Headlight covers on a vehicle are cloudy. What do you use to buff them with to make them clear again.?

Headlights are made of polycarbonate which has a lot of the same properties as plastic but stronger (think bullet-proof glass). When cars leave the factory the headlights are coated with a UV cured hard coat. This coating from the factory wears off and the sun鈥檚 UV rays (and road debris) cause the lens to develop micro-cracks and pitting. This traps the light inside and makes the outside look cloudy. After extended periods of exposure the unprotected lens can become scorched causing it to yellow. 99% of headlight damage is on the outside of the lens.





There are many buffing compounds and polishes on the market that will temporarily restore most of the clarity to you headlights. However almost every product will need to be re-done every 4-6 months when polishing which adds up for total cost.





Your best option for headlight restoration is a UV-cured hard coat - just like from the factory when new. However there aren't many DIY kits available and the process takes some skill to get it correct. And most people are afraid of it as it involves sanding with progressively finer grits of sandpaper before reapplication of the coating. (The purpose of sanding is to remove the old coating, the fine layer of oxidization, and to smooth-out the pits and small imperfections). The best coatings will have a hardener and a high UV protection (much more than a can of clear spray paint will have).





Be wary of anyone selling ';snake oils'; that will clear up the headlights - they are temporary. And any coating that is applied with a sponge/rag will not give you the uniformity that you need for headlights. You need the coating to have the same index of refraction as the polycarbonate that it is protecting which usually involves a ';flow-out'; process. This way the light goes where it is supposed to.





BTW - I've been restoring headlights for years now as a professional and have tried all the products available - I KNOW what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately the product I use isn't available to the general public.Headlight covers on a vehicle are cloudy. What do you use to buff them with to make them clear again.?
My boyfriend used this stuff made specifically for that and it worked like magic. He got so excited he asked friends if he could clean theirs for them. I'm not sure what it was called, but I'm pretty sure he got it at O'Reilly's Auto Parts.





Edit: He says it's called McGuires Scratch X. Not sure of the spelling.Headlight covers on a vehicle are cloudy. What do you use to buff them with to make them clear again.?
Most auto parts stores sell a complete kit to restore the headlight covers. $20 to $35 is the average cost. Just follow the directions included.
Some fine cut cleaner the same stuff you use to buff a car


and a towel or buffer
flitz polish. they make a plastic kit. the whole kit is about $50 that includes attachment for drill, polish, etc