[jkrig]

Been slacking gents ...Been over 6 months and I need to post an update, lights still look good....slight hint of deterioration on a portion of the drivers side lamp near the bumper, though that may be due to me missing a section when I polished them out prior to applying the wipe new.....overall though they still look good and appear to have held up well through the mild mid-atlantic winter

[6ixSpd]

OP, thanks so much for sharing this.

After trying numerous many sanding both dry and wet, this appears to have FINALLY restored the lenses 100%! I used the 3M drill attachment kit to dry sand the headlights with 500, 800, 3000. Then I buffed them using M105, M205, and the 3M rubbing compound numerous times. The lenses looked great. Then I applied the coating of Wipe New and my jaw literally dropped. The clarity instantly became incredibly deeper, literally like a new E90 headlight. I still can't believe it.

EDIT: Here's a photo.



The top is the final results after using the 3M sanding discs, 3M compound 5x, M105 5x, M205 2x, followed by a single coat of wipe new (you can't do multiple coats anyways). Bottom Left shows the hazing/cloudiness on them after 120k miles of driving. You can see it more apparent if you look at the corner assembly vs. the after in the Bottom R pic, the clarity is insane. It looks like I can reach through and touch the internals lol.

Absolutely unreal results, they are 100% 10/10 like-new now! I'm going to have XPEL film applied to them once the Wipe New has finished curing.

With the angel eyes on, you can now truly see how clear they really are.



I rest my case
pics are unedited by the way!

[tcphoto]

I used the 3M kit with success but have been waiting for good weather to spray with sealant. But, the wipes sound intriguing and I'd like to hear more.

[cpie168]

Pics pleeeeeease!

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

I used the 3M kit with success but have been waiting for good weather to spray with sealant. But, the wipes sound intriguing and I'd like to hear more.

It was the crucial step in making them literally perfect, in my opinion. Once I finished the multiple passes of buffing they were 8.5/10ish. Not perfect, but vastly improved. Then I applied the Wipe New and I was legitimately blown away with how instantly fully transparent the lenses became. Now they are fully 10/10. I've no idea what's in this magical stuff but considering it has a very strong chemical odour and requires handling with gloves, it must be serious.

Originally Posted by cpie168

Pics pleeeeeease!

Posted above.

[cpie168]

OMG they look sooooo nice!!!!

[jkrig]

Originally Posted by the6M3

It was the crucial step in making them literally perfect, in my opinion. Once I finished the multiple passes of buffing they were 8.5/10ish. Not perfect, but vastly improved. Then I applied the Wipe New and I was legitimately blown away with how instantly fully transparent the lenses became. Now they are fully 10/10. I've no idea what's in this magical stuff but considering it has a very strong chemical odour and requires handling with gloves, it must be serious.


Posted above.

This post is back from the dead!!! Glad someone else gave his a try.....for 9 bux it really can't be beat.....I do some detailing on the side and I have also used Opti-Lens which works well but, it's quite the expense for someone only doing their own headlights.

After it cures you can go the extra step and and add your fav sealant/wax as an added layer of protection...but not necessary.

[6ixSpd]

Originally Posted by jkrig

This post is back from the dead!!! Glad someone else gave his a try.....for 9 bux it really can't be beat.....I do some detailing on the side and I have also used Opti-Lens which works well but, it's quite the expense for someone only doing their own headlights.

After it cures you can go the extra step and and add your fav sealant/wax as an added layer of protection...but not necessary.

Thanks for making it in the first place! You have saved me from buying new lenses and having to butcher these. Besides, it's best to add info to an already documented thread than post redundant info

It's been 24 hours since I finished the coating but given the frigid temperatures here I figure it's best to sit it for another night. Just 5 minutes ago, I used a heat gun to gently apply some warmth to the lenses for good measure. Tomorrow I have an appointment to apply XPel film, hoping it's fully cured by then...

[tcphoto]

The weather is going to turn rainy this week, so I used the Wipe New kit today. It was probably easier since I used the 3M kit a few months ago. It has dried for a few hours and I'm pretty happy with the results but will see what it looks like with the lights turned on.

[cpie168]

Looks amazing!

[lab_rat]

I am going to give this method a try before I buy new lenses...the results posted here are outstanding!

[spencers]

Gave the Wipe New stuff a shot with my E90 headlamps.

I had previously restored my headlights in 2014 with wet sanding, portercable polishing, and sealing with OptiLens. Three years later and OptiLens has failed. Garage-kept car, both home and work.

I used the little sanding block that came with the Wipe New and followed it with their sealant rag. If it lasts half the time of OptiLens, I'm happy as $10 is better than $70.

[330iE90spt]

Spencers, keep us updated on the condition of your headlights every few months. I'm about to do the whole wet sand, compound, polish, opti-Lens on my '06 330i. Mine are in rough shape!

[spencers]

The instructions weren't joking: make only one pass with the Wipe New cloth. My passenger side has streaks from the Wipe New application, where I must have had overlapping strokes.

[alexwhittemore]

Resurrecting again, just to make sure I get best results: for those of you who are super pleased with your Wipe New results, what was your process?

It sounds like
1) 3M kit to sand and polish (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AIZ5HY...03_03_t_img_lh)

(the 3M kit doesn't come with any sealers or protectants, right?)

2) Wipe New to seal (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...7QIB451U&psc=1)

Is that just it?

The Wipe New kit seems to include a polishing pad to use beforehand if your lights are in bad shape - I'm assuming use the 3M kit and NOT the Wipe New prep pad?

[tcphoto]

The next time I do the job, I’m using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish and finish with 303. I say a YouTube video that worked great.

[Emilime75]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

The next time I do the job, I’m using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish and finish with 303. I say a YouTube video that worked great.

Same here, no sanding required...but I will first test on an older Lexus.

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

The next time I do the job, I’m using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish and finish with 303. I say a YouTube video that worked great.

Originally Posted by Emilime75

Same here, no sanding required...but I will first test on an older Lexus.

Any particular reason why? tcphoto did you not like the Wipe New in the end? Emilime75 I don't see you anywhere in the thread before - what did you try before and what was the outcome?

[Emilime75]

I've sanded and sanded and sanded...and polished and polished and polished... It always looked great when all the steps were taken, but not lasted. Admittedly, I have not tried the WipeNu, only because it requires all of the sanding steps. So, when looking for alternative methods, I came across the Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish. It looks promising and much easier to maintain over time.

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by Emilime75

I've sanded and sanded and sanded...and polished and polished and polished... It always looked great when all the steps were taken, but not lasted. Admittedly, I have not tried the WipeNu, only because it requires all of the sanding steps. So, when looking for alternative methods, I came across the Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish. It looks promising and much easier to maintain over time.

Ahh, I see. Yeah, the point of the Wipe New is to make that last - I'm concerned with whether it works as well as everyone seemed to think when the thread was new. If it does, I'm more than happy to put in elbow grease up front.

[tcphoto]

I did not find much difference using Wipe New and ended up paying a Detailer $100 to refinish the lenses. A year later, they still look great but will use the Mother’s product and 303 when the cloudiness returns.

[alexwhittemore]

I just talked to a detailer with gazillions of 5 star reviews and he said they'll polish them, but don't clear coat or seal because it ends up costing too much in labor to be a reasonable price. So now I'm just totally lost - coating seems like the labor-easy part.