Over the years, automotive optics inevitably become dirty. Moreover, dirt accumulates not only outside but also inside. The reason for this may be an unpressurized case or poor-quality glass assembly (for example, after installing tuned xenon optics). But in any case, such a headlight noticeably worsens the appearance of the car. And if the defects can be eliminated from the outside by ordinary washing or polishing, then it is very difficult to get inside the structure. But what to do in such a situation? How to clean the glass headlights from the inside, without disassembling it? Consider in our article today.
Cooking tools and materials
To eliminate dirt, dust and other deposits from the inside of the optics, we need to take:
- Soft rag. It is desirable that it be made of microfiber and not leave fibers after itself. It is important that the rag is perfectly clean. To control the pollution, you can apply a rag of white color.
- Hair dryer (you can take the most ordinary, household).
- Screwdriver Set.
- A few small magnets.
- Electrical tape.
- Fishing line and wire.
- Scissors or clerical knife.
How to clean the headlight from the inside without taking it apart? It is important to pay attention to the choice of liquid for cleaning optics. Not every remedy is ideal, and some products can even do harm. The most fragile elements in the headlight are lenses and reflectors.
Regarding the selection of liquids, it is believed that the best cleaner is ethyl alcohol or vodka. This is true, but alcohol can corrode the thin coating on the reflector. Therefore, it is not worth using similar products for cleaning car optics. This will only aggravate the situation.
Some advise using distilled water with dishwashing detergent. Yes, it is less harmful. But it doesn’t work as efficiently, and in addition it takes a long time to wait for the effect. Some use a wiper for this.
How to clean the headlight from the inside, without disassembling the "FF-2" and other cars? The best tool, judging by the reviews, is cosmetic micellar water. As practice has shown, it not only perfectly removes makeup, but also removes dirt inside automotive optics. As for the brand of the product, it is not necessary to choose the most expensive. Even budgetary micellar water will cope with the elimination of pollution. But note that not every model has alcohol. Its presence is extremely undesirable. Since this is subsequently displayed on the coating of the diffuser and lens.
Getting to work
So, let's look at how to clean the headlight from the inside, without disassembling it. Immediately, we note that complete dismantling cannot be ruled out. Optics still have to be removed from the car. This applies to all brands, including Lada Priora. How to clean the headlight from the inside, without disassembling the case itself? After removing it from the car, you should remove all available bulbs from it. It:
- Headlight low beam.
- Parking lights.
- High beam headlight.
- Turn signals (if integrated into the headlamp).
First you need to unscrew the protective plastic cover. Having removed these elements, we form small holes. It is in them that we need to pour cosmetic water or another cleaning agent (for example, a wiper or distilled water mixed with a detergent for dishes). Further, with the help of electrical tape (or any other adhesive tape), it is necessary to cover all the holes. Please note that filling the entire headlight with liquid is not worth it. It is enough to fill in about a quarter of the total volume.
This procedure applies to all cars, for example, so you can clean the Mazda-3 headlight from the inside without taking it apart. After the holes are hermetically sealed, you must carefully shake the headlamp. After this operation, the liquid usually turns yellow.
The next step is to open the holes and drain the dirty water. Then again we fill in the liquid and tightly close the holes for the lamps. Shake the headlight housing carefully similar to the previous case. If the liquid remains cloudy, then there is a lot of dirt inside the headlamp. To remove all deposits, you must repeat this operation again.
How many times do you need to drain and fill in the liquid? There is no exact answer to this question - it all depends on how badly the headlamp is dirty. Experts say that the cleaning should be repeated until the new water remains clean after shaking. If so, then the headlight is completely clean. So you need to do with the optics of any car, whether it be a Mercedes or Kalina. How to clean the headlight from the inside without taking it apart? In the next step, we need to remove the completely available fluid. It does not so easily evaporate, especially if the work is carried out at about sub-zero temperatures. Naturally, waiting for a few days does not make sense. Therefore, to speed up the process, we will use a hairdryer.
note
If a solution of distilled water and dishwashing detergent was used as a cleaning liquid, it is important to rinse the optics with clean water at the end. Again, it must be distilled. If this is not done, soap scatter will be pronounced on the headlamp.
What next?
We continue to study the question "How to clean the headlight from the inside, without disassembling it?". When drying the insides, do not choose too high a heat on the hairdryer. Otherwise, you can melt the flimsy plastic. The temperature should be room temperature. Dry the headlamp thoroughly until small droplets are removed. This is important, otherwise unnecessary muddy traces will form in the future. After making sure that the optics are absolutely dry, we put back all the bulbs and mount the headlight unit in place, in the car.
What else do you need to know?
If you are working with a xenon or halogen lamp, do not touch the bulb with your fingers. Because of this, greasy spots form on the coating. This is noticeably displayed on the lamp resource.
As a result, it overheats and swells. Therefore, we hold the lamp only by the base. In extreme cases, we use rubber medical gloves.
Quickly remove the stain.
There is another, faster way, how to clean the headlight from the inside, without taking it apart. However, we immediately note that the method is not suitable for large contaminants. So, we need two magnets and a soft, clean cloth. The latter is pre-wetted in a cleaning fluid and mounted on a fishing line in the housing through the hole for the lamps. Through the second magnet we will move the inner one. Thus, with a rag we will go through all the necessary areas. At the end of the work, the rag can be pulled out for the same fishing line.
If not, you can use a thin wire. Please note that the second magnet (which we will work from the outside) also needs to be wrapped in cloth. Otherwise, we simply scratch the optics coating. The purity of this rag is optional, the main thing is its availability.
Do-it-yourself headlight reflector
If the light becomes more diffuse and dim, the headlamp reflector may be dirty. In this case, you need to clean it:
- We take out a headlight from the car and we take out all available bulbs.
- We wrap a piece of thick wire in the insulating tape (its length should be about 15 centimeters).
- We attach a soft rag to the wire. It is important that there is no pile on the rag.
- We bend the wire so that it is possible to reach the reflector of the optics.
- Wet the rags in the right fluid.
- Next, carefully clean the dirty reflector.
Please note that sharp movements and force cannot be made. Otherwise, you can remove the thin protective layer of the reflector. After cleaning, small drops of moisture may remain on the latter. They can be removed in the same way - with a household hair dryer. After drying, put the bulbs in place and mount the headlight back. Do not forget to screw the lid, otherwise the moisture will soon get inside again.
Conclusion
So, we figured out how to clean the headlight from the inside, without taking it apart. As you can see, you can cope with this work yourself, with the help of improvised means. As for the selection of liquids, cosmetic water would still be an ideal option. Unlike a washing solution, it does not leave a cloudy residue. After cleaning, you can immediately dry the "insides", which is very convenient.