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Originally Posted by tyl604
Aren't you removing a sprayed application of clear lacquer or something; ie you must respray it with a clear coat????
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The factory applies a clearcoat that is UV resistant for a long time. But once that get's cloudy there is no quick fix. You have to sand the old clearcoat off starting with about 400 grit to remove the existing coating. Then finer and finer grades until you get the lenses super smooth. They now look good, but what to do to protect them?
I used a Meguires product called Past-X for the final finishing. Without a coating, that lasts about a year for us. Car is in garage about 50% of time. Mequires have a
Keep Clear coating that they say lasts for a year. Haven't seen it in our Canadian stores.
Meguires also sell several kits - a
heavy duty one for drill type removal and subsequent finishing as well as
some lighter duty kits. They contain most of what you need.
I have heard good things about the Sylvania product, but haven't found it in our stores.
By the way -
Mercedes warn against using solvents. They can cause damage to the polycarbonate lenses. Lexan is a polycarbonate similar to lens material. This is what GE said back in the day when they still made Lexan:
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• Never use abrasive or highly alkaline cleaner on Lexan polycarbonate materials.
• Never use aromatic or halogenated solvents like toluene, benzene, gasoline, acetone or carbon tetrachloride
on Lexan polycarbonate materials.
• Use of incompatible cleaning materials with Lexan sheet can cause structural and/or surface damage.
• Contact with harsh solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or hydrochloric acid can result in surface
degradation and possible crazing of Lexan sheet.
• Never scrub with brushes, steel wool or other abrasive materials.
• Never use squeegees, razorblades or other sharp instruments to remove deposits or spots.
• Do not clean Lexan polycarbonate in direct sunlight or at high temperatures as this can lead to staining.
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