I hope this is the right place to post this.

My headlights on my 99 A6 are cloudy-looking, and I'm pretty sure the problem is from the outside surface of the headlights. What is a good way to clean this without using the wet-sanding method?

 

i used to use a cream furniture polish. that worked pretty well but only for about a month or so and then you'd have to do it again.

 

Wet-sanding will make a HUGE difference. You wont get very far without it

 

Why not wet sand? ... It is the only way to do the job correctly. There are other ways of making them look alright for a couple weeks but what good is that? Just purchase some sand paper and get busy I have cleared several sets of lights this way and never had anyone complain about the results whether or not I was happy w/ them haha.

 

Here's a good how-to! http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ad.php?t=21134

and a thread of the same topic with a lot more helpful advice (over a year old, so i don't blame ya for not finding it - i used google): https://www.audiforums.com/forum/detailing-51/hazy-headlights-22392/

 

I have used $.99 cent store toothepaste many times with great results. But it didnt work as well on very yellow cloudy headlights. Recently my father discovered on a bottle of brasso the recommendation of use on plastic watch bezel's, and decided to try it on my mother's 2001 Cadillac SLS' very yellow headlights and had very good results, better than the toothpaste. So you can try the toothpaste and or brasso, let us know of your experience.

 

Tried some toothpaste on mine, didnt do anything. I may try the brasso, but most likely I will end up sanding them down.

 

Buffer works for me.

 

The reason why I don't want to sand my headlights is that I heard sanding removes protective compounds the factory puts on the headlights, does it not? Or is that what the PlastX is for?

I think I may try the wet-sanding method, but what is there a substitute I can use for the the rotary with a wool polishing pad?

 

I think there may be a thin layer of something on the lights but that is what is fogged up and the plastic behind it is fine. I just wax my headlights to avoid them becoming fogged up.