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Thread: 540i Headlight Restoration

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    California
    Posts
    14
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 540i M Sport

    540i Headlight Restoration

    Hello,

    My driver side headlight was becoming oxidized/scratched/and fading so I decided to try and restore it. I found a DIY on headlight restoration so I did the following:
    1. Started with 400 grit wet sandpaper then worked my way up to 600, 1000, 2000, 3000.
    2. Used a gloss clear coat spray (as mentioned in the DIY) for the final step and did 3 coats of it. (This is where I think my problem started)

    I checked my work the next day and noticed some orange peel from the clear coat so I thought okay, no big deal, I'll just sand it down again. I sanded the orange peel down starting with 2000 grit and worked up too 5000 which made the surface very smooth and no more orange peel. I then polished with Meguiars Plastx but saw that the headlight was still faded and had way less clarity than the other one. I thought this was because of the clear coat I sprayed, which may have made the surface a little hazy.

    SO I STARTED AT THE BEGINNING:
    1. Wet sanded with 400 grit to strip the clearcoat and worked my way all the way up to 5000.
    2. Applied Meguiars plastx.

    ^These steps are the exact same ones I saw in another DIY video for the same exact headlights, which turned out great. However, mine were still the same. Mine are very smooth and have no more imperfections or oxidation but are still hazy compared to the other side (passenger side)

    Does anyone know where I went wrong or what the problem is, and how to fix it? Here are pictures comparing the two sides:


    IMG_2095.jpg IMG_2096.jpg IMG_2097.jpg
    1st pic is Passenger side with nothing done to it. 2nd pic is driver side with the process mentioned above.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Rocket City, AL
    Posts
    7
    My Cars
    540iT, 335i, X5, NSX
    I've restored several headlights and personally would not spray them with clear coat. You're better off just polishing and then maybe applying a ceramic coat on top, certainly nothing with any thickness like a spray clear coat. From your picture it looks like you just need a good machine polish to get the remaining haze out. Do you have an orbital or rotary buffer? Using some pressure and a light cut pad with a rubbing compound, followed by a polishing pad and the plastx might do the trick. Make sure you mask off your painted areas around the headlight if you're buffing them on the car.
    2000 E39 540i Touring 6MT conversion, Biarritz Blue/Black
    2010 E90 335i 6MT M-Sport, Space Gray/Black
    2013 E70 X5 35i M-Sport, Sapphire Black/Cinnamon
    1998 NA2 NSX-T turbo, Berlina Black/Camel

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    85
    My Cars
    09 M3, 03 M3, 06 330i
    I did mine and used a kit from Sylvania (Amazon purchase). Came with a wipe on clear coat... much like you might wipe a stain on wood.
    Very good results.
    I did 600, 1500, 3000 grit wet sanding in stages... buffed with a compound/polish then applied the wipe on UV protective clear.
    Worked very well.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Sonoma Whine Country
    Posts
    1,767
    My Cars
    E12, E12, E36, E39
    Quote Originally Posted by VR4Rob View Post
    I've restored several headlights and personally would not spray them with clear coat. You're better off just polishing and then maybe applying a ceramic coat on top, certainly nothing with any thickness like a spray clear coat. From your picture it looks like you just need a good machine polish to get the remaining haze out. Do you have an orbital or rotary buffer? Using some pressure and a light cut pad with a rubbing compound, followed by a polishing pad and the plastx might do the trick. Make sure you mask off your painted areas around the headlight if you're buffing them on the car.
    Interesting. I too have done several, gotten them to look pretty good just polishing, but it doesn't last. To me clearcoat is the only lasting solution.

    E39s are particularly difficult as they have some sort of a coating on top of the base plastic that has to be sanded off before you can get to the base and polish it out. With a nice clearcoat on them the difference is dramatic over just a good polish in terms of headlight performance. Not so much appearance, but the light output. The good thing is E39 headlights are easy to remove, unlike many other cars where you have to pull the bumper or the like to remove them.
    98 328is
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    The clearcoat works for some, I don’t think it’s that great, at least that’s my opinion. I polish them, and wax them, keep them waxed up good, they stay looking healthy.
    Last edited by JimLev; 06-24-2019 at 08:37 AM.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    KS
    Posts
    1,366
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    e24e30e36e39e90
    I put Expel clear film over mine after getting them nice and clear using a 3M kit. Two years later they look as good as the day I finished them.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Rocket City, AL
    Posts
    7
    My Cars
    540iT, 335i, X5, NSX
    Quote Originally Posted by sienayr View Post
    I put Expel clear film over mine after getting them nice and clear using a 3M kit. Two years later they look as good as the day I finished them.
    This is probably the best option. PPF tech has come a really long way in the past few years. Better than clear coat and removable!
    2000 E39 540i Touring 6MT conversion, Biarritz Blue/Black
    2010 E90 335i 6MT M-Sport, Space Gray/Black
    2013 E70 X5 35i M-Sport, Sapphire Black/Cinnamon
    1998 NA2 NSX-T turbo, Berlina Black/Camel

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    The best option for restoration is to do a proper multi stage wet sanding from whatever grit you need up to 3-5k, compound, polish, and then apply a quality PPF for abrasion and UV protection. You can buy new lenses for about $180/pr if not less and have those wrapped in PPF. Opti-Lens is a sealant which protects against UV but it's weakness as it doesn't protect against abrasion so it has a short service life so skip UV sealants like this and get a PPF. Same thing for Ceramic coats think of those as an added layer of protection on for the PPF not as a substitute for PPF.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    TORONTO
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    2008 BMW 7SERIES
    I usually have my headlight restored at a local guy name AAA Auto Spa and they used steam and buffing and before i go there it was terrible and the headlight was terrible but after 1 hour of restoration after I bought their detailing and headlight restoration and they used something like scratch removal compound , is there anyone here knows how to do that?
    They did a great job but if i can do it myself i save a lot.

    Appreciate it guys

  10. #10
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