S2000 Wash and Wax S2000 Wash and wax discussions, hints and tips.

Clear coat on headlights coming off

Thread Tools
 
Old 08-05-2005, 03:07 PM
  #11  

 
SheDrivesIt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Land of Cincinnati Chili
Posts: 9,901
Received 241 Likes on 180 Posts
Default

Did the dealer maybe put on some "poly-razzmatazz" prior to final delivery and put it on the headlights too?
Old 08-05-2005, 04:06 PM
  #12  
Registered User
 
dozen5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 627
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

it should be clean of residue considering it's new. you mentioned it was straight off the truck. maybe it's the residue left behind from the protective (white, i believe) film, like when you try to peel a sticker off and it comes out all focked up. good luck.
Old 08-06-2005, 04:33 AM
  #13  
Former Moderator

 
Ubetit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Columbus
Posts: 10,796
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

If you are under warranty, I would take it back and have them replaced.

If not under warranty, I'd try the usual things like adhesive remover. If that doesn't work, i'd use a plastic or paint polish. Maybe even on a machine like a PC with a 4" pad
Old 08-06-2005, 05:52 AM
  #14  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
usace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: columbia, sc
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

It isn't any kind of left over residue from the protective film. I keep this car really clean, and would have noticed if there was residue, sticky or otherwise, over the lense. Especially after owning it and cleaning it for 2 years.

I'm headed to the dealership at some point today to see what they say about it.

Thanks for the input everyone.
Old 08-06-2005, 11:41 AM
  #15  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
usace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: columbia, sc
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Just got back from the dealership. The girl in the service dept. was very nice and called over one of the techs to look at it. He looked at it and felt the area a little. Then ran his fingernail over it to see if it would flake off. It of course didn't. He said he'd be right back.

I went back inside with the girl to pull up the info on my car... big mistake on my part. I returned to find him rubbing away at one of the lenses with some kind of greasy rag. He looked up at me, pointed at the lense he had already finished, and asked me what I thought. It looked a little better, but the outline of the cloudy patches could still be seen, along with the microscratches he had just installed. We were up under a car port too where there was poor lighting so it was hard to see. The other lense (the one he was working on when I came out) had some kind of white film on it. I politely asked "is that some kind of polish on your rag?" He answered back, "rubbing compound". I cringed when I heard the reply. Isn't rubbing compound a little extreme for plastic lenses? I would think it's pretty extreme for paint, let alone plastic.

He started asking me a bunch of questions about the car - where I parked it at night, whether I parked under a tree at work, etc. Then he went on to tell me how bad bird crap was for the car's finish. I assured him that I knew what he was getting at. Then I noted that the rest of the car was in too nice of condition for this to be caused by soemthing I did. If I was parking under trees all the time and birds were crapping on the car, then the rest of the car would have similar blemishes.

He wiped off the residue on the last lense and said "that outta do ya", while standing back admiring his work. When he walked away the service girl bent down to look at the lenses and started picking out the imperfections that were still there. I looked too and we both noted that it looked a little better, but he had not solved the problem. I said something about the micrscratches now present and she agreed. She also said that she was afraid that whatever it was might come back.

We went back inside and she gave me her card. She told me to give it a few days and see whether I thought the fix was satisfactory, then call her if I decided it wasn't. I think she noticed my reaction when the tech informed me he was using rubbing compound and could tell I wasn't happy with the fix. She said she would speak with the service manager and let him know I had been in, so that when I called back he was aware of the situation. So, I'll probably call over there on Monday and speak with him to see what he has to say.
Old 08-06-2005, 01:32 PM
  #16  

 
xviper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 37,305
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes on 14 Posts
Default

Rubbing compound on a clear plastic lens! What an IDIOT!
Old 08-07-2005, 06:21 AM
  #17  
Registered User
 
G-winger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Do you wax your headlights? It looks like degraded wax to me.

Have you tried using some type of bug and tar remover which would strip the wax without hurting the poly.
Chris
Old 08-07-2005, 07:06 AM
  #18  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
usace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: columbia, sc
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

[QUOTE=xviper,Aug 6 2005, 05:32 PM] Rubbing compound on a clear plastic lens!
Old 08-09-2005, 04:06 PM
  #19  
Registered User
 
MyBad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 5,287
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Very strange. I'm clueless and anxious to learn what caused it.

(I would have guessed that something evaporated there and left a residue)
Old 08-08-2010, 07:26 PM
  #20  
Registered User
 
Slick 87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Doylestown / Chalfont PA
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Im going to give this thead a bump, as i am having the same exact issue with both of my headlights, one worse then the other.

To the o.p. or anyone else who had this problem, what did you do to fix it?


Quick Reply: Clear coat on headlights coming off



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:35 PM.