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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications (exterior/interior) > Headlight Lense Restoration



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      07-23-2018, 12:33 PM   #1
Blaze439
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Headlight Lense Restoration

What are you guys using to polish front headlight lenses? I finished off my old turtle wax kit a while back and I am looking for something new for the E90. Thanks!
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      07-23-2018, 02:23 PM   #2
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Wetsanding, plastx, and then wipenew. That's what I'll be doing within a week or two.
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      07-23-2018, 07:06 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyro235 View Post
Wetsanding, plastx, and then wipenew. That's what I'll be doing within a week or two.
What grit sand paper do you plan on using?
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      07-23-2018, 07:17 PM   #4
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Any polisher will do. Treat it like your car paint/clearcoat. You don't want to really use too abrasive of a compound, as you really just need the polish as a lubricant and light abrasive. A decent pad could do the job on it's own (but marr if you didn't use polish). Treat it like you would a detail job and use a medium cut pad then follow with a softer one until you're onto a buffing pad. Tape around to keep it clean, but it's actually fairly easy to do. Don't want to specifically name too many brands, but Chemical Guys makes a pretty decent one that you could even use by hand.

Then I'd apply some sort of protectant on there just to help delay the UV damage. They actually sell sealants specifically for that. I think it was CQuartz and Gtechniq but I could be wrong. But honestly most of the new silicone/glass/ceramic sealants would work fairly well.

Only thing is if you have a car with a plastic "eyelid" inside the housing (ie e90 328 LCI)...well you can't fix that without taking that out as well.
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      07-23-2018, 10:12 PM   #5
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I used the 3M kit you can get from Amazon for about 20 bucks. It looks brand new, but you should put clear bra on the headlights after you restore them or they'll go back to being hazy again.
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      07-25-2018, 09:11 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blaze439 View Post
What grit sand paper do you plan on using?
I'll be starting with 800, going to 1000-1200, then 1500, 2000, and the 2500 or 3000 if I have any on hand. Then I plan on clearing it with meguiars plastx, and then using the wipenew. I've never used the wipenew before, but I've heard great things.
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      07-25-2018, 08:15 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spyro235 View Post
I'll be starting with 800, going to 1000-1200, then 1500, 2000, and the 2500 or 3000 if I have any on hand. Then I plan on clearing it with meguiars plastx, and then using the wipenew. I've never used the wipenew before, but I've heard great things.
800! thats a bit course isnt it for plastic.

And are you going to remove the sanding haze by hand or with a DA polisher?
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      08-15-2018, 02:13 AM   #8
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A friend of mine used 2000 grade to wet sand then polish mopped the lenses after with Farecla G3 Fine Finishing Compound, they came out really good.

I will be doing this to mine soon once I get the rest of the car sorted and I will then be applying some headlight film on to help stop the pitting which I bought from eBay, it is just like a thick clear vynil.
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      08-15-2018, 07:39 AM   #9
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I bought this from Walmart for $17. Was a little skeptical but headlights turned out great on my E90 and my Infiniti G35!

http://www.meguiars.com/automotive/p...-kit-g2970-kit
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      08-15-2018, 07:48 AM   #10
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Used wipenew two weeks ago on mine. They look brand new.
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      08-15-2018, 10:36 AM   #11
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      08-15-2018, 02:24 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwong77 View Post
I used the 3M kit you can get from Amazon for about 20 bucks. It looks brand new, but you should put clear bra on the headlights after you restore them or they'll go back to being hazy again.
That is what damaged my paint despite following the instructions to the letter. I may have had a bad roll of tape in my kit. 3M is allegedly taking care of my issue.

I also noticed that their kit seems to allow fogging of the lens rather quickly, so it would be prudent to have a spray on clear coat rather than their sealant wax. Just like NU Finish scratch repair, it washes off after just a few washes.
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      08-15-2018, 04:00 PM   #13
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3M polishing kit, Wipe New coating, topped off with any paint protection film with UV rejection. Done.
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