Buff Your Headlights for Better Visibility with 3M Autobody Products

As winter approaches, the hours of daylight decrease. You’ll find yourself driving in less light and using your headlights more—making headlights one of the most important safety features of the vehicle for this period of the year. Maybe your headlights don’t seem to be cutting through the dark like they should. If this is you, you must fix this issue as soon as possible to make sure you’re making the road a safe place for yourself and others. Read more about how to buff your headlights below.

Steps for Buffing Headlights

Most headlights can be returned to a near-original state with some easy buffing. It requires very minimal supplies and shouldn’t take more than a few hours to complete. Let’s get into the steps:

1. Gather your polishes. Our recommended polishing supplies come from 3M’s autobody product lines. Start with the most aggressive foam compounding pad (step 1), then move to the foam polishing pad (step 2), and finish with the ultrafine blue pad and polish for the most shine (step 3).
2. Grab your sandpaper. We recommend using 800 grit for headlights with scratches, working up to 3000 grit if necessary.
3. Prep the surface. Wash it free of grime and let it dry completely.
4. Tape off the surrounding area of the autobody to ensure you do not accidentally sand the paint.
5. Soak your sandpaper in water and begin with the lowest grit, working in one direction (i.e., right to left). Once you move to the next grit sandpaper, rinse the headlight and change directions (i.e. up and down). Work up to 2500 grit with this technique.
6. Polish in three steps using the 3M products: it’s as simple as step 1 (white pad), step 2 (black pad), step 3 (blue pad with blue bottle).
7. Rinse and let dry.

Your headlight should look almost like new! If it isn’t working or has cracks, chips, or even missing pieces, you may need to replace it entirely.

Or, Replace Your Headlights

Sometimes, headlights are beyond repair. Luckily, it’s easy enough to grab the appropriate autobody pieces to repair them at Central Alberta Paint & Supplies (CAPS). We stock lens and housing, grille doors, tail lamps, and more. So, if your headlight is broken, stained, or will not shine clearly anymore, it’s time to talk to our staff about replacing it.

Not sure what you need? We can help!

Where to Get 3M Autobody Products for Headlights

CAPS stocks over 80,000 items, all focused on vehicles and autobody products. We carry the most high-quality name brands in the industry at a lower cost to you, including 3M, Dominion Sure Seal, Endura, DeVilbiss, and more. Whether you need paint, supplies for painting, auto body parts, or even mechanical pieces, we can help you get everything you need.

Our staff are experts in the field of vehicles, with professional experience that translates into tips and tricks for your project. Come into our stores and say hi, or order your supplies online.