Mike Circo
10-20-2009, 5:22 PM
But it did.
My son's `96 Dodge Neon had the common problem of frosted/dull/oxidized headlight lenses. I don't exactly know what causes it, but it is very common in `90s era Chrysler products, others too I assume. At any rate, the headlights were so dim as to be dangerous at night. Using the brights helped somewhat, but generally just irritated other drivers.
So I tried something I had heard about. A 3M Lens Renewal Kit. There are other kits but this one had a head that attaches to a drill to do the majority of the work. Other kits available, and internet do-it-yourself methods, use hand sanding with just your hand or supplied sponges. I was afraid that I'd get tired, quit early, and not do a good job with the purely manual sanding.
ANYWAY. I followed the process of 500 grit to 800 grit to some sort of wet buffing pad to rubbing compound and a foam pad. The results....
Crystal clear. After the initial sanding the lens had the look of frosted glass, nearly opaque. By the end it was crystal clear. Seeing those lenses before I would have thought that the yellowing went deep into the plastic, but obviously it did not. I never expected that a surface sanding would create such a clear surface in old oxidized plastic.
Twenty bucks well spent.
My son's `96 Dodge Neon had the common problem of frosted/dull/oxidized headlight lenses. I don't exactly know what causes it, but it is very common in `90s era Chrysler products, others too I assume. At any rate, the headlights were so dim as to be dangerous at night. Using the brights helped somewhat, but generally just irritated other drivers.
So I tried something I had heard about. A 3M Lens Renewal Kit. There are other kits but this one had a head that attaches to a drill to do the majority of the work. Other kits available, and internet do-it-yourself methods, use hand sanding with just your hand or supplied sponges. I was afraid that I'd get tired, quit early, and not do a good job with the purely manual sanding.
ANYWAY. I followed the process of 500 grit to 800 grit to some sort of wet buffing pad to rubbing compound and a foam pad. The results....
Crystal clear. After the initial sanding the lens had the look of frosted glass, nearly opaque. By the end it was crystal clear. Seeing those lenses before I would have thought that the yellowing went deep into the plastic, but obviously it did not. I never expected that a surface sanding would create such a clear surface in old oxidized plastic.
Twenty bucks well spent.