Procedure
- Mask a generous border of paint around each light - one sanding slip through your clearcoat turns a 20-dollar job into a repaint.
- Wet-sand at 600 grit until ALL the yellow haze is gone and the lens is uniformly dull. This feels wrong; it's the step everyone chickens out of, and it's why their restore fails.
- Step through 1000, 2000, 3000 wet, each stage erasing the previous scratches, keeping everything soaked.
- Polish to full clarity with plastic polish - by machine in two minutes or by hand in twenty.
- Now the step that makes it permanent: seal against UV. A 2K clearcoat spray is the durable answer; a dedicated lens ceramic sealer is second best. Skipping this means hazing back within months.
- Let the sealant cure fully per its instructions before washing the car.
- While you're there: check the bulbs and adjusters. Restored lenses with fresh bulbs and correct aim feel like a headlight upgrade for lunch money.
Work at your own risk. Torque values and procedures vary by vehicle — always confirm against the factory service manual for your exact model.