I have been meaning to get to this project for a long time. Hesitant about which way to go. Either replace the headlights altogether or use a product that revitalizes them.
After much research and deliberation, I decided to try out the cheaper option of restoring with a product called :
3M Quick Headlight Renewal. This kit retailed for about $5 and it had a 5-star rating! The kit is complete with all you need to do 2 headlights and a step by step directions and you don’t need any power tools, unlike some other kits I researched. All you need for this one is GOOD OLD ELBOW GREASE!
Okay. Here we go. Our first step is to either mask off the painted areas around our headlights. But with our vehicle, it was just so much EASIER to remove the headlights with the slide of a couple of pins. So once I had them removed I took them to my workbench which was the tailgate of my truck.
Then the next thing we do is gather up what we need for this project.
- a bucket of water. (I used a plastic coffee container)
- mix in some dish soap. (I put approximately 1 teaspoon in mine)
- a clean cloth to use with soap and water.
- another container for clean water. (I used an empty clean milk jug)
- a roll of shop towels or paper towels.
- a clean MICROFIBER cloth
Now on to the project! Once I had all the items I needed for this I got started with the first headlight. I began the soap and water and the clean cloth to completely wash it off so I had a totally clean surface to work with.
Then I began soaking the 3000-grit sandpaper that came with the kit to get it ready. Now start sanding these headlights and a yellow film will start coming off right as you start. You may have to repeat this process as I did a few times. Continuing to wet your sandpaper will get more of the yellow film off. Now, the package says it’s a five to ten-minute process but with my headlights, it may have taken me up to twenty-five to thirty minutes to do the sanding alone because while I was wetting my sandpaper more and more yellow kept coming out of my lenses.
Once I was satisfied with the first fixture I went on to the second one. I did the same steps as I did with the first one. Once they were BOTH finished I went back to the first one and did the rubbing compound with only a quarter-sized amount.
I take my microfiber cloth and apply the rubbing compound in circles, spreading it evenly to help the compound to do its job throughout the headlight lens.
Rubbing the compound with the cloth will bring the lens to its original beauty as if the headlights were almost new from the factory with a brilliant shine.
