[Sprucegoose]

Buffing worked really well on mine.. though for some reason i had to get them buffed from inside and out.

When i get new headlamps for my car, i'll be putting a Lamin-X tinted film on it...
Cuts the light output by 5 - 30% depending on which film you get, you also get clear ones, so with an appropriate film, night driving will not be too adversely effected.

Also hopefully i'll skip all the micro scratches, can always replace the film when it gets damaged.

[sgiitk]

Just ordered F1 Scratch Out from eBay. I will report back on the results. I think both the Formula1 and 3M products should be nearly identical.

[kutlee]

Tired F-1 scratch out on the headlamps. They are quite good. It took 2-3 days of repeated application to get some gloss.

[GTO]

Sgiitk,

Here's two more threads that you might find useful:

Sparkle back into your old headlamps

Gave my old headlights a second life

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by nitrous

WARNING
The Scratch out product must be a 'cutting' compound which basically "buffs out" scratches by removing a thin layer of the paint/material.
If you're not skilled, you can damage the paint work of your car.

I think this is about the acrylic headlamp assembly and not the paint, also 3M is a mighty reputed company and will not offer customers serious 'cutting' compounds. The key word here is caution and to try it out in a small corner and if it is ok, then dab it all over and then have a ball.

By the way, even paint shops (without paint booths) use 'cutting' technology to remove dust after painting. It is common industry practice.

[sgiitk]

I got my scratch out yesterday and gave it a try. Now the two lamps are matched (the lh one was replaced about three years ago after an accident). With the lights on I did see some large microcracks, or scratches in both but I guess to fix there I will have to go the wet and dry emery paper route which I can now do without. I expect to sell my Santro in a couple of months (waiting for Brio AT launch).

Thanks everybody for the advice and tips.

[Jeep]

After going through these threads, I tried looking out for dry and wet sand paper - grade 2000.

However, the shops that i went to had at the most grade 1000. Wary of getting scratches, i chose to apply Waxpol rubbing compound.

After I applied it on the top 1/3rd of the right headlamp (which was rough and yellow), i found that it became clean. So applied it to some of the bottom half also. Sadly, it introduced fresh scratches.

There were no issues with left headlamp - tooth paste was enough. However, now i need a solution for the right one :(

Car is Hyundai Accent. Guess i will try scratch out.

Originally Posted by GTO

Sgiitk,

Here's two more threads that you might find useful:

Sparkle back into your old headlamps

Gave my old headlights a second life

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Jeep

However, the shops that i went to had at the most grade 1000. Wary of getting scratches, i chose to apply Waxpol rubbing compound.

After I applied it on the top 1/3rd of the right headlamp (which was rough and yellow), i found that it became clean. So applied it to some of the bottom half also. Sadly, it introduced fresh scratches.
.

Waxpol and motomax are very aggressive compounds that are locally available. As per your own experience it is best to use them for severe damages and not for minor or fine scratches. I have used it to remove orange peel from a painted surface. Try using a microfine rubbing compound and see if that helps.

[puchoo]

I personally have not had much satisfaction with Scratch out as a product , i have not tried it on the headlights but have done it on the body and the scratches it appears capable of removing are really tiny and almost non visible anyway - i have not been able to make it work on anything slightly bigger. The compound which the local guys use seem to be much much more effective,

Any advise on what i can upgrade to in terms of scratch removing strength.

Just to add , in a lot of these scratches which Scratch out was not able to remove - even the paint is still intact.

[sgiitk]

Formula 1 scratch out now has a small tag stating it can be used for headlamps. One can always use Jeweller's rouge if 2000 grit sandpaper is not available.

[redCherry]

Hi,

I am also looking to get my car's headlights buffed.
Are they still operating from the same location?

Originally Posted by Addy

....this guy is on the 3rd cross in JC road. He is in the lane where you get all the glasses (windscreens, windows etc). There you have a sweage and his shop is located above that. If you know Siraj, the stickering guy, you can find this shop opposite to his.

[atulanand13]

Guys I need some suggestions as well for the headlight cleaning/repairing

I have a Jetta whose right side headlight has a small crack via which dust and sand is getting inside. A new light costs 12k and I don't want to go for it and neither for the insurance as I will lose the NCB.

Could a crack be sealed? I know it can be cleaned but not sure whether the Araldite etc. would hold on the crack.

Any suggestions? Thank you.

[keroo1099]

Since I was cooped up at home I decided to buff out the headlights on my 2005 Swift with foam buffing pads for my variable speed drill that I had ordered from Aliexpress last month and was pleasantly surprised when the package arrived in under a month.

1. You will need a variable speed drill.
   
2. Check the internet for the amount of cut (abrasiveness) each color has and mark them with a marker on the velcro side as the pads come with no markings. I had ordered a 5 piece set which ended up being plenty.
   
3. Get some really fine grade polishing compound, I had 3M marine grade polishing compound that I used.
   
4. Mask the area around the headlight with good quality masking tape (I skipped this part) to prevent accidental damage to the paint.
   
5. Ideally you should first sandpaper the headlights with 1000/2000 grit paper and then move on to the buffing, but I didn't have the paper so went straight to the buffing.
   
6. Apply polishing compound to the headlight (toothpaste size dab should be enough).
   
7. I then sprayed some soapy water on the headlights and took the heaviest grade pad and started buffing at a slow speed keeping the pad angled slightly. It's very important to keep the pad angled otherwise it will buck and the drill will go all over the place, as it did a couple of times in my case until I got the hang of it. Use a light hand and go over the whole headlight once, and repeat if you feel you need to. The important thing to remember is be light with your touch so you don't damage the perspex cover. Wipe the headlight clean with a microfiber cloth and admire your work (very important for self confidence).
   
8. Repeat the above procedure going down to finer grade pads, but in my case I only used soapy water as a lubricant and let the pad do the work (you may have to add rubbing compound if the headlights are badly yellowed).
   
9. Buff with finishing pad, and you should be done.
   
10. The last bit is to add a ceramic coating or any type of headlight protection coating to prevent the headlamps from yellowing again (I still have to do this).

Since this was the first time I was attempting this I didn't spend a lot of time on each headlight, max 15 mins each and was overjoyed with the results. It's honestly not that difficult to do if you are DIY inclined.

(Sorry I don't have a pic of the lights before this experiment but they were slightly yellow)

[scorpian]

@keroo
Please apply some coat of polish immediately . I have noticed that every time i apply a coat of polish it removes some yellowness and make the lens also water beading effect.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by scorpian

@keroo
Please apply some coat of polish immediately . I have noticed that every time i apply a coat of polish it removes some yellowness and make the lens also water beading effect.

Thanks, I have put a coat of meguiars for now, but have been told that it's not good enough in the long run.