Sup Can you email me the pics and the products you used? Also were to get them and what steps do i do first?THANK'S

 

Hey Joe,

Did you buy a particular cleaning kit online or at a store somewhere? I tried a Pep Boys kit that came with sand paper and it didn't work. Maybe I wasn't pressing hard enough or maybe i need to use a special tool????

 

Personally I don't believe that the yellow reflector in the turn signal is bad looking, not when compared to the original yellow turn signals that were on my Mercedes 300E.

Secondly, removing the yellow reflector will actually make your car to be not in compliance with DOT regulations as specified in the U.S. code of federal regulations. Granted it would take a very educated traffic cop to spot this, but it is grounds for a 'fixit ticket'.

Just thought I'd point that out.

 

awsome look, i do this with all my cars. I usually just buy the whole piece. But can find a pre made aftermarket piece for my a6. Do you have a link for the step by step instructions?

 

It all depends,

with wet sanding you need to keep a good flow of water on the surface you are sanding. I also recommend constantly changing the sandpaper (after you have used a piece for a couple of minutes, go to a new one). I also go from 1000 to 2000 grit. I spent about 30 minutes per light (sanding and polishing).

I also recommend a good high quality buffer, I used an orbital porter/cable. I purchased a kit from www.autopia.org. It comes complete with 3 pads for damage, swirl mark remover and finishing. It is awesome and it is dummy proof (please no offense). It simply means you cannot mess anything up!

I also have a shop quality porter/cable buffer as well. This one takes experience and can burn the paint right off of your car.

I don't have the part numbers off hand, but I can surely get them to you!

I used both of my buffers on my lights but I know you can get great results just from the orbital. I used PlastiX from Meguires. It is a great polish!

If you were doing it by hand, that could be a reason you didn't get good results. Getting it done by hand is going to require some serious sweat!

Some folks here will tell you to use the sandpaper in small circular motions. I went left to right, from the grill to the fenders in small motions. I have tried circular as well and I could not see really any difference, but we all have our preferences!

The key is the water! Keep it flowing, it keeps the paper and surface clean, and constantly rotate your sandpaper! Lack of water or dirty sandpaper will result in a damaged lens almost beyond repair!

I purchased the PlastiX from Autozone and my sandpaper from autopia.org along with my buffers of course.

Let me know if there is anything else you might need!


OOOO

 

So how long are you using the wet sandpaper on the headlights before switching to the polisher? I was thinking of maybe using a dremel tool with sandpaper attachments instead of doing the sandpaper by hand. Would you recommend that approach or would that damage the headlights?

Thanks again for all the help.

Al

 

I would recommend sanding by hand because you simply have more control. I love my dremel tool but I would be afraid of slipping and damaging the light (think about the speed that the Dremel works at, even at its slowest speed, could be dangerous). Remember, by hand you can also control the pressure you apply and you can work a larger area, giving you a more uniform, even result!

I put in about 15 to 20 minutes of sanding on mine. It will also depend on how damaged your lights are (haziness or sandblasting).
Buffing is the easy part. A good ten minutes of applying the polish, removing it with a soft towel and then reapplying until you get the results you need!

 

So did you start with the 1000 grit first and switch to the 2000 after about 10 minutes?

P.S. I have a 6" orbital polisher that a friend of mine let me borrow so i can use that. Also, I have the headlights out of the car (I mentioned before that I purchased new ones and installed them; I just want to get these looking good for resale on eBay) so would you say that the process would be easier with the lights out of the car?

 

Correct,

Start with 1000 and then go to 2000. When finished sanding, just rinse the lens well and wipe off with a soft towel. Grab your buffer and go to town! You should see great results! Let me know how you do and I will help in any way!

Good Luck!

 

I've been doing this for a while and it works great. The only difference is that i use 3m heavy duty compound after i wet sand then lights with 1000 grit sand paper. You basically just have to sand the lights until it is smooth and even, i wouldnt continue to sand for 15 minutes unless your headlights are that bad. Just my opinion.

You can get the 3m heavy duty compound from carquest auto parts.