Fog Lamp polishing

[Whelan]

I have thick glass fog lamps on my Matrix. One is very clear and may have been replaced due to a crack or something. The other works fine but has a very hazy appearance due to knicks and scratchs I assume. So it looks clouded.

I have seen polished made for glass but is it really something that works. I have a G100 so I would use that with the appropriate pad, but if anyone knows about glass polishing please let me know.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Fog Lamp polishing

Do a search using the word Eastwood either on this site or on google.

Search MOL


Or... read all this...


Historically, deep scratches cannot be removed, light scuffs can be polished our of the glass using a glass polishing kit sold by the Eastwood company, but not actual scratches with a depth to them.

Here's a related article,

What it means to remove a scratch out of anything...


In order to remove a scratch out of anything, metal, plastic glass, paint, etc. You must remove material around the scratch until the surface is level or equal to the lowest depths of the scratch or scratches.

The below diagram if for paint, the the same thing applies to just about an surface material or coating.



In essences, you don't really remove a scratch, you remove material around a scratch.

Then the big question is, is the material or coating workable, as in can you abrade small particles of it and leave behind an original looking surface. For example, some things you can abrade, (remove the scratch), but you can never completely remove all of your abrading marks, thus you can't really fix the problem, all you can do is exchange one set of scratches of a different set of scratches.

The next questions is, how thick is the surface material you're working on or the coating. You are limited to what you can do by the thickness of these to things, (surface coating or surface material), and whether or not this surface is workable.

Sometimes you don't know what you can so until you try. It's always a good idea to test your choice of products, applicator materials and application process, (By hand or by machine), to an inconspicuous area. If you cannot make a small area look good with your product, applicator and process, you will not be able to make the entire surface look good. It's always a good idea to test first and error on the side of caution, versus make a mistake you cannot undo.


The only product out on the market that we know for removing light scratches in glass is made by the Eastwood company.



Glass Polishing Kit at the Eastwood company

[Whelan]

Re: Fog Lamp polishing

Ive heard of Eastwood before. Just wanted to know more about them. I dont believe they are scratches so much as just over time dulling and use. If I can even get them a bit clearer I would be satisfied.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Fog Lamp polishing

Regardless of whether you're dealing with pits or scratches, the big picture is you're working on glass.

Re-read the information provided by Eastwood on their product and if it sounds like it will work for you then you have an option, if it doesn't then it's time to learn to live with the existing lamps or for the time and trouble, perhaps purchase replacements.

[RZ Autodetailing]

Re: Fog Lamp polishing

Ive noticed on alot of mustangs ,mine included that it isnt the outside of the foglight thats making it look all fogged up. But sometimes moisture gets inside the lense and fogs it up form inside and over time makes it look rather unattractive and the only thing you can do is replace the foglight. I dont know maybe different with Toyota . Goodluck, let us know how it turns out.

[Whelan]

Re: Fog Lamp polishing

I just took a second look. I also did the nail thing. No scratches per se, nothing yellowing on the inside. But what I do notice is it looks kinda grainy. Not quite pitted though, hard to explain. Ill see if I can get some pics.