The X-Trail Files # 13. Can you clean headlights with metal polish? 

Brasso will actually give a better result than the various kits on the market. We have been doing it for customer cars in the panel shop even since the world was cursed with plastic headlight lenses. We don't mention it when the job comes in and the customers are normally quite amazed when them see the nice clear lights at pickup. We're actually quite amazed when some of them don't ! Incidentally, we also use it to finish paintwork on high end restorations as well. ( Just like the rolls royce factory always used to ) This headlight is a mild case and we have done headlights that are completely yellow to the point where you can't see through them at all and the surface was as rough as an old dry river bed. In these cases you have to start with sand paper . In light cases you can start with 1200 grit wet and dry and then go straight to the brasso. You can also go right down through 1500 and 2000 if you wish but there's no real need to go any further than 1500. On severe cases you start at 600, then 800, then 1200 etc. Use a color sanding block (thin flexible rubber pad from auto body shop goods supplier ) with a quarter sheet of sand paper and just keep wetting it in a bucket of water. Just like rubbing down auto paintwork. Wipe or squeegee the surface as you go and you can easily see ( and actually hear ) when the surface is all smooth. Color of the lens will be consistent grey with no little patches of yellowing or roughness. There's also no need to use any form of buffing machine either. As TK demonstrates, Hand polishing is quite easy. You can buy the UV coating on its own but in fact you can easily and quickly touch them up with brasso when you see them fading a little again. Then when done, go around and use it to make dull tail and blinker lenses like new as well. They won't need sandpaper or anything because the UV doesn't penetrate colored lenses so deeply. Use your imagination and you can use the brasso for many things. Make the interior woodwork on your BMW and such gleam better than new is one. Only thing to remember is that Brasso leaves a residue so you need to remov it for best effect. A damp cloth or even a bare hand and then a cloth can do that. ( specially if you have skin that's a bit oily like me ) Light liquid spray wax works great too and enhanced finish further. So, a good post TK - well figured out. I'm sure many will find it invaluable.

This works great. Took 3 passes on mine. Now crystal clear

I haven't seen Brasso since I joined the Navy back in the 80s. We polished our belt buckles with it. Worked great on your headlights. Didn't need a buffer or drill to buff them out either

Great result and much better than many kits. My only extra suggestion is to mask off the headlight and spray it with a couple of coats of acrylic clearcoat. It will protect the lens from UV and dirt damage much longer than a simply polished lens.

I did my own...perfect! Thank you!

Thanks mate!,..did my own! 10 min each!

Worked a treat. Thanks for the great advice

Nice job going to buy some Brasso and try it on my headlights. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing this

Thanks mate...great tip...

Excellent how to 👏

Omg that was awesome!

I'm about to do mine now. The raised bits I guess are for when you are driving and suspect a head light out. Look at the dimples and you'll see if your bulb is out or not? Possibility

Works great, thankyou.

This has to be the best cheap fix I've seen so far ? ... I never thought of using Brasso on plastic. .... Thanks for that great tip !!

Nice 👍

Thanks ... I'll try

Thanks bro

I used a scratch remover paste. Some say even the crystals from Toothpaste can remove it.

Amazing!!

Its work very good. 💪💪

Thanks😊👍

I use paint buffing compound on lights that I do and then coat them with 2k clearcoat paint. If the top layer is peeling I use 3000grit water paper first and then buffing compound and 2k.

Looks great,how long before they clouded up?

I used cerium oxide with a polishing pads (wet) used for polishing gems...worked a treat...looks like new again

The dirt you talk about is oxidised plastic. Like you say, it's probably due to UV damage.

It all happened to all plastic lamp cover. I love if manufacturer can use back glass cover

This is a big problem with the X-trail, out of all the cars I've had they seem to be the worst for yellowing headlights but apart from that it's a great car.

can be used to polish out fine scratches in perspex

just got an MOT advisory for that, so this vid is pretty useful for me, and I think I've got some Brasso under the sink, so thanks for this.

I've tried toothpaste but it didn't really work so I'm going try this method.

Brasso has been around since 1905 and now its 2021 it is still the best product on the market for cleaning all types of metal and since the automotive industry stopped using Glass Headlights and started using Plastic being made from a Bio Chemical Product it fades quicker and is subject to scratches and by using Brasso there are a few basic steps to follow 1/. Lift your Bonnet or Hood. 2/. Apply Brasso directly on a soft piece of cloth and not directly to the headlight lens and start applying in a light circular motion to cover the whole headlight lens. 3/. Allow the Brasso to dry to a haze around 15 to 20 minutes and then with a clean dry Micro Soft Cloth police off the Brasso haze and Presto you have a headlight lens that looks 100% better than when you started and also Brasso has a sealant that will protect the headlight lens.

Your headlights look exactly like mine do right now, got that yellowish dirty appearance. I've tried WD40 but it didn't do as well as i thought. Will be trying this tomorrow ty.

Love the x trail. 2.2 sve. My only issue has been a loss of power occasionally where dispite having your foot on the accelerator the revs drop. Strangely if i then turn the engine off at the ignition, for literally a second or two and then restart the engine, its fine. I posted a question on honest john about it and he claimed it could be the oil cooler pipe to the turbo?

Wow mantap..

Gak masalah sama mika lampu Mr.🙏

try this on a BAD headlamp like my friends car...ive been working on his lamps for 30 mins and your lamps are still cleaner...i want to see a demo on BAD lamps...

Are they still clear after almost two years?

Are you polish I use to clean my headlights was called mother's aluminum alloy polish cleaner that works too

I believe the headlights have a coating them on which is taken off by car wash pre spray and which then allows them to go the way they do, but i might be wrong ? Anybody know if it’s true ?

can I use autosol? is it the same?

Hi it's not a dirt build up it's the clear caught breaking down and polishing remove the last of it

I bought brasso but it's not the one you have in the video

This did not work for me.

🔗 for the product would be helpful

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