How to fix those 'fogged' headlight covers

For many, after years of lovingly owning their E36, painstakingly taking care of their paint, they start to get really angry with the fact that regardless of how hard they wash their car, the headlights get yellow and foggy.

I used to work in a detail shop and had a customer come in with a Plexiglas speakerbox that had come out of a pickup that had rolled. Needless to say, the box was scratched all to hell. But after about 4 hours with a buffer and some 3M polishing compound the scratches came off.

I remembered this and tried it on my headlights. It worked like a charm! Took less than a minute per headlight and wow! What a difference. Makes the car look a lot better.

For those that want to try it, here is the part number of the polish:

3M #39002 Perfect-It II Rubbing Compound, Fine Cut.

Work with a clean terry cloth towel and apply a quarter size dollop to the cloth and rub over the headlight until the haze is gone. It will start to squeak. Turn the cloth and wipe up any residue and marvel at the cleanliness of the "new" headlight.

Another nice thing about this stuff is that it is great for removing oxidation from paint... A wise buy.

And for those who may be wondering, I am not an employee of 3M or any of its subsidiaries.

* Please note:

The 'fog' can return, what I do every time I polish my car, I do that at the same time.  It only adds about 4 minutes to the polish. That way, you can keep the lenses clean and taking care of any small issues before they become large issues (read as replacing the plastic housings).

Special Thanks To Kevin 325is

 

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