Cleaning the inside of the headlight lens, how to

[white74westy]

I bought my H4's from Bus Depot, about 3 or 4 years ago. I just recently got around to installing them...long story, for another thread. I found the haze in mine as well, as soon as I opened the box. I used Invisible Glass, foam spray, glass cleaner. I shot some inside the housing and stuffed paper towels in there. I used a paint stick (the kind you get from Home Depot, to stir your newly bought paint) to gently work the paper towels around the inside of the lenses. I put a lot of cleaner in there, and really took my time. It seems to have worked fine. Hope this helps!

[70Crew]

[quote="vwwestyman"][quote="70Crew"]

[telford dorr]

Find someone with a bell jar and a good two-stage vacuum pump. Put the headlight (without bulb) inside the bell jar and put it under high vacuum for a few hours. Will clean it right up.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Wildthings]

[telford dorr]

The issue is that the contaminants have to be removed from inside the headlight shell, and not just redeposited on some other internal colder surface. Now maybe if you purge the shell with hot dry nitrogen or argon while heating, then straight heating could work.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Gruppe B]

Link


Gowesty put out a how to video on this

[Wildthings]

[nemobuscaptain]

Just got a set of the no name bus depot h4s, the kind with the city driving light.

First, I just wanted to put it in the archives regarding the city driving light that bus depot recommends a 194 or 168 bulb. The bulb itself does not appear to have a model number on it. I'm thinking about replacing it with an LED and using it as a DRL.

Second, I too have a little bit of haziness on one of the h4 headlights. The second one is mostly clean but there's a small spot in one of the corners. I tried to clean it already with both vinegar Windex and ammonia Windex prior to searching the archives wondering if this was a new problem. I hope it does not affect the finish. I still have some stuff in there so maybe I'll go try to soak that you guys recommended.

Third, I wonder if it's actually something related to the glue that they used to glue together the headlight lens to the rest of the bulb. I wasn't really aware that you can take some headlights apart. However, when I was goofing around on YouTube looking at headlights I noticed some folks were baking headlights to take them apart and do things like adding halos or other leds. I wonder if these could be taken apart that way? it could allow for a more thorough cleaning or the addition of LED stuff if that's your thing.
_________________
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Hoover Sermons: https://www.vwsage.com/images/vwsage/Bob%20Hoovers%20Sermons.pdf