"Free" Cloudy Headlight Restoration How-To

[vegasjetskier]

I don't know if this applies to Volvo's or not - I did it to my wife's PT Cruiser. I suppose if your headlights are glass that they wouldn't cloud up. But, it might be applicable to some member's other cars.

It's "free" because I already had the materials on hand. If you don't, you can get them at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or an auto parts store should have a "kit" to do it (I've read that the 3M kit is very good, but haven't used it) for $15 or $20. They're also available on the internet.

Here's a "before" pic of one of the headlights that has turned cloudy (presumably from UV from the sun):

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Here are the materials I used (3M 600 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, blue masking tape, and Maguiar's Cleaner/Wax):

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In addition, you will need a garden hose (connected to a faucet) or a bucket of water and a soft cloth (I used an old sock).

Start by taping off any surrounding paint so you don't scratch it:

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Turn on the hose so you have a slow flow and direct it over the light while you gently sand the surface with the sandpaper. Alternatively, dip the sandpaper in the water bucket periodically while sanding to maintain a film of water on the headlight surface. This keeps the sandpaper from loading up with debris:

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This is what the light will look like after sanding:

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Apply a small amount of the cleaner/wax to your cloth and polish a small area of the light:

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Continue until the entire light has been polished:

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Remove the masking tap and restore the other light. You're done! It took me about 20 minutes per light, for a total of 40 minutes to do the job.

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