Restoring Headlights with 3M Kit -EricTheCarGuy
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2014
- I've done other headlight restoration videos, one in fact, but when I tried this kit earlier this year I found it to be the easiest and most effective kit that I've used to date. I chose the kit for the drill but if you don't have a drill you can also get the 'human' operated kit. As you'll see in the video that kit comes with a few extra items. Just be sure to mask off the area before you begin work. If not, you might end up with some scratches on your finish. Otherwise I feel this is something any DIYer can do and get great results from.
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy. 
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I know this video is several years old, but THANK YOU for posting it. I used a 3M restoration kit today and it was a total success. I was initially hesitant to use the kit that requires a drill for fear of ruining my car, but after watching your video, I felt confident I would do fine. My headlight covers are clear and sparkling again!
mine too...amazing results
Great Video - I watched it, went to my garage, opened the 3M kit and did my headlights like a pro with your help. Thanks for the help
Thank you for telling the masses that over sanding, or to high speed, will cause damage to the plastic headlight cover, even crack it, you are the only one to tell people this....good job, thank you again.
This kit works very well, I have used it before. These headlights are cloudier, so I'm watching a video.
Eric, I have found the hand kit works 10 times better if you make a drill sound as you are using it! It makes your neighbors think you have cool tools when you really didn't spend anything extra. Just be ready to act like you're being called in for dinner if you see a neighbor coming over to see what you are doing!!!
I paid and watched a guy massage my headlights with wet/dry sand paper of 800/1500/3000 and finally 5000 grit. He used a soda bottle with a cap and he poked a hole in the cap to dribble water as he hand sanded. Took about 15-20 minutes per side including the polishing step which he used a battery powered drill and some plastic polishing compound. Turned out real nice. About 2 years later they needed it again so I went and bought the materials and D.I.Y. it. 6 months after that I did a neighbors headlights the same way, all by hand. They were impressed especially considering how badly they were oxidized before and the clarity after. Thank You for the video.
I watched this video for 3m restoration headlight drill kit by@EricTheCarGuy. I bought the kit from Amazon. I followed all of Eric’s instructions. YES it works! 2007 Toyota, headlights were bad, now look brand new. Thanks Eric!
Eric, thanks! My wife is really wanting to get her headlight fixed. I'm so glad to have come across your video. Your demonstration had clear instructions, tips, and good camera and video.
Super job.
Hi Eric. I personally used both kits with great success. There really meant for 1 set of headlights, but like you said those headlights are not that bad. The headlights I did were so bad it took me 3 hours. The only tips I can give you is: to also spray your trizack with water, use duck tape on top of the masking tape for better protection, & for everyone else really read the instructions.
From experience, unless your headlights are chewed to hell by debris and have very thick hazing, DO NOT start with the lowest pad, it's like 800 grit I think, and then the kit jumps right up to 3000 grit. The 3000 grit pad works more than fast enough to knock down even reasonably thick yellow hazing and get to the point where some polishing creams will finish up quite nicely. I found that just using Turtle Wax (or your preference) rubbing compound followed by polishing compound produces great results.
As others have said as well, it is critical once finished to put something over the headlights as you're only further stripping down the UV protectant in the headlights by doing this. I recommend a good quality acrylic clear coat that specifically contains a high content of UV protection in it. After the clear coat has fully cured (cure faster simply by running your headlights for a while - even in the day time), I'd further recommend putting on a quality wax or using something like 303 Aerospace Protectant as others mentioned.
I just did this on my '02 Forester, and they look almost like new (there are some small cracks in the lenses, apparently inside the lens), those remain.
Kathryn Fortunato I used 2000 wet paper on a sanding sponge until the worst of the oxidized scum was removed and followed up with a mild rubbing compound on an orange polishing pad (like in this kit).. The compound used on step 1 was rated at 1500, step 2 was diminishing at 2000 to 3500; these products I use on the paint and the lights came out looking great.
I know that Turtle Wax has a special product for headlights and their headlight kit also has a sealant in it to protect your work. Thanks for posting your comments above.
Thanks Eric - ive had this kit for a while and was reluctant to actually begin for fear of messing this up. your video was light years better than the included instructions. cant wait to get started.
Great video. Thank you for the information. We used 3M Headlight Restoration System 3900, and they came out fantastic!
used this same restoration kit after watching this video. I was very impressed with the end result. Thanks for the review.
I know there are several options out there, but yesterday a friend of mine saw my headlights and got me out of my missery; he gave me a 3M kit, not the one to use with a drill, but the one you apply with your hands. It comes with 1000, 3000, and 5000 grit discs, but he added an additional 800-grit disc and that very disk is the one that did the trick. My headlights look factory new. Great video. Thanks.
Just used the current 3M kit. It has 6x500 grit sanding discs, 4x800 grit sanding discs, 1 3000 grit sanding pad, a sanding attachment for a drill, and 2 clear coat packets. Procedure is pretty much as Eric demonstrates, start with the coarse disc and work your way up to the sanding pad. Instructions are good, and there's also a how-to video on the 3M site. Anyway, it took less than an hour and turned-out pretty nice, if I do say so myself, although my lenses were not very bad.
Thanks just noticed the rubbing compound and pad were missing.
Great demo! I bought this kit and got stellar results! I also bought the 3M UV Sealer. Thanks for the video!
The 3M kit worked very well for the Headlights on my 96 Exploder. They were in bad enough shape to have tossed into the trash. This kit brought them back to about 95% of original. It's been about eight months since, and they still look great.
I use ReNuLite at my shop which has A LOT more steps than the 3M kit... I really want the trisac wet sanding disc from the 3M kit to add to my procedures.. The thing I really like about the ReNuLite kit is that it comes with a clear coat paint, which takes some experience to get right, but I saw my first headlight restoration about a week ago(which I did over a year ago) & it's still as clear as the day I did it. The kit cost my shop $300 & some change at our cost. But it came with the pneumatic tools for sanding & buffing. I've done well over 30 since & all of my customers are more than happy that they can now see a lot better when they're driving at night. Great video as always Eric!
Brian Fowler
Ah! Now this is a great DIY! Used same kit and many other methods before this 3m kit and the 3m kit is still working its magic 2 years later!
Thanks Eric,
I like your videos, they have come in handy especially since you do a lot of Hondas ( my mother has an Accord).
As for MY headlight treatment, I use a paper towel and a squirt of Windex and the "glass" headlights on my 69 corvette just shine every time.
I was skeptical going in. You can’t tell how good the results are in the video. So glad I bought this stuff.
This stuff really works! Thanks for sharing Eric.
Here's a tidbit of information if you read your comments... I used what you suggested in your video on a 2006 Dodge Charger. After I was done I was blown away by how new the headlight lenses looked. I would have give you a sincere shout out for how you presented the procedure to do the headlamps Shields and I found what you told me to be very successful. I appreciate your experience and your knowledge, I did not have that before I did the project. If you want to see the results I can email them to you. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing what you come out with in the future and I'll pay very close attention to what I can use in my own efforts.
Great video. I used the 3M kit on a Ford Windstar several years ago. It works great and like you said, it doesn't take that long. Thanks for convincing me to use the 3M again to the lenses on my wife's car.
Awesome demo EricTheCarGuy! This is something I have to get soon for my car. Thanks
Another great video Eric. It's also a good idea to spread the polishing compound over the entire surface before starting drill. This will prevent compound from flinging off the pad.
Thanks Eric. Great tutorial and super product. I have zero talent for this type of thing but you made it easy for me. Great tips!! Worked like a charm.
You can get 3M cutting compound at your local auto store for $8 a bottle which should work fine for light to moderate haze. If its really bad, you can simply do a couple of passes with it. Also, Magueirs Aluminum polish works very, very well for about $6.
This is an older video, and for just a little more time put in, you should be able to get super-clear finish. Step everyone skips is putting a 2K UV coat on afterwards. You can use cheaper 1K, however it rarely lasts a year. No UV coating and you'll be back doing this in 6-7 months.
great video .. I work at Pepboys and I'm the go to guy for headlight restorations , I use the same 3m kit you used in this video but now they have one with a protectant wax that you apply right after the rubbing compound . it will last longer than 1 yr with it
Thanks so much for this video. I snagged the kit but I got about 15% into the process and just wanted some positive reinforcement and you provided that. Thank you sir and Happy New Year! /subbed
Thanks for this video!! My headlight broke and the only one I could find at a reasonable price was frosted.. this helped a lot!!
Used this kit with amazing results. Great video
Great video. I thought it would be more complicated and not look so good until you explained it so well. And thanks for the other comments. I'm on my way to get some sealant now,
My wife's work-truck has clouded-up headlights (2008 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel) and she was like, "what can we do about this?" And I thought to myself, "Self," I said, "Didn't you watch a video by Eric The Car Guy a few years back about this very problem?" So I came to the channel and searched -- found this video right away! Just ordered that 3M drill-powered kit -- because I'm lazy and don't want to do it by hand. ;-) . I know what I'll be doing this weekend. Thanks!
Thanks man. Your recommendation means a lot!
This thing actually works, great product 👍
Outstanding explanation for using these kits! Awesome!!
Guess what I used this kit for and it worked great? Repairing a scratched plastic projector lens! Thanks for the excellent tutorial.
Just did my headlights.... They look pretty good. Thank you for the video, it was VERY helpful!!
Thanks for your demonstration very clear and concise and thanks for not talking 100 miles an hour😉
Thank you sir 👊 attempting this today for the first time. It's always much less scary after watching you do it 😅
Had already bought the drill kit and was looking for better instructions than the paper one they include. I was so glad to see you had used the same product so I knew for sure what I was doing before I went messing things up and having to buy new lenses (cuz I don't have that kind of cash lol) thanks for the video, very helpful eric, as always.
Great information delivered in a clear, systematic and relaxed manner. Affable, easy going guy!
tried the 3m product for the headlights found it at Ross's for 12.99
worked great followed you video recommendations!
Done mine today after watching your video, was a great help. They came up OK for 18 year old lights.
I enjoy watching your videos your very detailed, funny, and down to earth thankyou.
Plastic for headlights should have been banned by the HIghway Safety Admin. It always ends up reducing visibility and causes accidents. Glass never fades or oxidizes.
The reason they use plastic is cause if it brakes its big parts not shatters and plastic is cheaper to make for the companys and if they only sold glass ones im sure u cant change the bulb in them cause most got gasses inside i think
Headlights do NOT cause accidents, what a ridiculous comment LMFAO...
RS1 QUOTE: ‘It always ends up reducing visibility and CAUSES ACCIDENTS’...that’s exactly what the OP said..
@RS1 Uhhh...he said the 'reduced visibility' of the plastic headlights 'CAUSES ACCIDENTS' I'm not sure how you can dispute that, you seem to be having trouble connecting the 2 parts of his second sentence lol...
Okay..every part of a car breaks down over time, including headlights- that's why you have to do MAINTENANCE- that includes the headlights..If you let your headlights get so badly oxidised to the point your visibility is dangerously reduced, that's called NEGLECT...the accident would be the driver's (your) fault, not the headlights lol...
Eric is the best around .....I have watched alot of his videos and found them very useful ....good talk through videos ....
He takes his time to explain in depth why ..where ....what ......
Hey Eric keep up the good work ......
London UK ....
how do you know there not yellow still with yellow glasses on
LOL
😂😂😂
Very good point! Lol.
😂
Old post, but humor is timeless...Good one.
This video gave me the confidence to do it myself! Awesome! LOVED IT!
I've used this kit a couple times on my vehicles and have had complete success with it. Today i even used it on one of my old mototcycle helmets face shield. It did a great job on it. It's kind of scary sanding the plastic, after you sand on it and look at what you have just done to the plastic, you think it will never clear up. But if you follow the instructions very carefully it will turn out clear as new.
This is the best drill I ever owned lol. Its 2022 I have the same one, and upgraded battery now, but it is still just as good as the day I got it. Never replaced any brushes or anything. great drill.
I haven't used any kits other than Mother's™, but this helps broaden the horizons for me. I liked their kit initially because everything leading up to the final polish was wet sanding. It seems to get a pretty good sheen on things right off the bat without taking as much material off as the 3M™ appears to. The kit is manual labor until you get to the polish which does have it's drawbacks, but it's more manageable in tight areas and you can focus on the more affected places of the lenses. This is just my observation and everyone has their preferences, but I may give 3M™ a try as well as Meguires™ and a couple others.
This is definitely an eye opener for me and I appreciate your insight and review.
Great job sir and keep those videos coming!
I like Eric The Car Guy because he keeps it simple and real.
Great step by step here. Really helped for me to see it done first! Definitely subscribing.
Hey Eric. I've had really good luck wet sanding headlights with 400-600-800 grit and then applying clear coat. The clear coat makes them last for years as opposed to the months you get from the repair kits. Spray-Max makes a 2k urethane in a rattle can (there is a special system in the can to puncture an internal seal and combine the urethane and hardener) that would be ideal for this. Personally I use a regular clear coat and a cheap harbor freight detail sprayer with my compressor.
Good product. I made a video about this drill kit 1 year ago and it works great, still looks new. I wax the lens 3 times/yr along with the whole car.
I am doing my headlghts while watching this video, this 3m kit is Amazing!!
Hey Eric (TheCarGuy), I've seen a bit of headlight restoration videos and most, if not all, do not make a "permanent" fix. I would think it would be cool if you try out what i do. Using 200 grit wet sanding (with your hand or machine) and finish with a horizontal sanding. That would be to help paint from running. Next would be to not only mask off the area around the headlight to prevent damage from sanding but also rip open a few trash bags to catch overspray. I've been using "Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2x" it claims its UV resistant and bonds to plastic. Two coats at first, then i wait a week for the paint to harden well to lightly sand down all the small bumps and only use one coat. The paint on that coat a week later tends to smoothen itself very well and you don't have to polish.
First time i tried it was on a Volvo S60 i had about 4+ years ago. I got rid of it about a year and a half but they still looked perfect. I also did that on my mom's 2005 CTS and sisters 2006 Altima, but on the Altima i got a bit lazy and didn't sand down/off all factory coat perfectly and noticed a slight brown haze where i didn't a year later, along with paint peeling off in the middle of that area el oh el. Also did that on a few friends cars (didn't mess them up though).
Thanks!!
Thank you for your video. You're very good at explaining what to do. My husband is now going to clean my headlight. Thank you again.
Than no toy so much car guy. It took the fear out of me to do this job. Your the best
Thanks for the tutorial Eric!
I love the 3M kit great product and my old look, looks nothing close to how they look now, thanks for the assist.
Those are the best kits. I love the power drill one.
Thanks for doing this video, I was hugely nervous about it and when I got to the last stage I was still nervous. Suddenly it all became clear 😊
I couldn't get rid of the foggy effect created by sanding - and got really worried - but after two passes with the buffing pad and a cutting compound, using both damp and dry methods my worries were gone and the headlight came up a treat. So good that I didn't use another clear coat or similar just some headlight restorer and sealer and they look very nice!
The 3M kit is great but it should really come with 1000 and 2000 as well. In my experience the 3000 Trizac disc cannot handle the imperfections left behind from 800. I bought regular sheets of 1000/2000 wet sanding paper and use it by hand in between 800 & 3000. Polish with Meg's PlastX and seal with Opti-coat! Best method.
I think I already have that sand paper, great point!
3M have spent big bucks on research for producing this kit, And god knows how many hours testing,The kit is meant for heavy to medium oxidation, The range of grit sizes are perfect along with the trizact p3000, I would strongly recommend this product to anyone to restore there headlights back to full clarity and shine, 🤔😃👍
Eric! Haven't watched your videos lately buy I dig the new haircut!
At my shop we have what I would call the "ultimate 3m kit". Its got 5 levels of the sanding disks and comes with an air powered DA rotary tool to prevent the melted plastic you talk about. Then there's the buffing gun whish is also an air powered DA buffer (don't know the difference between the two, maybe speed or orbital action). The polishing uses two cutting pads with two different compounds.
I haven't seen your drill job up close but on video, looks the same as our lengthy process! Maybe we're wasting our time! Anyway, only thing to add is that we spray the lenses with soapy water to wet sand every step of the way, I think it leads to a cleaner cut, but based on your video, the step before the polishing pad seems to clean up everything prior so who knows!
I been using mothers mag and aluminum polish for years before kids where available and it works great for this. Also after polishing you may wanna put some plastic protecting running compound to help the plastic stay looking nice
I use the 3M drill kit where I work and they come out looking brand new!
This kit did very well for a BMW E90 front lens cover that was looking yellow and tired. However, a word of caution - I attempted the first time with a cordless drill that was not up to the task (600rpm only) and it did not have the desired effect. Luckily, I did not give up and went back at it with the same gear and a drill that was far more capable (1600rpm) and things turned out exactly as they did for this guy. So be sure to have a drill that can let the kit really do its thing.
Saw the drill attachment kit by the register at my local O'Reilly's (they are awesome btw) and that brought me here as I've been meaning to do this with a self-made kit, but the drill arbor attachment is almost too good to pass up. Just wanted to add that a good follow up after polishing is a few coats of high gloss rustoleum clearcoat to protect the plastic from future damage.
Harbor freight sells that 3m drill powered one. You can use a 20% off coupon too. It does work pretty good. Great video! I've used it before.
I used 700rpm drill with the kit. I thought this wasn't going to be powerful enough, as the instructions suggest using a drill up to 1500rpm. However, to my pleasant suprise, i used it and it removed the glaze. All of it! So, who's in doubt, try it. You barely need to put any pressure on the drill. I was afraid it'd overheat, scratch the headlight. Nope. If you're using the rechargeable hand drill, make sure the battery is all the way full. Today, i will be doing the headlight for the 2nd time. There are so scratches (not caused by the restorating) and i wanna see if i can get them out. *thumbs up*
When buying the 3M kit, bear in mind, that it doesn't come with the UV protective paste/cream/wax. So, for that, you would need to buy it seperatedly or purchase the turtle wax head light kit.
Followed the steps today. My headlight looks amazing.
Sure glad I found your demo. The 3M 39045 kit, the one with the protectant, is available at Amazon; it is labeled as "3M 39045 Headlight Renewal Kit with Protectant". Now, I need to get a drill, too.
Willy thehero did you ever get a drill? Update please
Thanks. Just finished and it came out great (not 100% perfect. Maybe the 1000 and 2000 mentioned below should be used before the Trizac). I did use the entire contents of the kit for one car. Had 2 of the coarsest discs left. It was easier for me to smear the rubbing compound on the lens rather than the pad. I had splotches of some baked on previous spray treatment (I did just one side and saw how bad it was) that I had to scrape off with a razor blade. Now I'm debating whether to spray on the McGuires overcoat - - wondering if that's what was there before...
Hi Eric, thanks for all the videos, very helpful. Quick question, I have heard that after using the 3m headlight restor kit, that you should coat the lens with something? Any opinion on that, and if yes, what do u coat it with? Thanks again
Good video... you will use fewer sanding pads if you take an air hose and blow off the debris after a couple of passes. Definitely use the slow speeds that Eric recommends!
Thank you for your help. It was GREAT thanks
Glad to see someone on youtube using eye protection while sanding/grinding. Most are sure to wear gloves, but rarely is eye safety considered
I used the 3M kit using my drill to sand oxidized headlamps for a 2003 Lexus ES300. The drill really is much faster than by hand. I did not think it was going to work, but then after using all the sandpaper grades following the directions, I sprayed the headlamps with three coats of a marine clearcoat. They turned out to look spectacular. The next 6-12 months will show how durable the clearcoat is. I would do it again if needed.
Good content, Eric! I have used the 3M kit. I had good results.💯
That actually seams really cool, looks like the same effect as using normal car polish. (Thats what I did to my 2005 Focus)
The 3M kit is the best for really oxidized headlights. Quickly removes the oxidized layer with the different grit level sandpapers and buffs it smooth. I've tried the TurtleWax brand that is done by hand and was not impressed. Barely did anything. Only thing about the 3M kit is you should use some sort of sealant on the outside to protect the headlight fro further oxidation. I've done a few of the family cars and you can see some of the oxidation coming back after a few years.
i still use that drill attachment for buffing got the meguiars buffing pads works great
I wonder, as I started digging into the subject, many pro recommend treating headlights with special sealant after polishing that will prevent quicker oxidation as the pores of the plastic are now open. Headlights from factory come with protective film too that makes them last longer.
No sealant? Some kits I've seen and used have a sealant that helps prevent the hazing again. I heard that tire can used as a last step. I would also like to see the headlight after 2-3 months. Mine always haze back up.
Thank you for this video. Just a question though, after the polishing compound, would you advise a further step as to protect the lens like a protective coating? thanks again.
I restored the headlights on my wife's 2000 Honda insight using this kit and had excellent results. If did not work well on my old Bimmer, but I think the hazing on its lenses are very deep. I'll need to replace the plastic lenses on that car.
the extra discs makes up for the hand speed!! the extra gir not needed for the machine. machines can add scratches also !! there r also UV protectors used as a final step!
great video!
Do you think a Polishing compound or a Buff would add more shine? Also a sealer or a clear coat paint afterward??
When I worked for Advance Auto, I did my uncle's headlights and taillights in the store parking lot with that kit. Almost 4 years later, they still look pretty good, not perfect, but still pretty good.
Used this kit myself and it worked great,but I noticed that the oxidation came back quicker,I think some lenses may have a coating that gets removed the restoration process, so you may want to consider adding a final coat of a spray sealant or other type to make the repair last longer.
i really like your videos Thanks for all of your efforts
I use an orbital buffer and rubbing compound. Super fast and the results are worth the effort.
I found that the shank of the tool is the same as a die grinder. I used the wool pad with 2000 grit sand paper and a polishing compound makes it look like brand new.
Thanks for the Video! I needed this!!!
Really liked the steps- Thanks! Surprised to find that the newest (Oct. 2023) 3M kit no longer comes with the rubbing compound and pad. Maybe I'll try and use some manually to help.
Hi Eric. Your video was helpful. My headlights look like new.
lol "All better :D" made me chuckle a bit. also, great tutorial thanks, i will be trying this kit in 10 minutes