Headlight cleaning/care...

[beebs]

OK...these h'yar new-fangled plastic headlight lenses....what's the proper thing to do to keep them from getting fogged/scratched/yellowed? Is the Meguiar's QuickDetailer and a microfiber towel good enuff? what say, turbomangt?

beebs

[turbomangt]

Hi Beebs, the QD is mainly used to remove finger prints, dust, smudges, wax/polish residue etc from your finish. It really offers NO protection at all. YOu can use the same wax or sealant you are currently using on your lenses. I just started carrying a sealant you can find on my web site. One bottle will last you 8 years, if you use it twice a year (lasts up to 6 months) not a bad 10 dollar investment, you think? Gary

[beebs]

quote:Originally posted by turbomangt

... YOu can use the same wax or sealant you are currently using on your lenses.

Ah....gotta be another one of those situations where "technology has progressed"....I figured you would be putting scratches in them by waxing them....I wouldn't have considered waxing the clear plastic of the headlights at all....OK...old dawg learns....(remember...I haven't really been concerned about a car's finish in about, oh.....25 years or so...)

quote:I just started carrying a sealant you can find on my web site. One bottle will last you 8 years, if you use it twice a year (lasts up to 6 months) not a bad 10 dollar investment, you think? Gary

So is "sealant" used in conjunction with, or instead of, wax? Here's my "arsenal" as it stands....We just gave Prudence her first real "bath" on Sunday, and it looked like she still had a good coat of wax on, by the way the water was beading, so I haven't used the Meguiar's paste wax yet....and I gotta say...what a waste of bucks that chamois was, when I saw how much quicker and better the microfiber towels dried the car! And that's a bottle of that 303 "aerospace protectant" behind the bottle of car wash...I haven't yet used it on the dash parts or any of the interior, but it's supposed to be much superior to the greasy old dust-catching goop that Armor All is, so I guess I'll eventually use it on the top of the dash, at least.


beebs

[turbomangt]

Beebs, its late, I just finished a detail clinic, I will post after some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz, can't think when the brain is shut down. Gary

[turbomangt]

Beebs, your questions requires a 3 page response so I will pick one topic for now to save space. wax vs sealant. Pure carnuaba wax comes from the leaves of the brazilian palm tree, many companies advertise 100% carnuaba wax, which is mis leading advertising. The fact is 100% content has the consistancy of a brick, anything more than 27% content is useless. so how do companies get away with it? easy, we as consumers don't read between the lines. Here is what they really mean> "of the 2% of the wax contained in this can, it is 100% wax". The next point is any wax, even the best quality, under the most ideal conditions last 30 tops on your car. Sealants>, car dealers have been ripping off customers for years, by over charging hundreds of dollars for a paint seal. While it is true a sealant will last 5 times longer than a wax, it is NOT worth $600-$800. I sell a 8oz bottle of professional paint sealant, if you applied it twice a year, that bottle wuill last you 8 years, Now you tell me, it that a value? I had a detail class last night and one of the people there told me he spent $950 for a paint seal last year. Guess what else he got for that, sealed in rail dust. The dealer sealed the rail dust into the finish becuase he did not prep the car prior to sealing it. Rail dust is the fine metal particles created by the steel wheels on the train and the friction of the tracks. It looks like little rust marks. The make up of a sealant includes amino functional silicones, sometimes it is refered to as a polymer. This comes from the greek work "poly" as in many and "mer" as in units. These units from a chemincal makeup include polyurethane, poluethlene, polystyrene. These are all synthetic chemicals made to interact in a superior way with high quality paint systems of today. Some sealants, (like mine) contain a small amount of wax as well, so you get the best of both worlds. I tell people the best protection is a base coat of sealant. Then top it with a high quality wax. The sealant will give you 6 months plus, becuase you added the additional wax top coat. THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN WHATEVER YOU DO, IS THE PREP WORK, That requires an entire chapter in itself. Go to my web site for more detail tips> www.perfectautofinish.com Gary

[links]

can i get a paint sealant at the auto stors like auto zone?
if so which one should i get ?

[turbomangt]

Links, I tried to email you but I could not find it. e mail through my web site and I'll set you up with a paint sealant along with proper application instructions. Gary www.perfectautofinish.com

[beebs]

whew! Thanks for the lesson, Gary! Looks like I'll hold off on the wax, then, and start lookin' around here for one of those clay bar things. I'll get with you when I'm ready to try the sealant. The main thing for me is to not do something STUPID to the finish by trying to take care of it using info that's so old it doesn't apply anymore. That's what made me think about the plastic headlights....I've seen plastic headlight lenses look like total crap on older cars, so yellowed and fogged that no light could ever get out. Don't want that happenin' to Prudence!

beebs

[Sci-Fi]

IMHO, if you want to protect your headlight assembies from scratches or road damage, then I would suggest buying some Stonguard and apply that over your lenses. It's a 3M urethane film and is or can be also used as a clear bra to protect your paint. I know of no wax or sealant that offers protection from road hazards that you describe. Also, yellowing of the lenses is generally caused by heat from your light bulbs (inside portion of the lens) and/or environmental conditions, like uv light (outside part of the lens). A good non-abrasive wax or sealant usually contains some UV protection and can be applied on your lens. For lenses that are already fogged or yellowed, using a plastic polish may save you the cost of replacement light assemblies. Can go here to see an example of the process: http://store.yahoo.com/classic-motor...plasheadl.html

Also the towels (cotton or microfiber) you use, may scratch your lens (and paint). Take one of those free AOL cd's and rub your towel(s) on it. The surface should not be scratched by the towel using your normal or even higher than normal buffing pressure. Hope this helps.

[kbshadow]

A while back on one of those Sunday car shows on TV they were detailing a red PT.

One of the last things they did was use Mothers plastic polish on the headlights. Said it would keep them like new.

Really worked well and I have been doing mine since I saw it and they just sparkel.

I Also do the tail lights and outside rearview mirrors.

Bob
Stockton Ca