Jhezzy

ok ladies and gentlemen need some help both of my headlights the clear coat they put on them is peeling. Any one know of a way to take off the rest without scratching the headlight? i got my gen 3 about 10months ago from jm auto racing and they only have a 6 month warrenty on them so i cant get them replaced which sucks! anyone know of anything i can do?

K-Train04RL

iTrader: (1)

Fine grit sand paper and re clear

Jhezzy

that wont scratch the lense?

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

Unfortunately the coating you see is a UV coating from factory so what might end up happening is they will begin to haze over shortly after it is gone. Kinda stinks that you only got a 6month warranty on those. Best thing for you to do is get one of the "headlight restore" kits and try and remove the remaining coat and try and put your own coat of "clear" coating yourself. I'm not exactly sure what they use but anything right now will be better than nothing.

Jhezzy

ya i know its been peeling for the past couple weeks every day getting a little bigger. its about half the headlight now i really dont feel like buying another set of Gen3. its kinda bull that they didnt even last a year!!!

reaper89

iTrader: (2)

my 3rd gens waited like 2 years to start peeling, then within a couple months it peeled bout half way down on each headlight

Bluelightning

iTrader: (8)

Ditch those crap lenses and install ones off factory headlights. That's what I did.

TommyP

iTrader: (2)

if you wetsand them down, and have them professionally clear coated with paint, you won't get any scratches and will come out looking like new. Unfortunately the lenses on the aftermarket projectors are junk.

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

Are you guys running HIDs in the housings?

Bluelightning

iTrader: (8)

I am yup.

riceburner

iTrader: (66)

i got hids in the aftermarket/stock black headlights

TommyP

iTrader: (2)

most are, still happens either way.

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

I've seen it happen more often to vehicles using HIDs. I mean I have taken headlights back myself for just flaking on the UV coating before but it was super rare instance. Normally the coating the aftermarket companies puts on is thinner than the OEM one. Having HIDs doesn't help because they normally burn slightly brighter than OE so they actually cook away the coating.

Jhezzy

damn ok. well wet sanding what do i need? also i dont have the money to get them cleared professional. what would you recommend for a do it your selfer? i just dropped like 1k into this car the past week getting ready for OC meet in june and i really dont wanna shell out any more.

Also i am running 6k HID in my GEN 3.

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

Whatever you do, definitely go with a SEM vinyl spray paint. It's a heavy duty clear coat and will last a while.

You will need a UV lamp for any of the clear coats you use.

TR3Y

this is happening to mine right now too, ive had them for a year and a half.
what happens if you dont put a new clear coat?

Dart_SI

iTrader: (1)

i have black housing headlights and the lenses i got with those started cracking and all that good stuff after a year.

swapped the lenses with my stockers and now all is good. stock lenses are deff the best out there.

TR3Y

so they fit w/ no problem? i have a set of stock but would rather sell them than take apart.

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

All of the headlights, oem or aftermarket, share the same curve and everything so you could easily swap from one headlight to another without any issues.

Jhezzy

well i dont really want to ruin my OEM set just incase something happens to these.

For wet sanding what should i use to get the rest of the clear coat off? i will look for this (SEM vinyl spray paint) on line and see how much it costs. Any more recomendations?

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

Turtle wax sells a headlight restore kit but does not include the sealer you need. As long as you put something (I just recommend SEM since they are in the mild of the road for cost and also ease of use) to seal the headlight, they should last for awhile without having to do anything.

Jhezzy

after talking to a bunch of ppl i think im just gonna do then 3m Lens Renewal complete kit with protectant and ill just wax them every 2 months to keep them ok. unless i find a clear coat that can with stand the temp of the HID kit. and if they get that bad i guess i might look into retros or maybe ill buy new lenses and take the GEN 3 apart and put good lenses on them but i wouldnt even know where to start with that one.

1AJeremyD

iTrader: (1)

Ya the only thing I don't like with the renewal kits is you have to constantly apply it to the headlight. There's no sealant with the kit so getting a good clean coat would do you some good and save you a lot of time in the future.