MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: Tuffy on January 01, 2017, 08:09:48 pm

Title: Crazed headlights
Post by: Tuffy on January 01, 2017, 08:09:48 pm
Hi guys. My last two Mk5 Gti'S have suffered from cloudy headlights which I've successfully polished clear. However my Edition 30 is suffering from 'crazed' headlights... looks likes hundreds of tiny hairline cracks all over the headlights, I attempted to polished in the way I did the others with my rotary and cutting compound and it seems to have made it worse... Anyone else had this problem and managed to rectify??
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: suave on January 01, 2017, 10:00:49 pm
Pics would help but I'd say you need to wet and dry them and then machine polish with Plastix or similar compound.
Good luck
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: AJP on January 01, 2017, 10:04:55 pm
There's a kit for this made by 3M.
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: ducman77 on January 03, 2017, 02:02:10 pm
I have the same problem. Crazed headlights,both lenses. They definitely look like hundreds of little tiny cracks. Look to be actual imperfections in the plastic beyond just the surface like you would have with simple hazing. I don't think polishing will take them out?

Would be delighted to be corrected though if anyone has successfully managed to fix this issue?
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: Dan_FR on January 03, 2017, 02:18:26 pm
Same on my Leon.... polishing makes them worse - they will not come out..... Doesn't look too bad in the daylight but at night with the headlights on.......... They had to go

I replaced them with new/aftermarket headlights. So glad I did  :smiley:
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: xjay1337 on January 03, 2017, 02:44:11 pm
Depends how bad they are as to whether they will come out or not.

I did a friends E90 BMW recently.

One side came out. The other side was improved but you could still see the crazing to a point.
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: ducman77 on January 03, 2017, 07:27:34 pm
Same on my Leon.... polishing makes them worse - they will not come out..... Doesn't look too bad in the daylight but at night with the headlights on.......... They had to go

I replaced them with new/aftermarket headlights. So glad I did  :smiley:

I'm in exactly the same boat. They look ok in daylight and pants at night. Might have to bite the bullet and replace them :sad1:
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: Tuffy on January 04, 2017, 07:31:54 pm
Same on my Leon.... polishing makes them worse - they will not come out..... Doesn't look too bad in the daylight but at night with the headlights on.......... They had to go

I replaced them with new/aftermarket headlights. So glad I did  :smiley:

Polishing has made mine worse too.... can't make out why??? Possibly the heat generated by the polisher??
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: AliGTI on January 04, 2017, 11:40:17 pm
Hi guys. I had the same thing but noticed while wet sanding when the lense was wet it seemed to stay clear. I took the plunge, masked them up and lacquered them. It's made a good difference but not perfect.
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: Tuffy on January 05, 2017, 07:05:36 am
I have bought some 1500 grit and 2500 to finish.... going to give it a go!!
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: xjay1337 on January 05, 2017, 09:55:26 am
I have bought some 1500 grit and 2500 to finish.... going to give it a go!!

You'll need a lot more harsh than that.

I go 400-600-800-1000-1500-2000-2500/3000 and then 2 or 3 stages of compounding and polishing.
Title: Re: Crazed headlights
Post by: Dan_FR on January 05, 2017, 11:12:54 am
One thing I didn't try was lacquer, but polishing and wet sanding didn't get rid. Wet sand improved it slightly temporarily but it rapidly degraded and ended up worse than when I started within a few months.