# Polishing headlights: well worth it!



## sfsentra (Aug 12, 2005)

I recently researched on this forum about how to clean up our '93's headlight lenses, because they were looking pretty fogged up. I found a suggestion to apply some plastic polish, and I tried it this weekend.

And all I can say is: amazing. One application, which took all of about a minute or two per light, and the lenses look virtually like new. So I just wanted to pass along to anybody with the same 'problem'--this is one low-cost, low-effort improvement that's really worth doing.

And it's also one more example of how valuable the advice is that some of you guys have gone to the time and trouble of providing on here; it really helps the rest of us. So thanks.


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## Centurion (Sep 5, 2002)

Good info. I've wondered how well that stuff worked.


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## Tinus (Feb 1, 2005)

*Polish*



sfsentra said:


> I recently researched on this forum about how to clean up our '93's headlight lenses, because they were looking pretty fogged up. I found a suggestion to apply some plastic polish, and I tried it this weekend.


Hi sfsentra! Sounds like a good advice to try on my NX head- and tail lights. They are quite dull too. What kinda polish did U use exactly?

Greetzzz Tinus


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## dburone (Apr 2, 2004)

sfsentra said:


> I recently researched on this forum about how to clean up our '93's headlight lenses, because they were looking pretty fogged up. I found a suggestion to apply some plastic polish, and I tried it this weekend.
> 
> And all I can say is: amazing. One application, which took all of about a minute or two per light, and the lenses look virtually like new. So I just wanted to pass along to anybody with the same 'problem'--this is one low-cost, low-effort improvement that's really worth doing.
> 
> And it's also one more example of how valuable the advice is that some of you guys have gone to the time and trouble of providing on here; it really helps the rest of us. So thanks.



Good info, where can i read the forum?


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## sfsentra (Aug 12, 2005)

Tinus: the stuff I used was Meguiar's PlastX. The only reason I chose that brand was because I routinely use their other car care products (paint cleaner, polish and wax) and I'm very satisfied with the quality. But there were several other brands available at the Kragen's I go to.

Dburone: sorry, but I don't recall now the exact language I used to search for information on cleaning the headlights; but I do remember that there were several posts about it, including recommendations from several members of this forum about the products they liked/used. You might try "polishing headlights" or similar language in the search function here and hopefully you'll turn up the same info I did.

One thing I do recall is that mention was made of how you may have to use several applications of polish on the lenses to clean them up. My experience--happily--was that a single application on each light, which as I say took all of about one or two minutes max, was all that was needed. No real rubbing, either--I just wiped the polish on, and immediately wiped it off; and the lenses came clean with practically no effort.

As a frame of reference, our lights were cloudy enough that you couldn't really see the bulbs inside unless you got up pretty close to the lenses. One of the reasons why I decided to research about cleaning them was that I installed Sylvania Superstars a couple of months back, and I realized that we weren't really getting the full benefit from this bulb upgrade with the lenses as 'milky' as they appeared.

I've put some hours into this Sentra over the eight months we've owned it, repairing/improving various things, and this was easily the fastest result of any fix so far. That's why I thought I'd share the suggestion with others, because it was such a good return for the little time and money invested.

Maybe not the sexiest step you can take with your Sentra, but definitely a weekend quickie worth doing...in fact, weather permitting, I'm gonna polish the tail lights this Saturday myself!

If you try it, post back here and let us know your results too...


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## Tinus (Feb 1, 2005)

sfsentra said:


> Tinus: the stuff I used was Meguiar's PlastX. The only reason I chose that brand was because I routinely use their other car care products (paint cleaner, polish and wax) and I'm very satisfied with the quality. But there were several other brands available at the Kragen's I go to.
> 
> Thanks for your kind reply! I got Meguiars' in my car, but not PlastX... Tonight it's a trip 2 the shop then... Guess what i'll be doing this weekend: polishing My NX taillights are very dull...


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## zion73 (Mar 8, 2006)

*works great*

Tried your suggestion on my 95 mazda 626 plastic lenses and it works GREAT! I was surprised with the results and how quickly it got the lenses clean. They were milky white and now they're see through again. My 92 SE-R headlight lenses are glass(I think) and therefore still look pretty good. Aren't all 91-94 headlights the same?


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## Twiz (Aug 24, 2004)

zion73 said:


> Tried your suggestion on my 95 mazda 626 plastic lenses and it works GREAT! I was surprised with the results and how quickly it got the lenses clean. They were milky white and now they're see through again. My 92 SE-R headlight lenses are glass(I think) and therefore still look pretty good. Aren't all 91-94 headlights the same?


91-92 have glass lenses and 93-94 have plastic lenses and there's also the Sunny model which has a small 194 lightbulb inside the fixture, sort of a courtesy light thing... those have glass lenses also and they're the same size as the 91-92 headlights. 93-94 headlight fixtures are smaller in width than the 91-92.


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## Dan9 (Sep 18, 2004)

yup I used PlastX and it really shone em up. I also did the tails.
I plan to try and polish that scratched-up instrument panel cover too (I even used this stuff on my snowboard goggles lol)
Also you can use some compound to get out the bigger pits and scratches and then work it up finer and end with the plastX.
D


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## sentrapower93 (May 11, 2002)

Yeah the plastx works pretty good, used it on my old 93xe. The mothers plastic polish works even better imo, it made the lights look a bit cleaner and shinier. I use the mothers polish on my 06 also good stuff.


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## JohnnyWash1 (Jul 27, 2005)

Hmmm...what should I do about my glass headlights?


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## panapower (Feb 2, 2006)

I used a metal polish with a polishging pad an my porter cable orbital buffer. worked like a charm!


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## JohnnyWash1 (Jul 27, 2005)

I'll try that.


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