Headlight Cleaning or change headlight?

[DBLuke]

should i buy a new headlights or is there something i can use to clean it easy so it looks as new?

[Honolulu]

If it's just the outer plastic cover that has gotten hazy, you can do it yourself, by hand, but know that it takes a goodly amount of elbow grease, some clean cloths, and several grades of polishing compound.

I happened to have one recent and one oldie when I bought my 2002, two years ago. I started with white polishing compound, which made no noticeable difference. I also used red rubbing compound, and this took off a lot of the haze. Then used either the white polish or some surfboard polishing compound I had (don't remember which) and got a pretty good result. A low speed buffer and buffing pad will help, but take the lens off the car first if you want to do that, or the pad may rub through adjacent paint.

If the expectation of hand work is a bit much, there are kits you can buy that are based on using a common drill.

Know that the lens is a separate part, and seek out replacement prices at several vendors before you go at it, either way.

[MarcoZandrini]

The headlight cover in some E46s can be replaced.

[bluptgm3]

should i buy a new headlights or is there something i can use to clean it easy so it looks as new?

I have had good luck using a series of 600/1000/1500/2000 grit wet/dry sand paper flooding with water to remove the hazy oxidized plastic, then buff to a high sheen with Mother’s or McGuiar’s plastic polish on a 3” drill based buffing pad (3M kit). I apply blue painters tape to the painted surround surfaces to protect them while sanding/buffing.

3M offers several kits, I have the basic plastic blow-mold packaged kit. The ~$25 kit contains sand paper disks, Velcro drill mount, buffing pad, polishing compound for one set of lenses.
I see 3M now offers a bottled polishing/UV protection compound, their kits contain a small packet of that product.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-...94857497&rt=r3


Apparently, there are cheaper alternatives from tooth paste to baking soda/vinegar paste.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dworthy]

+1

The thing to remember is if you do buff/clean off the plastic it will come back after a couple of years or less if you don't continually apply some U.V. protectant to the plastic. I like to use the Meguiars motorcycle plastic cleaner/polish for the U.V. protections every 3-4 months.

[ADVMax]

If you have the active projector headlights - check the price for replacements - make sure you’re sitting down.

Had to replace both headlight assemblies on my 04 325CI because the internal wire insulation fell off and they shorted out - they all do that.

$1100.00 per light and that was the “brother in law” price!

They look great but this is just another jab at why I’m just not the BMW enthusiast I used to be. Compared to my ‘85 635 my 04 e46 is Kia level build quality.

[All2kool]

I have an orbital buffer and got fairly good results on my Town Car headlights with Turtle Was Rubbing Compound.

[MarcoZandrini]

The headlight covers are replaceable! They are item #1 in http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=63_0472.

[Eaglesail]

I reconditioned mine also. 6" 320 Mirka (can be any random orbit sander) maschine sanding followed by 6" 600 maschine sanding... then by hand wet sanding with 1000 grit followed by 2000 grit wet sanding. Buffing lastly with 3M general duty compound followed polishing compound with foam buffing pad. It helps to create a jig to hold each of the lenses. I did this a year ago and the lenses continue today to be 'water clear' and look as brand new. New originals are quite expensive. My lense gaskets were good and only needed to clean them. It's worth doing and really doesn't take a lot of time.

[dworthy]

The headlight covers are replaceable! They are item #1 in http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=63_0472.

Too much money for these kids!

I have already replaced mine, as they were getting cracked from the Georgia heat.

[Eaglesail]

yup...there are superficial cracks occurring...even with 'water-clear' polished...mine are 15 years old.