Headlight coating failure

[radroach]

I want to do a show of hands, who is getting headlight coating failure like I'm experiencing?




I want to see if this is happening normally, or if it's because my detailer let his buffer ovverrun slightly on my headlight when he detailed my car a couple years ago.

[Tcoat]

Mine are still pristine.
You can almost see the pattern from a buffer on yours. The sections right against the hood are fine.

[radroach]

My detailer seemed pretty mad when I showed him this the other day, since its been like 3 years, but I don't the time factor should be an issue here, when the damage is done its done.

While I'm trying to be honest in investigating this issue, it does lead to people doubting my claim and think im harrassing my detailer. I'm being as sincere as possible as my name is only as good as my word.

I posted this on a reddit discussion and had a few other people saying its not the detailer's fault. But yeah @Tcoat, its exactly in the shape of where his buffer overran.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by radroach

My detailer seemed pretty mad when I showed him this the other day. I posted this on a reddit discussion and had a few other people saying its not the detailer's fault. But yeah @Tcoat, its exactly in the shape of where his buffer overran.

The other light OK?
It is the feathering on the right side that also looks like a buffer.

[radroach]

the other headlight has the same coating failure pattern, just not as defined of a shape.

[radroach]

@Tcoat it really does look like buffing marks. I don't see how a professional detailer couldn't look at that and not immediately recognize that. What else would just rub off the coating from that spot? My detailer immediately denied that his buffer (DA and meguiar's microfiber system) would cause damage to the coating.

People otherwise are just telling me that BRZ headlights just suck (aka the sarcastic mod at reddit /r/detailing) and that headlights always fail from the top down and that the curve of the plastic makes the tops more vulnerable, but I think that ignores the idea that something else rubbed the coating off. I haven't seen any 86's with the kind of coating failure like mine. A headlight coating wouldn't just fail like that, not from 3 years of being well taken care of, I've always washed them properly and keep a protective coating of wax on them.

[DustinS]

I actually started having the same thing happen with my FRS. I used a good headlight restore kit to sand them down then polish them. Doing that and waxing them has worked for the most part, though it is starting to come back.

Plan is the sand/polish them really well, and apply Gyeon Q2 Trim. Should help seal it from doing it again for much longer than wax. (aprox. 6 month so says the product description)

Gyeon Q2 Trim Coating

[bee-jay]

a good detailer should always tape off lights, moldings, etc.
Lazy, sloppy work in my opinion. so they suck as a detailer. tell them that.

I would never hit a car with a buffer without taping off all glass, plastic, extremities, what have you. with painters tape. Only takes a few minutes.

[radroach]

@bee-jay it was definitely a concern in my mind when we did the detail. I asked if he had tape to mask it off, he didn't. I figured as long as he was careful enough it would be fine, but obviously not.

[radroach]

@DustinS Were there any contributing factors to the first time the coating failed on your lights?

[DustinS]

Originally Posted by radroach

@DustinS Were there any contributing factors to the first time the coating failed on your lights?

Not that I know of. Car had never had a machine detail before the hazing started (besides a few test spots on the upper corner of the hood). I had only hand waxed it from the day I received it.

[RichardsFRS]

I was getting it but I used the old tooth paste polish trick and shined it right out. Try toothpaste. Use it like you would was, but do not swirl, go back and fourth

[brandonblt2]

I'm starting to get a similar type of fading. My car is hand washed only and I apply wax regularly to the headlights to try to protect them. My guess it's just from the sun since my car sits outside.

[radroach]

@brandonblt2 Yeah that does look like a bit of headlight cancer.

Ok so there is evidence contrary to my claims, this thread is getting good.