what can i use to remove scratches on headlights

[1.8Titorey]

my headlights are getting scuffed up from the road debris. Is there any kind of compound I can use to buff the scratches out? TIA

[3.0 Rider]

Audi's plastic headlights are quite hard.

I have used Optimum compound and results were not good.

Wet sand was the only way to level them up, the rock chips were too deep to work it out with a compound. 600 - 800 - 1000 and then a compound again.

Hopefully someone can chime son tips on this.

[boost junkie]

Wetsand starting with whatever grit you have to, but I'd keep going until you get down to a 2000 grit. Then polish using something decently abrasive (not compound, polish) like Menzerna SIP with a rotary and a 4" cutting pad. Then step down to a less abrasive polish like Menzerna 106FF and a 4" polishing pad. Finish off with a sealant or wax. Just be careful and go slower than you normally would with the rotary since plastic burns a lot quicker than clearcoat. If you do a search on Autopia there are some good threads about this as well.

[1.8Titorey]

thanks for the info fellas. I'll give it a try

[EuroA4]

After you complete the restoration put on some 3M film to protect them!!

[VMRWheels]

3M rubbing compound works great. Try that out.

-Charles@VMRWheels

[bitterchild]

wetsand. w/ the old 2 piece refractor headlights start w/ something aggressive in the 300-600 range, 1 step 1200-1500 and finish w/ 2000. Should be an easy medium polish after that.

[palmera]

Hi its very easy to polish that..... ther are lot of shops are thr......

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[teg2audi]

I've done headlight corrections a few times, Honda, Acura and my Audi.

It's an easy process but you really need a DA or Rotary Polisher to finish the job along with some good cutting compounds.


1.)
First thing you want to do is sand those bad boys down -
300g 3m sandpaper - 800g 3m - 1000g 3m wetsand - 1500g 3m wetsand - 2000g 3m wetsand.

2.)
Polish -
Either use a DA or Rotary polisher (not a $20 dollar buffer from Costco lol)
I used to use SIP with an orange cutting pad then Menz nano to finish it off but recently i've been using M105 followed by M83 then Menz nano. Both processes work well but i like the M105 being a little more abrasive then the SIP.

3.)
Wipe clean with a MF and your done.
Now some people will use some sort of UV protection. I haven't done this but it really depends on how much you need to sand down your lenses to correct the imperfections. Some other will use PlastX which i've done but really don't think it's necessary. It may also be useful to apply a good sealant when your finished.

[VMRWheels]

3M actually sells a kit for restoring headlights, it's pretty cheap: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AIZ5HY/...SIN=B001AIZ5HY