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Full Version: Getting The "fog" Out Of The Headlight Assembly
Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada) > General Lexus Forums > Lexus Detailing and Car Care Forum
TroyLexus
Anyone have any suggestions of how to get out the "fog" that seems to get in the headlights ? Without buying new headlight assembly's ?

I have a ES330 2004 .. .
TSC17
You can start by using a product like Meguiars PlastX or their headlight restoration kit (that includes PlastX). If that doesn't work, then you'll need to get more aggressive by several steps of wetsanding followed by machine polishing.
SW03ES
The fog he is talking about it condensation inside the headlamp lens...

I second the advice you got in the ES forum, you have to seal up all the seams in the headlight...
TSC17
Gotcha! I just assumed it was hazing on the outside of the lense...
TroyLexus
What does, " I second the advice " mean ? that you agree with him ? or you don't agree with him ?
SW03ES
"I second the advice" means I agree with it...

if I disagreed then I would have given you my opinion...
Hobowon
QUOTE (TroyLexus @ Apr 2 2009, 07:49 AM) *
Anyone have any suggestions of how to get out the "fog" that seems to get in the headlights ? Without buying new headlight assembly's ?

I have a ES330 2004 .. .



On mine, the lense became oxidized so I went to Pep Boys and bought smething called headlamp restorer. Worked wonders. Not of caution: use and use and use the clarifyer and don't use the pads included in the kit if at all possible. You may end up with scratches. Really, the darn stuff works wonders.
VBdenny
One of my headlamps on my 90LS got mositure inside. I think it was a result of me improperly installing a new bulb and then driving in rain. I removed the headlight assembly, dumped rubbing alcohol inside and swished it around and then dumped it out. A hairdryer completed the job and then I put it back together with the bulb properly installed and it is fine now.
Michael D.Pietrafesa
i have an 98 es 330 and the headlights were doing what yours are doing. go 2 pep boys and buy Mcguires PLASTX it may take one or two applications but it definately works if the fog is on the outside. saves the money from buying new headlights
rickatups
my daughter has a 2004 Corolla that I detailed for her the other day ..... her headlight lenses were very, very bad ... full of oxidation. They were so bad I as not too sure I could fix the problem, even though I have had some resonable success on some other cars I have done in the past ....

I ended up using 3M Medium Cut compound with an Orange buffing pad and my Porter Cable 7424 machine (speed setting #5) . This allowed me to take out just about all the oxidation .... then I used 3M Plastic Cleaner (part # 51131) also with an Orange buffing pad. I worked on each lense this way for about maybe 10 minutes. Then I used some Zaino PC Fusion and an Orange buffing pad. I finished the process by aplying some Zaino Z-2 with a Blue buffing pad ... and I also sprayed Xaino Z-8 on the surface as the very last step ..... the result was totally amazing.

My only regret was that I did not take a picture of the lenses before I started to work on them ..... no one would ever believe how bad they were before I started, considering how they now look with the job completed ....

The 3m Plastic Cleaner felt like it has the consistancy of 3M "Heavy Cut" ... but I am not sure .... just the feeling I had when I used it.

My daughter owes me a case of beer .... a VERY LARGE case of beer ....

cheers.gif
rickatups
here is another pic of the headlight .....
rickatups
finally .... here is the front of the car .... (it looks far better in person) .... it was pretty bad before I had started .....
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