Headlight haze

So, you have had your MINI for a while? The headlights are getting a yellow haze on them from the UV outside? There is a fix that's not so bad. 3M has a kit that contains 3 different grit sanding disks as well as a polish. It works!

Take a look. Click the thumbnails to see a larger version.......
This is what both headlights should look like. This is the left after I polished it.

This is the right one before polishing.

Lights on low. Polished first then unpolished.






Mask it to protect the trim ring....


500 Grit sanding removes most of the yellow haze. This will make the lens look frosted. That's ok. Remove ALL the yellow. You want a smooth surface with an even frosted look.


800 Grit sanding removes the scratches the 500 grit made. Still a bit frosted looking.


1300 grit and polishing compound. First you run the 1300 grit disk. Then you wipe off dust. Then polish with the compound. I only took one picture here since they look the same after the 1300 and polish.



Good as new . . . almost



So, it's not that hard to do. Be careful around the edges. Take your time on each step. Keep the sanding disks moving. Swap disks when they get clogged up. More importantly . . .follow the directions that came with your kit. It took me about 30 minutes for each light. I used an "angle drill". Make sure your drill can turn fast enough. My kit called for 1200-1500rmp.

Great results Max.

There's a much easier process, though. I use Novus #2 Fine Scratch Remover and a soft cloth. 5-10 minutes total.

-sub