removing headlight 'fog'
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removing headlight 'fog'
Gents
I notice with my lights on I can see a myriad of little tiny marks on the lens plastic which cannot be removed by exterior polishing and make the lens seem a bit 'foggy'
I know they are not dirt on the inside either as my attempts to wipe them off using a small rag through the light bulb hole was not effective
does the plastic craze up over time?
CAn they be fixed by dismantling the unit and polishing inside as well as out?
or is new plastics the only way?
I notice with my lights on I can see a myriad of little tiny marks on the lens plastic which cannot be removed by exterior polishing and make the lens seem a bit 'foggy'
I know they are not dirt on the inside either as my attempts to wipe them off using a small rag through the light bulb hole was not effective
does the plastic craze up over time?
CAn they be fixed by dismantling the unit and polishing inside as well as out?
or is new plastics the only way?
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- bigpete8
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Probably easier to source some decent replacements from a breaker....
Sunlight Silver 231
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Living with a rotary - 7 Years in
viewtopic.php?p=1105043#p1105043
Pete/Peter him/he/hrh couldn't really care as have 3 siblings and was lucky not to get called by the dogs name.
Living with a rotary - 7 Years in
viewtopic.php?p=1105043#p1105043
- warpc0il
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
If the lights have been "cleaned" with a solvent such as petrol, alcohol or a product that contains a solvent, then they may have micro-cracks that can't be repaired - these sparkle in the sun within the plastic.
However, if it's just surface fogging then there are lost of products out there that will fix this, with little effort.
I had great success with Surf City Garage Ultra-Clear Headlight Restoration Kit, others have used Meguiars headlight restoration kit, and some have reported success with cheap toothpaste.
Search would have found this for you
viewtopic.php?f=137&t=46281&hilit=headlight
However, if it's just surface fogging then there are lost of products out there that will fix this, with little effort.
I had great success with Surf City Garage Ultra-Clear Headlight Restoration Kit, others have used Meguiars headlight restoration kit, and some have reported success with cheap toothpaste.
Search would have found this for you
viewtopic.php?f=137&t=46281&hilit=headlight
- Delanor
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
You can remove most marks in a headlight by using various grades of abrasive from wet n dry paper to an abrasive paste you can use TCut, toothpaste etc but for the best easiest method buy a proper kit with polishing pads to use with an electric polisher or drill as they include a sealer to prevent further damage from ultra violet light.
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Like I said chaps the marks are not on the surface
I can buff it a high shine with compound / scrathc X etc etc
however when lights are on lots of little tiny marks are revealed within the plastic
looks like a pair of good used lamps is the only fix
I can buff it a high shine with compound / scrathc X etc etc
however when lights are on lots of little tiny marks are revealed within the plastic
looks like a pair of good used lamps is the only fix
- warpc0il
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Are you sure it's not condensation inside the lights?
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
its not condense and that drop like stain is always there
I think Dave's daignosis of they have been cleaned with solvent is probably correct
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Yes that looks distinctly like a solvent reaction.
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1st Brilliant Black 190. 2nd Brilliant Black PZ. 3rd Strato Blue 230. 4th Crystal White 40th Anniversary.
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Rotary FX fender grills, Japspeed stainless exhaust, Cosworth Air filter, Kinetix slotted & dimpled discs, EBC Red stuff pads, Ryan Rotary MK11 coils, Magnecor leads, Stainless front & rear grills, HID main beams, LED tail lights, front side lights/front fogs.
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
When we were getting our solar panels installed, one of the guys was telling me about a customer who got fed up with hosing his panels every year to wash the dirt off.
He had the great idea of giving them a good wash, then a polish and seal with the same system that he used on his car, which was one of the top brands, probably Bilt-Hamber, Autoglym, Meguiars, Dodo Juice, or whatever.
Anyway, he was very proud of his efforts but was very disappointed when he discovered that the power output was worse than when they were dirty
His wife suggested that the panels were so shiny that the light was being reflected away, which he thought was a "stupid women" idea, and called out the company to check to see if he'd disturbed any wiring.
They checked the wiring and all was fine, so they did a performance test on a section of a panel, using a calibrated light source, and the efficiency was 30% down.
At this point he told them what he had done and all became clear...
Most high-quality automotive polish/sealers leave a UV resistant layer to protect paintwork from the degradation effects of sunlight.
Solar panels generate power when exposed to visible light and way up into the UV end of the spectrum, which is why they can sometimes generate more power on a lightly cloudy day than with clear skies.
His panels were no longer receiving the UV light as it was being blocked, actually reflected away, much to his wife's satisfaction.
He had to go over the entire nine panels again with a cutting compound to remove the sealant layer.
This got the efficiency back up to normal but the panels were much more prone to getting dirty than before he had started, and the company told him that the panels were no longer covered by the original warranty, as he had damaged them.
Two conclusions from this story;
- the UV protection offered by quality polish/sealants actually works.
- back on topic, it looks like someone may have used an inappropriate "cleaner" on your headlights that's done much more harm than good, even though it sounded like a good idea at the time...
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Generally RX8 headlights do develop the micro cracks as listed above over time, unfortunately the only solution is to replace the plastic lens. Finding a single lens would be problematic I'd guess, so your options are:
- Try and buy a brand new light from Mazda... (Let's all look at Mr Moneybags who does that)
- Try and source a pair of very good used ones
- Restore them as best you can and hope for the best.
The only thing I would say is that the internals are very soft so trying to polish from that side might not end well
- Try and buy a brand new light from Mazda... (Let's all look at Mr Moneybags who does that)
- Try and source a pair of very good used ones
- Restore them as best you can and hope for the best.
The only thing I would say is that the internals are very soft so trying to polish from that side might not end well
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- bigpete8
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
For discolouring I found this to be pretty good.
Yellow Off Headlight Cleaner Wipes
Takes all of about 10 minutes, put it back in foil wrapper and repeat in 6 months....
Yellow Off Headlight Cleaner Wipes
Takes all of about 10 minutes, put it back in foil wrapper and repeat in 6 months....
Sunlight Silver 231
Pete/Peter him/he/hrh couldn't really care as have 3 siblings and was lucky not to get called by the dogs name.
Living with a rotary - 7 Years in
viewtopic.php?p=1105043#p1105043
Pete/Peter him/he/hrh couldn't really care as have 3 siblings and was lucky not to get called by the dogs name.
Living with a rotary - 7 Years in
viewtopic.php?p=1105043#p1105043
- warpc0il
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Re: removing headlight 'fog'
Having got your headlights clean and polished, I wonder how good this stuff would be to stop the dirt sticking again..
RainX have confirmed that their product is NOT safe for polycarbonate headlights or helmet visors.
The IPONE product is designed for visors and scored top-of-the-class in recent tests, so might be worth a try on headlights.
Available from M&P either on their website or ebay store https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263418945914
Anyone fancy doing a trial and review?
Could be one for the Youtube channel
I know some people have tried RainX, which seems to work quite well, until it attacks the surface of the plastic.RainX have confirmed that their product is NOT safe for polycarbonate headlights or helmet visors.
The IPONE product is designed for visors and scored top-of-the-class in recent tests, so might be worth a try on headlights.
Available from M&P either on their website or ebay store https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263418945914
Anyone fancy doing a trial and review?
Could be one for the Youtube channel