IS my Headlight Ruined?

[Deadly Sushi]

My 03 had some pine tree sap ( a dime sized glob) on the hood and one lens cover. I used SUPER Goo-Gone and it took it off the paint VERY well. Then I took some to the lens cover.

It smeared the damn glob of sap over 50% of the lens!!!!!
I tried my best to get it off with a rag and the Goo-Gone like I did with the painted areas. It just for a SECOND made the sap liquid and THEN dried up again. In that second I could get maybe 10% of it off in a inch x inch area.
Not good at ALL! Is my lens cover trashed?

[PhatRoyale]

can you post a picture of the damage?

[Deadly Sushi]

Originally Posted by PhatRoyale

can you post a picture of the damage?

I will try to tomorrow. But for now picture a glazed jelly doughnut. Thats what it looks like.

[Redline_Me]

paint thinner or gasoline.

[Asteroid]

Originally Posted by Redline_Me

paint thinner or gasoline.

No! The headlight lens is plastic, using solvents on it is a sure fire way to fog it up or otherwise ruin it.

Plastic is very easily polished, so start with some ordinary car polish and go over it thoroughly. If that hasn't worked you can try something more coarse, even to the point of using sandpaper and working through progressively finer grades and finishing with polish.

[Hajoca]

Polishing will remove surface layer of plastic that usually has UV inhibitors.

Goo GOne will craze the plastic.

Rubbing Alcohol should work fine, use that first in a cool shaded area.

If that does not work try WD 40, then immediately as the sap is dissolved, rub in dish detergent then rinse with water.

[Axxis8203]

DO NOT use solvents on a plastic surface. the solvent (GOO-GONE) is what got you here to begin with. solvents cloud clear plastics, as you have already discovered...

wash the headlight with soap and water, the use auto WAX ( not polish ) similar to when you wax a painted surface on the vehicle. it may take quite a few applications to get the surface back to close to original.

if the above does not work, then we'll have to go the wet sanding route, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

[Deadly Sushi]

Originally Posted by Axxis8203

DO NOT use solvents on a plastic surface. the solvent (GOO-GONE) is what got you here to begin with. solvents cloud clear plastics, as you have already discovered...

wash the headlight with soap and water, the use auto WAX ( not polish ) similar to when you wax a painted surface on the vehicle. it may take quite a few applications to get the surface back to close to original.

if the above does not work, then we'll have to go the wet sanding route, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.

Gotcha! soap and water.... then wax