Help! I've messed up my headlights

[acreech]

When I returned from the continent, and took off my headlight adapters, I found that a load of rubbery gunk was left on the headlights. When I tried to remove this with Jif (as advised by the Mazda dealer) a sort of 'mist' was left on one of the headlights which won't come off. Although this doesn't affect the brightness of the light, it's unsightly. Does anyone know of a specialist polishing product that could remove this

 

[IanDB]

I'd suggest going back to your Mazda dealer, taking him outside to look at the headlight and, while he's bending over, inserting a bottle of Jif where it hurts. It sounds as though you've scratched your lens beyond redemption. There are glass polishes around but it's probably easier (and a lot less effort) to get a new/secondhand replacement. Jif is an abrasive cleaner. You wouldn't use that to clean glass or acrylic any more than you'd use sandpaper to clean your sunglasses.

If you get left a sticky residue on surfaces you can try a variety of non-abrasive cleaners such as white spirit, surgical spirit, meths etc, etc. One of them is bound to work.

 

[securespark]

I suspect the lens is plastic.

Go back to the dealer and tell him you tried his remedy, and it didn't work. Show him the car (deadly serious) and ask him what he is going to do about it. Tell him if you are unhappy with his response, you will take it further with customer services.

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

If after pusuing like the others have suggested (quite right too) but good luck

You may be able to ploish the scratches out with cutting compound, or if it is glass, try someone like autoglass, they can do allsorts with windscreens now, surely they can lend their expertise to headlamp glass???

 

[securespark]

Watch out, watch out - there's a Humphrey about...

And he works at a Mazda dealership.....


I like Ploishing my car, too!!

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Looc, wee awl maik spellin misteaks sumtimze, dougnt taik the pith!

 

[securespark]

moi - prenez la oui-oui......jamais!!

 

[AdamW]

In future, keep the headlight deflectors in your glovebox. The bu**ers are never wearing them when they come over here. And seldom do you see an "F" sticker on a French registered car, I have only seen them on UK cars (presumably French ex-pats)

Cars dip downwards usually now I believe. They do give more light out to the left to light the roadside, but if you get stopped by a gendarme you could pretend you misunderstood some advice about the vertical dipping thing and don your deflectors then.

I would think some isopropyl alcohol should get the gunk off

While I am ranting, why do you see "Ecosse" stickers on Scottish cars? GB is the legal requirement, but if you are proud of your gaelicity why not have the word for "Scotland" but in gaelic? Proud Welshmen don their Cymru stickers, not "Pays de Galle". I can't wait to see the first Cornish separatists with "Kernow" on their cars!

Just reading up on Ireland, apparently the official language of Eire is Gaelic, yet most people can't speak it! Although I suppose the same could be said of English in many parts of England (least of all Albert Square)

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Watch out, watch out - there's a Humphrey about...

Fantastic! just found this...http://www.markmcm2002.verysmooth.co.uk/ads_s-z1.html

Internet, BRILLIANT!

 

[IanDB]

That's made your day hasn't it!!!!!!

 

[Igorian]

When I worked in a lab years ago, we used to restore perspex panel covers by rubbing the panel with very fine wet & dry until the surface was opaque and then give a polish with T-Cut. Sounds drastic, but it worked.

 

[securespark]

Adam

You CAN get stickers with Kernow on....

 

[AdamW]

Ah, brilliant!

I guess that Cornish separatists aren't really that common, and they probably stay in Cornwall hence I haven't see them in Herts/Surrey/London. It is good that there is a Cornish revival going on though, I think it is great that there are people carrying on cultural traditions after hundreds of years of being forced away from speaking the other British languages.

Tis only a matter of time before London separatists decide that the M25 should be dug out as a moat

 

[securespark]

Soon the Romans will be marching once more round Londinium.....

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

Nah, the Romans don't like bent roads!