[suacefiend]

They are really yellow probably some of the worst ive seen but was looking at the 3m kit that lots of people have recommended me not sure if it would just be a waste of time. Thoughts?

[spazzz]

A 3 inch hook and loop backing plate for a drill and some sanding discs, plus pads would be better. All you would need is some polish, maybe Meguiars Ultimate compound to finish.

Maybe go with XPEL ppf after that, which would be ideal.

[oVeRdOsE.]

this is a case of ;

- sanding
- 2k Max clear
- polish
- ceramic coat.


or

- change the lens, but it's not an easy job.


those all-in-one kits will help, but wont last.

[mainbearing]

If those are HID lights with very strong UV then the clouding may be on the inside. Not much you can do from the outside.

If the oxidation is on the outside then a simple $15 polish kit and a coat of Mcguiar's UV-resistant clear coat should last a while.

[suacefiend]

Originally Posted by mainbearing

If those are HID lights with very strong UV then the clouding may be on the inside. Not much you can do from the outside.

If the oxidation is on the outside then a simple $15 polish kit and a coat of Mcguiar's UV-resistant clear coat should last a while.

Is there a way to tell if its on the inside as well?

[Joe_in_WLA]

Hard for anyone to say definitively. imho

How do they look when they're on? Mine seemed yellowed during the day, but at night, when on, they looked fine. And I recently had them polished and clearcoated. Turned out pretty good. Not crystal clear but I'd say 95% there.

80k mile, 2008 in So Cal.

[GoRomeo]

Originally Posted by suacefiend

They are really yellow probably some of the worst ive seen but was looking at the 3m kit that lots of people have recommended me not sure if it would just be a waste of time. Thoughts?

I would definitely give it a shot before you opt to replace the headlights. I ve done my E90 headlights for the last 10 yrs or nore and always been happy with the results. They still look new for 18 yrs honestly.

I ve used the Meguiars headlights restoration heavy duty kit. They have a YouTube video you can follow. Good luck 🍀👍

[GoRomeo]

Originally Posted by GoRomeo

I would definitely give it a shot before you opt to replace the headlights. I ve done my E90 headlights for the last 10 yrs or nore and always been happy with the results. They still look new for 18 yrs honestly.

I ve used the Meguiars headlights restoration heavy duty kit. They have a YouTube video you can follow. Good luck 🍀👍

Oh and if you are wondering how many miles equals to is 225k miles.

[mainbearing]

Just try the headlamp restore kit and see. Also see if the HID bulb, which has a wire, makes an imprint on the lens, looking like a shadow of the letter "Q".

Originally Posted by suacefiend

Is there a way to tell if its on the inside as well?

[suacefiend]

update 3m kit is great

[Nando_e90]

A couple of days ago, someone posted on Reddit showing the results after polishing their LCI xenons, just like OP's. They shared a photo, and holy sh*t, they look brand new! They used something called Spray Max 2K Clear Coat.

https://www.reddit.com/r/E90/comment...t=share_button

I've polished mine with a 3M kit and Meguiar's clear coat for sealing and protection, and I got pretty good results in terms of appearance and durability—though not quite like that. Next time, I’ll be using that 2K clear coat.

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by Nando_e90

A couple of days ago, someone posted on Reddit showing the results after polishing their LCI xenons, just like OP's. They shared a photo, and holy sh*t, they look brand new! They used something called Spray Max 2K Clear Coat.

https://www.reddit.com/r/E90/comment...t=share_button

I've polished mine with a 3M kit and Meguiar's clear coat for sealing and protection, and I got pretty good results in terms of appearance and durability—though not quite like that. Next time, I’ll be using that 2K clear coat.

I can vouch for this. Recently redid mine, likely using a similar work-up, and finishing with Spray Max 2K headlight clearcoat (higher solids content and UV resistance relative to ordinary clear).

If you go this route, there are some specific considerations to avoid coating failure. Chief of them is to not sand too finely before applying clear. It needs something to bite/adhere to. Some people will fully polish their headlights and then apply clearcoat. It is pretty much guaranteed to fail early if you do that.