemstones!). This stuff is superfine enough that you can get a brilliant surface on glass surfaces without marring. Need a lot of elbow grease though.

The only problem I can think of is that it might not work well with the special glass that fragments into round pieces (like windshields) for protection during accidents. Are the headlights made of the same material? If they are regular glass, the Rogue will work very well!

Z

[IvoryJ30t]

"Jeweler's Rogue" is what you would need to polish glass (and gemstones!). This stuff is superfine enough that you can get a brilliant surface on glass surfaces without marring. Need a lot of elbow grease though.

The only problem I can think of is that it might not work well with the special glass that fragments into round pieces (like windshields) for protection during accidents. Are the headlights made of the same material? If they are regular glass, the Rogue will work very well!

Z

not really, the only thing that makes windsheild glass special is the polymer sheet [laminate] that the inner and outer sheets of glass are bonded to to prevent it from shattering into little peices.

[szh]

not really, the only thing that makes windsheild glass special is the polymer sheet [laminate] that the inner and outer sheets of glass are bonded to to prevent it from shattering into little peices.

Okay, but I also remember reading that windshield glass will remain in softer, "rounded" edges, small pieces of glass rather than have sharp edges with large pieces (I can speak from personal experience with a rear windshield glass). This prevents people from being cut with sharp or large pieces of flying glass in an accident. When auto glass does break like this, it tends to break thoroughly into smaller pieces.

Z

[maxnix]

Okay, but I also remember reading that windshield glass will remain in softer, "rounded" edges, small pieces of glass rather than have sharp edges with large pieces (I can speak from personal experience with a rear windshield glass). This prevents people from being cut with sharp or large pieces of flying glass in an accident. When auto glass does break like this, it tends to break thoroughly into smaller pieces. - Z

It's tempered, as is most retail storefront door and adjoining pane glass.

Don't know about the headlight glass.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t

Discover the power of the button!

[WAMP]

Thanks for the info everyone. Looks like I will try the jeweler's Rogue