Headlamp cleaning and polishing

[jeremy156]

I wonder if any of you have had any experience in restoring headlamp lenses? Mine are fairly cloudy and old looking (1998 E-class) and I was looking for ideas on how to restore their original looks. I stumbled across this on eBay and wonder if anyone has views. Indeed, has anyone had success with other methods, such as straightforward polishing?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8033586163

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[Shude]

Did you look up the price of new lenses?

 

[Vips]

Not sure about this one. Surely, if the lens was dirty from the outside than you could use any polish to clean the lens. My view is that there is always alot of colouring and gathering of dust from the inside, so no matter how good you wipe on the outside you'll still won't be able to shift the dust, unless you have one where the lens come apart.

Still only my view.

 

[jeremy156]

Shude, I'm petrified to look up the price of new lenses - I can imagine it'll cost a small fortune. Do you have an idea of the price yourself? I hope the fact that the dipped beam is Xenon doesn't have too much bearing on the price of the plastic lens?

Vips, You're probably right, there will be something on the inner surface - in fact there is some fogging sometimes and that's bound to leave its mark.... but I wonder whether a good polish of the outside would at least help the appearance at a glance? At the moment it looks like the poor car has cataracts

 

[Shude]

I think the lenses are about £30 each or something, I could look them up and confirm if required.

I also just spotted these for the 95-98 W210:

Also available for post-facelift models but sadly both for LHD only

 

[jeremy156]

I'm certainly surprised that they could be anywhere near as low as £30.... I'll send you a PM with my details, if you don't mind making a check for what part is needed. Cheers, Schude.

 

[Shude]

I'm certainly surprised that they could be anywhere near as low as £30.... I'll send you a PM with my details, if you don't mind making a check for what part is needed. Cheers, Schude.

I had a look at getting a new lens after mine was destroyed by a rock but ended up replacing the whole lot, but then I'm like that

I can't imagine the W202 lenses are much different in price to W210 lenses.

 

[Shude]

I take it all back!

A2108203966 : LENS XENON : EUR 131.08
A2108204066 : LENS XENON : EUR 131.08

Probably about £100 each, polish it is then!

The W202 headlamp lenses are about £60 each for xenon and £50 each for standard.

 

[jeremy156]

My fears realised!!

Well, I guess it's worth a try with a polish, perhaps this one on eBay - although there will be some muck on the inside, it's the front that gets the stone chips, gritter lorry blast and general muck, so will probably account for most of the visible deterioration. Even if I can take a few years of wear off her, it'll help I think!

 

[Dieselman]

You shouldn't polish the lenses as they are polycarbonate which has an anti UV coating on the outside.

Try giving them a really good clean and a very good waxing, preferrably with a machine buffer.

The lenses can be split from the headlamp bowl.

 

[Shude]

You shouldn't polish the lenses as they are polycarbonate which has an anti UV coating on the outside.

Try giving them a really good clean and a very good waxing, preferrably with a machine buffer.

The lenses can be split from the headlamp bowl.

Ahh, the W210 lenses are polycarbonate then? The W202 ones appear to be glass, the razor-sharp pieces that fell off mine when it cracked seemed to give that impression anyway