Yes I am embarrassed, but thought this might help someone else. I bought a very clean 1998 E300 from a gentleman in the SF bay area 6 months ago and upon closer inspection found that all four headlight covers seemed to be weathered and possibly dirty on the inside of each cover.
After checking the inside on the drivers side and finding it clean and almost sterile inside, I started cleaning the outside with some plastic polish and a soft rag. Twenty minutes into this I came to the conclusion that this was not weather damage and was not on the inside of cover, but was nothing more than spray on detailer (wax) at which point I swiched from plastic polish to 2 cycle gasoline (all I had).
It took an hour or so but now I have almost crystal clear headlights (need a little more work) and just a little embarrassment, dumb, dumb, dumb.
This is a little out of context for this forum, but hey, this is my favorite place.
Paul


1998 E300

Hope you were wearing Nitril gloves and not bare hand with gasoline.........you don't want cancer!

Acetone, or lacquer thinner will cut whatever was sprayed over the lenses. They do this to fill pit holes and make the lenses clear...trouble is that in short time the lenses go from looking great to looking like the have leprosy!

How does your windshield look, pretty pitted?

Hi BusyBenz, no, the windsheild is clear as can be.
Paul


1998 E300

I guess my days are numbered. I used to use gasolene or even acetone as a hand cleaner when I was younger after working on cars or whatever else was greasy.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Don't feel bad, I spent all my free time during high school and college working in my family's machine shop. We used trichloroethylene for cleaning everything including washing our hands. I remember using that stuff hot in parts cleaners in unventilated areas. After about 5 minutes of exposure you would feel like you were going to pass out. The good old days.

I've been working on my car over the past few days and found that bio-diesel makes a really effective handcleaner -followed up with some liquid soap.

Anyone know what the health implications of bio-diesel handwash are? I wouldn't have thought it would be all that bad, its just vegetable oil with the glycerine removed -no?

if its washed and dried biodiesel you'll be fine.. table salt is more deadly than biodiesel in the amount it takes to kill you.. hey take your glycerine and let the methanol evaporate and youve got some goooood soap