How to polish car headlights: the frequency of the process
It is important for the responsible driver not only to know how to polish the headlights on a car, but also at what intervals to do it.
Polishing is necessary when the surface of the headlight is cloudy. And this process is typical for both plastic and glass products. The main cause of headlight clouding is regular contact of pebbles, dust or small particles with plastic or glass. Such collisions at high speed cause micro-damage on the glass or plastic surface.
Another reason why polishing headlights on a car is necessary is that the surface of the part is not properly cared for. Drivers often use dry rags, which contribute to the formation of micro damages: chips and cracks. From this, the glass or plastic also becomes cloudy, so polishing the car headlight glass becomes more relevant.
It is important to understand that grinding and polishing car headlights will help to get rid of simple clouding. But large cracks or chips that have seriously affected the structure of the glass or plastic cannot be repaired. In this case, the headlight will have to be replaced.
Polishing the headlights on the car should be carried out as necessary. There is no universal frequency, but there are factors that accelerate the clouding of the headlight:
aggressive driving;
driving off-road or on a bad and bumpy road;
driving in the countryside, where there is much more dust, etc.
Whether it is necessary to polish headlights, each driver decides for himself. On average, the process should be repeated every 2-3 years.
Here you have learned why you need to polish the headlights. Now let’s understand what you need for this process.
What you need for headlight polishing: basic tools
The process of polishing headlights consists of several stages: grinding and directly polishing. The first stage involves quite a rough treatment of the surface, but already after polishing it will be distinguished by a beautiful appearance.
Headlights of older cars are primarily made of glass, while newer models are equipped with polycarbonate (plastic) headlights. However, it is possible to polish the headlights of a car made of plastic or glass with the same means, because the strength of the material is virtually the same.
Many drivers are interested in the question of how to polish car headlights. If you decide to carry out the process yourself, then for the procedure you will need the following items and tools:
masking tape – used to shield the painted parts of the body near the headlights;
sandpaper – you can use paper with different grits, ranging from P400-800 and ending with P2000-2500;
grinder or drill with the ability to regulate the speed of rotation;
accessories for grinding;
paste for sanding.
Here you have learned how to start polishing headlights, what you need for it. Next, let’s understand the specifics of the grinding and polishing process.
How headlight polishing is done
If you are interested in how to quickly polish the headlights, you are approaching the question incorrectly. It is important to prepare carefully for the procedure, so as not to accidentally damage the surface of the headlight.
The polishing process looks like this:
Preparatory step. Use masking tape to cover the body paint around the headlights. Glue the tape around the perimeter, also glue the radiator cap, which is next to it. If you are wondering if you can polish the headlights without tape, the answer is simple – it is better not to do it. The appearance of the car may suffer from this.
Using sandpaper. First, you need to thoroughly sand the surface of the headlights. To do this, sandpaper with a grit of P400-800 is used. It is important to work with the same movements: up and down, in a circle, crosswise, etc. This promotes uniform treatment of the entire surface. For convenience, you can attach the paper to a wooden bar. After that, take a paper with a smaller grit and so on until you reach P2000-2500 sandpaper. Each type of sandpaper should be used for 5-7 minutes.
The sanding is over, the damaged headlight surface has been removed with coarse grit sandpaper, and the fine grit has prepared the plastic or glass for polishing.
Now it makes no sense for the driver to ponder whether to polish the headlights, because the part looks completely wiped out.
Polishing headlights: how to do it right
Let’s proceed directly to the polishing of the headlights. If you are interested in what is the best way to polish the headlights, then special pastes from well-known manufacturers are used for this purpose: ZM or Wurth. Some motorists use folk methods, using toothpaste. But it is better to buy a professional product.
Now let’s move directly to the procedure. Polishing headlights is a set of actions in a clearly defined sequence. Necessary:
Apply the paste to the surface of the headlight. This is important, some beginners make the mistake of squeezing the paste onto the polishing wheel.