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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:58 am Post subject: Headlight cleaning technique - all sparkly clear again! |
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So the Syncro's headlights were milky fogged on the inside. Both lense and reflector. One needed to come out yesterday for install of a new German antenna (love how it properly retracts all the way).
My lights were fogged so they looked about half as obscured as if you had wax paper behind them. Pretty bad.
I laid them on the kitchen counter (good thing my wife is out of town), filled them with NAPA 8100 Glass Cleaner with ammonia (this is a wet foamy spray) and jiggled them around for about 60 seconds. So theyre full of a heavy foam. Be sure to flip them so you also are agitating the reflector side as fog there reduces output the same as the lense.
Then let them sit face down on the counter for about 5 minutes. Then filled them with warm water, flipped and drained and repeated this 2X. Be sure to agitate them in a circular motion as they drain out the bulb holes - otherwise I noticed bubbles sit on the lense and I don't know if they're holding soap. The motion sweeps these off.
Then put them on a heater vent. I've also taped a blow drier to a chair and warmed them if its summer and no heater when doing this on other cars.
Mine are now absolutely crystal clear again and sitting on the heater vents. Now off to the hardware store to get some washers and fasteners to replace the old plastic adjusters and such.
DougM _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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joseph928 Samba Member
Joined: September 22, 2011 Posts: 2114 Location: flagstaff az.
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:35 pm Post subject: lights |
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Great idea, thanks! _________________ 1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof , GW2.3, rear locker, decoupler, Gary Lee tire rack & winch mount, lift, south african grill, big brakes , rhein alloy ,15 BFG AT, Fiamma 10 foot awning ,140 watt rear 85 watt front solar , mppt, truckfridge, automatic fire extinguishing system, tencent oil cooler, And a RMW SS exhaust! - 1971 bug convertible 1776 engine- 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley 95 CI, big bore, Andrews cams . Also 80-84- vans. Stock 65 sunroof bug. |
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westyman71 Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2004 Posts: 170
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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I had an 88 Cabriolet that the high beams were all cloudy on the inside glass. I did the old bartender trick of cleaning coffee pots. Ice cubes and table salt. Swish them around for a minute or so. Dumped it out, rinsed, and let it drip dry. They came out like new. Guess this could work too. |
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WestyBob Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004 Posts: 2346 Location: Portland, Oregon
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:43 pm Post subject: Re: Headlight cleaning technique - all sparkly clear again! |
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IdahoDoug wrote: |
Then put them on a heater vent. I've also taped a blow drier to a chair and warmed them if its summer and no heater when doing this on other cars. |
Many past threads about this. I use the same technique except just used tap water and that worked well. In winter, heated over a grate. In summer, let the sun evaporate. Main thing ... be sure all the water is gone ... even a small drop left will eventually cause fogging and potential reflector rust. |
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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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Careful with salt water and ultra thin metal plating. I wouldn't want any residue left in a delicate light assembly. Some lights are all glass on the inside and this would be less of an issue, but the Vanagon lights are a thin metal coating on the reflector.
Can't wait to get these mounted. Watched a movie while starting the process of replacing the aiming and mounting bolts on the headlamp. Will finish tomorrow.
DougM _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12008 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:03 am Post subject: |
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Alcohol works great. |
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cruz99 Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2012 Posts: 6 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:09 am Post subject: |
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syncrodoka wrote: |
Alcohol works great. |
I agree. After the 8th beer you forget you have fogged up lights |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12008 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:14 am Post subject: |
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Beer has alcohol?
Straight alcohol, not the drunking kind. |
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RBEmerson Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2011 Posts: 2108 Location: SE PA
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:28 am Post subject: |
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syncrodoka wrote: |
Alcohol works great. |
What he said! I used 97% pure isopropyl alcohol (see your friendly neighborhood pharmacy) to lift the film out of the lights. Fill, swish, let stand for an hour or two, swish, empty, and dry with a hair dryer. Do not use rubbing alcohol (added oils and scents leave a film) and avoid 70% alcohol (the 30% water can leave streaks and spots).
Keep in mind the reflector coatings are fragile, and the supporting mask structures probably aren't coated to avoid rust problems. Stay away from salt (corrosion) and ice (rust). _________________ Lord, give me coffee to change the things I can change, and wine to accept the things I can't change. |
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GMByers Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2008 Posts: 642 Location: Retired in NW PA
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Otmar Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 71 Location: Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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I just did my high beam only by swishing around 91% alcohol. I did one initially so you can see the change in the picture (clean on the right of course). The main lights are E-code that were new 12 years and 120K miles ago and so did not need cleaning but the high beams had looked fogged for a long time from the first 120K miles before I had them. The 91% alcohol helped a lot, but still not quite as clean as the "new" ones. I think all the pits on the outside of the glass affect it some. I added headlight covers when I got the new lights so the new ones were protected.
_________________ -Otmar
Tesfalia: https://twitter.com/tesfalia
The '87 Westie for the mean time,
& Dad's old 1965 Transporter. |
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IdahoDoug Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010 Posts: 10251 Location: N. Idaho
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Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Amazing. Changed the look of my Van with sparkly* lights instead of dull rectangles.
DougM
*sparkly is a technical term denoting advanced concepts in prismatic lense lighting. Void where prohibited, taxed, or otherwise regulated. Not available in all areas. Results may vary based on user's location, weather, vehicle loading, and driving habits. _________________ 1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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Luckyphil Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2011 Posts: 156 Location: Australia
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Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Down under we dont use any fancy product just some cheesecloth swirled around inside the light and comes up great
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