how to fix cloudy 1st gen headlights?
 

got a 93 dx and the headlights are very foggy and yellowed. Anyway to clean them? thanks..

that depends....is it on the inside or outside?

if its on the utside i highly recomend mothers plastic polish, its in a lil red bottle and it works wonders, make my lenses look like glass

if its on the inside i dunno what to tell ya new lenses??:dunno:

i ended up getting new/used lenses before i could try out my idea. But i was going to use CLR. You know that lime/rust cleaner advertised on TV. Pull the lenses off the car and pour in some CLR, swish it around like a dry martini and rinse...

new lenses will run you over 100 dollars from the dealer. and thats just the front plastic lens part not the whole housing. then you would still have to go through the trouble of putting them on your old housing and getting them to stick and not leak water and shit. mazdaspeedwest's idea sounds like it would work just fine.

Check out this thread:

http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...5&pagenumber=1

ok, headlights are about $140 for each side from my local mazda dealership, and thats not for the LENS, they don't sell the lens independently... when you buy a headlight, you're buying the housing and the lens. you cannot get these things apart easily to clean inside, and therefore is worthless cause in fact, i guarentee 99% of the dirt in your headlights is on the outside, not the inside. as for the headlight cleaning, even if done thoroughly can leave swirl marks in your headlights. however, this method can leave your headlights with a clean look.
basic method of cleaning headlights: (concensus seams to be)
1: remove headlights entirely from car
2: clean the lens's with windex or just plain water to get dirt off
3: use a hose or running water and WET SAND your lens... first with 600 or 800 grit sandpaper
4: WET SAND as done before with 1000 grit, then 1500 or 1600 grit, then with 2000 grit sand paper.
5: buy some 3M Rubbing Compound from pepboys, and rub it in, letting it dry and then buff off; repeat 2 times
6: use scratch-out/haze-remover the same
7: use some sort of wax or polish and buff to a shine.


this seems to work to clear up the haze, cost of materials can run 20 to 40 bucks... compare that to $140 a headlight, you will make out better. i've polished my headlights before using a similar method and wasn't too please with the results, but it does seem effective of getting the yellow look out of your lights

Right Demon, there was a link to those same type of instructions in the thread I linked above, although the thread had more to do with cleaning the lenses with fingernail polish remover. I used that method and it worked pretty good, but I may try the wetsanding method too. Fwiw, I've seen headlights on eBay several different times over the past few months that are in the ~$60 each ballpark. Just be careful b/c the '94 lights are different than the '90-'93, but I'm sure most of you already know that.

Here's a pair for sale now - '94s:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33710

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33710

I think cablemirc had a pair for sale a while back, maybe he still has them (?)

if you want brighter headlights, you can also just upgrade the lamps, you can try Sylvania Cool Blues (part you'd be looking for is a 9004 bulb) and they're bright and completely legal. if you want something that looks even brighter, go pick up a set of APC xenon style lights... run up to $50 bucks and again, you'd want the 9004 bulb. i just bought some blue frost bulbs and i'm quite pleased with them... gives your car the HID (High-Intensity-Discharge* corrected, thanks west) headlights that you see on new beamers and lexus models.. bright as hell.

edit: blah, gives you the look, HID conversions can run upwards of $600 for first gens :)

thats High Intensity Discharge ;)

I'm running Sylvania Silverstars in both my vehicles, but you still gotta get those lenses cleaned up good for it to make any diff. :(

You might also try polishing your lenses with metal polish. I did mine with a bit of Happich and they came out pretty clear.

wipe the lenses down with vinegar!

I use "Meguiar's Mirror Glaze 10 Clear Plastic Polish" the stuff is amazing! It is the right tool for the job. After polishing, I put some wax on to protect it.
For the inside, I used 100% pure rubbing alcohol to clean the reflective surfaces. Make sure you don't use the 70% stuff, it will leave a residue on the surface.

I am still looking to pick up the E-spec lights as this will replace the crappy 9004 bulb and housing. But till then I will keep polishing.

Rick

ever try wet sanding it with 4000 grit sand paper? thats what ill be doing after this bad weather goes away

just another thought

hiccups anyone?
 

this reminds me of home remedy cures for hiccups... drink a glass of water from the other side of the glass, garggle salt water, have a friend scare the shit out of you, etc..

just beware, any method that has you putting an oil film... ie polish... will wear away, just as well as wax or finish restorer will after while or time period involving harsh rain storms/car washes, harsh sun beading down, etc. just because it leaves a temporary oil film, don't mean it will last. so in fact, you will have to repeat the final steps every 6 months at least to leave the same clarity that you had when you first polished the headlights

vinegar has the same effect as washing your headlight with windex and paper towels, chastan, just a little after-thought.