How To Clean Inside Of Headlights?

Babyhauler · January 1, 2011

Okay, I finished the polishing the outside of my headlights & drl/ turn signals, but the drl lense haze was not cleaning up. I poked a rag inside and there is a significant haze on the inside of the lense. How do you clean that off?! There is no condensation or dirt inside, just this haze coating the inside. Very similar to the exterior haze I have polished off other vehicles in the past. 02 1500 ecsb.

250motorsportz · January 1, 2011

Open the lens/housings but I always have problems with re-sealing issues. I'd just buy new housings if they're that bad.

frupp · January 1, 2011

You can reseal them, I have successfully, using clear marine silicone sealer. You can get a small tube at a marine supply store such as West Marinie.

iminaquagmire · January 1, 2011

You can bake open the housing at 275 for 10 minutes or so. Pull apart and clean out the groove as best you can of old sealant. Clean the inside of the lense, then put back together with some 3M window-weld (available at NAPA, etc.) in the groove and bake together again. Alternately, you can buy some new headlights as they aren't very expensive for your generation being an older one.

SouthCo · January 1, 2011

Buy new oem ones.

07gregLT1 · January 3, 2011

put water and vinegar and let is slosh around inside the housing for a few minutes, it helps. then rinse it all out and let it dry. this will help a lil bit.

did this to my 98 headlights after i wetsanded and polished the exterior lens.

http://www.1aauto.com/1A/HeadLights/Chevy/Silverado/-/-/1998

Babyhauler · January 3, 2011

Greg,

I thought I remembered about sloshing something around inside the housing. It might be worth a try. I have heard of the baking them apart also.

I may just get new ones from 1aauto after I get Christmas paid for. That will be awhile though, so I guess I will wash one out first, then maybe bake it apart if the vinegar does not work well. Thanks for the tips.

War Eagle!

Babyhauler

07gregLT1 · January 4, 2011

Greg,
I thought I remembered about sloshing something around inside the housing. It might be worth a try. I have heard of the baking them apart also.

I may just get new ones from 1aauto after I get Christmas paid for. That will be awhile though, so I guess I will wash one out first, then maybe bake it apart if the vinegar does not work well. Thanks for the tips.

War Eagle!

Babyhauler

no prob man.

if you cant afford to get new ones right now, i wouldnt try the bake thing til you have the money for new ones, just in case. i'd hate to see you stuck with no housings if you tried it and didnt have good luck.

Zembonez · January 4, 2011

Be careful using anything too caustic on the inside of lights. The "chrome" surfaces can come off. It's a very very thin layer of chrome that is not intended to ever be touched.