RAM2940

Thought I would share this info on cleaning the plastic headlight lens. I have a old nissan sentra that had not been waxed in about 10 years, so i decided to try TR3 resin glaze. The paint had chaulked so bad that if you touched it, it would come off on your hands. Polished with tr3 and the finish looks excellent. Removed all chaulking and completely smoothed the finish.
Decided to try it on headlight lens. Minimal rubbing, just like waxing a auto. Restored to about 95%. Looks great, no work and cheap. Heres a link to what the product looks like. Purchased at PEP Boys.

http://www.midwayautosupply.com/deta...tion.asp?10135

CASMOKIN

Thanks for sharing, Im in the process of looking for a product like that. My headlight lenses are really bad.

Tom

Shovelhead

I use Mcguire's Plexiglass cleaner and their polish on mine about every other month to clean up the lenses.

Baja

Thanks for the tip, mine are very yellow, and I thought they needed replacing. I will definitely check it out!

CarlJensen

A medium compound with small buffer and wool bonnet works well also. Takes off the yellowed layer.

Dojman

Ditto Carl, works good. I use 3M polishing compound

Baja

That yellow film is as tough as nails. I started with rubbing compound, and it wasn't doing the trick, so I am now down to 280 grit carborumdum dust and oil, and I still have to rub hard to remove it. Beats getting new lights though.
Why do they yellow in the first place? My neighbor has a Dodge van and his lights are so yellow they can't possibly work. No other car I have owned has yellowed like the Dodge.

RAM2940

I think its just years of road grime, then it gets baked on when the lights are turned on. The lenses get right warm after there on a few minutes. I tried several things like soft scrub with bleach, meguier,s cleaner wax. I was really surprised at what a nice job that TR3 did on the abused paint surfaces and how well it cleans.

VADSLRAM

It's every other piece of plastic on a dodge...**** poor quality. that's prolly why it gets yellow

Shovelhead

It's not just Dodge.
All newer cars with plastic lenses have the same problem.
Plastic lenses are cheaper to produce than glass.
Plastic lenses have to be eventually replaced, glass doesn't unless broken.
More money.

Boatnik

Soft scrub and Bonami(can't remember exactly how it is spelled) followed by Brasso and elbow grease works for me. On the first gen I throw the headlight away and buy a new one