Facelift Xenon Headlights clouding - options.
 

So my 2005 T5 has the Facelift-style polycarbonate Xenon headlights.

Its just failed its MOT due to them being cloudy (personally didnt think they were bad but hey ho) - they have been polished a couple of times before by the previous owner to get through MOTs.

The garage are passing it to their bodyshop to take a go at polishing them up, but if polishing fails... what are the options, considering new xenon lenses are eye-wateringly expensive.

Few thoughts if anyone has anything to add:

Convert to halogen? - obviously some wiring will be required and maybe coding for the car.

Replace just the lenses with better condition ones? - does anyone know if the polycarb lenses from non-xenons would fit on the xenon housings?

Second hand xenon units - likely to have a similar issue - but also rare as rocking horse!


Any more thoughts greatly accepted.


EDIT: So the garage have managed to buff them up enough to get through the MOT but have advised its unlikely to pass next year, as the majority of the clouding is on the INSIDE of the lense (I did notice this a year ago and disabled the DRLs to try and reduce heat damage)

The cheapest and best long- term solution is to replace with 2nd hand headlamps of the same type.

I say headlamps, as you need to replace the entire headlamp unit.

Not all go cloudy. My 12 year old lenses are still crystal clear - but then my car has been garaged all it's life.

It's primarily UV radiation from the sun that makes them go cloudy.
So if you hunt, you might find 2nd hand headlamps that are clear

Changing from Xenon to Halogen will not work due to wiring and programming of the car. Best not to go down that path. Dealer cannot recode, as change of headlamp types is not codable option.

Normally what goes cloudy is the clear coat. The problem is, with every polishing, you slowly pull apart that clear coat.

If you really want to restore the lights, sand the clear coat completly down and repaint with a 2K clear coat (sand -> prime -> paint). That brings 99% of lights back to life.

If you upload a picture, we could take a look, but as I said, normally nearly all lights can/could be restored, if the damage done by previous attempts isn't too bad.

My plastic headlights, (non Xenon) were very cloudy when I got the car.
Removed the headlight units from the car.
Spent a happy hour on each unit in the sunshine in the garden sanding with 400/800/1200/1500/2000 wet and dry.
Once dried and cleaned off, several coats of lacquer.
Left to dry for 24 hours in a warm place
Then with Meguairs Ultimate and my polisher, brought the lenses back to life.
Been good for 18 months, and passed the MOT last month, but will probably need another polish this summer.

Honestly your best option is to replace with second hand ones which are in better condition.

I had the same issue with my plastic halogen units but the clouding was on the inside. I spent the guts of 4 hours on them between baking them in the oven & trying to peel off the butyl tape. In the end I removed the clear plastic lens and got them looking like new but sealing them back on wasn't pretty, and they only lasted a year before they started to cloud again. In the end I procured a set of glass headlights from the pre facelift model and wired them in, they haven't given any bother since (apart from the crap light).

I would guess if the body shop are doubtful if they can be restored the clouding is probably on the inside, in which case (if you have the time) it would do no harm to remove the clear plastic lens and have a stab at either replacing or restoring them. If your getting rid then you have nothing to lose. Just make sure all the gubbins are removed before you heat them.

Ill take a picture when its dry - having had a quick look while collecting the car they are correct, the clouding thats left now is on the inside of the lense.. likely heat related from the xenon bulbs and Volvos stupid DRL setup.

Picture attached... its surprisingly difficult to get it very visible in pictures... but the clouding you see is on the inside.

Putting new lenses on headlight
 

What I do to get clean headlights again.
Cut the old lens, remove the leftovers, clean the inside,reflector,glass eye etc.
Put them together, fit a new lenses and reseal them....
them they are like new...

and these are available from ?

Vparts in Sweden....