2003 Tiburon Headlights are glazed / dull

Discussion in 'Hyundai Coupe / Tiburon' started by DaToteman, Jan 18, 2007.

  1. DaToteman

    DaToteman Guest

    I have a question for everyone how can I remove / clean the glazing on my
    2003 Tiburon Headlights?
     
    DaToteman, Jan 18, 2007
    #1
  2. DaToteman

    Mike Marlow Guest

    Takes some polishing compound or swirl mark remover and buff the shields
    with it. You can do it by hand just fine. Should not take more than 5
    minutes per light. Use a good amount of elbow grease.
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 18, 2007
    #2
  3. If they're really bad, you may have to wet sand them with really fine
    grit paper before polishing them. There are instructions for doing this
    on the Elantra Club website.
     
    Brian Nystrom, Jan 19, 2007
    #3
  4. DaToteman

    Mike Marlow Guest

    These lens covers must be really, really soft then, if you have to wet sand
    them. I've never had to use anything more aggressive than compounds to
    polish up lens covers, but I've never tried an Elantra lens cover.
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 19, 2007
    #4
  5. I don't know the specifics of his situation, but I've seen some examples
    online that were so badly scratched and yellowed that compounding them
    wasn't enough. Unless one drives in really harsh conditions, it would
    probably take many years for that to happen, but I tossed it out there
    as an option, just in case. The point is that even really bad lenses can
    be restored back to near-new clarity.
     
    Brian Nystrom, Jan 19, 2007
    #5
  6. DaToteman

    ']['unez Guest

    Mothers makes a polishing compound that works really well with thier
    powerball ( fits in a drill ) I have used this 3 times now on my wifes car
    and 2 friends cars and it works quite well. you can should be able to find
    the stuff at an auto parts store.

    ']['unez
     
    ']['unez, Jan 19, 2007
    #6
  7. DaToteman

    Wayne Moses Guest

    Reply to message from Brian Nystrom <> (Fri, 19
    Jan 2007 08:16:04) about "Re: 2003 Tiburon Headlights are glazed / dull":

    BN> I don't know the specifics of his situation, but I've seen some
    BN> examples online that were so badly scratched and yellowed that
    BN> compounding them wasn't enough.

    My 96 Grand Caravan had yellowed lenses that were such a PlTA to polish
    (wet or dry) that I opted to buy new AM headlamps on eBay.

    The headlamp covers on the modern Hyundais are Lexan (I have keen told) and
    that is supposed to be pretty tough but not necessarily hard. So if they
    somehow got clouded bringing them back will not be easy. Wet sanding as you
    described is probably the best bet to get clarity and sheen.

    Best Regards
    Wayne Moses <> Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:48:03 -0600

    === Posted with Qusnetsoft NewsReader 3.3
     
    Wayne Moses, Jan 20, 2007
    #7
  8. DaToteman

    Mike Marlow Guest

    My 96 Grand Caravan had yellowed lenses that were such a PlTA to polish
    (wet or dry) that I opted to buy new AM headlamps on eBay.

    The headlamp covers on the modern Hyundais are Lexan (I have keen told) and
    that is supposed to be pretty tough but not necessarily hard. So if they
    somehow got clouded bringing them back will not be easy. Wet sanding as you
    described is probably the best bet to get clarity and sheen.

    **********

    Wet sanding will require buffing afterwards though Wayne. It will leave
    scratches that will not give you the clarity and sheen. I'd stick with
    just the rubbing compound, but if the going is slow, use a good buffer. The
    kind a body shop uses, not the kind most folks might have for buffing their
    hardwood floors, etc. Those can actually work ok for polishing the finish
    on a car, but for taking down scratches, etc. you really want a higher
    speed, more robust buffer. The caution with those is that they can burn
    through paint in a heartbeat, so the user has to be careful when using them.
    Don't let the bonnet touch the surrounding clearcoat. You'd be surprised at
    how quickly those things will take an edge right down to bare metal. That's
    why I originally suggest lots of elbow grease to the OP.
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 20, 2007
    #8
  9. DaToteman

    Mike Marlow Guest

    I wondered about those power balls - especially for use on wheels. It
    stands up well to being pinched in the tight spots in the wheels?
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 20, 2007
    #9
  10. DaToteman

    ']['unez Guest

    Mike, It works GREAT on wheels I have custom wheels on my 2005 XG350L and
    thats what I originally bought it for.... I was watching " Car Crazy " on
    the Speed channel one night and they used the same polish along with the
    same power ball on the lexan headlight covers, so I tried it on my wifes car
    and WOW was I surprised....my wifes wasnt really from glazing it was more
    like sandblasting ( we live in Las Vegas ) mosting from blowing sand. I know
    wetsanding and buffing is proabley cheaper but for the Powerball ( $19.95 )
    and the Polish ( $6.95 ) it sure does save alot of mess and elbow grease and
    you can use it more than once.

    ']['unez
     
    ']['unez, Jan 20, 2007
    #10
  11. You have to keep in mind that heat will soften the plastic and make it
    harder to polish, or even cause it to melt and smear. I would avoid
    high-speed polishing for that reason. Doing it by hand as you originally
    suggested is a fair amount of work, but it's the safer way to go.
     
    Brian Nystrom, Jan 20, 2007
    #11
  12. DaToteman

    Mike Marlow Guest

    You might think so, but I use my buffer on headlight covers all the time. I
    know how to use a buffer as I paint a lot, so I generally don't build up a
    lot of heat in any area. I'm lazy enough that the buffer makes an
    attractive option for me. I can do two headlights in a minute or two - less
    time than it takes to get the compound out of the cupboard.
     
    Mike Marlow, Jan 21, 2007
    #12
  13. DaToteman

    DaToteman Guest

    Thanks for all of the suggestions and help! I will have to try cleaning the
    lenses when I get some free time.
     
    DaToteman, Jan 21, 2007
    #13
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