Dirty E class headlights

[waywin]

The headlight lenses on my 1997 E-420 look dull and dirty and it all seems to be on the inside. Is this possible? Is there a way, short of replacement, to clean the inside of the lenses? Not exactly a show-stopper but the car just doesn't look its best with dull, off-color lenses. Someone care to assist?

http://64.4.10.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=296e394e6b2312ea24290fe09326f7ad&lat=1074775319&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2em ercedesshop%2ecom%2fshopforum%2fshowthread%2ephp3%3fthreadid%3d77657%26goto%3dnewpost

[Holeshot]

Rats.. link did not work. Having a similar issue with my '90 124.

sorry try this
Opaque Headlights - Polished

[pcmaher]

I had the same problem with my 95 S600. There was a haze on the inner surface of the glass lens. The lenses can be removed on the S class, and I would assume the same goes for the E class. It's a bit difficult, but if one has time, well worth the effort. On the S class, the turn signal lamp housings must come off, the plastic "grill" over the fans, the air intake shield, the headlamp wiper assembly, and a bunch of screws and plastic removable rivets are removed. Once the headlamp assembly is out, the clips holding the lens onto the housing assembly can be removed. Be careful pulling the lens away from the housing, as the rubber seal can rip. When I pulled my lenses off, they were clouded up inside with residue. After 10 years though, it seems like normal buildup. There was some haze on the reflector assemblies, but not a lot. Use only pure cotton (or other fabric meant for polishing delicate surfaces) to carefully polish the reflectors to prevent scratching, and don't touch the bulbs with your bare fingers! The oil in skin can cause the hot-running halogens to fail. I scrubbed the haze off the lenses, cleaned the seals off and re-sealed them with high quality sealer, and put it all back together. The headlamps look brand new now. Now I can drive 156 MPH at night without worry .