Got a rock chip on my headlight before I could install those 3m plastic sheets. It's a very small one maybe about the size of the tip of a sharpened pencil.

Question: Should I do anything to seal the chip or anything else? If so, what products/chemicals should I use?

I'm sure it doesn't matter but its a 2012 RX350

Thanks!

 

There's nothing you can do for that. A sealant or wax will not do anything. Don't sand down the chip either because in the process you will VERY quickly sand through the UV coating and cause more damage. Just put the film over the chip.

The only thing I can even think of that might work is to fill in the chip with a 2 part epoxy, but if you are not skilled with it, you can quickly cause a big mess way beyond a filled rock chip.

 

+1

Just leave it alone!

 

From my experience with 3M clear bra, it does tend to fill some things in, but also magnifies others. I say stick with what you have and protect what you got since theres always the possibility of more damage to it in the future (hopefully not of course but you never know!)

 

I apologise for hijacking the thread, but .....

I love the look of crystal clear headlight covers, and routinely polish mine whenever I polish the car. Based on your comment, I'm concerned that too much polishing (I usually use Prima Swirl and an orange Lake Country pad) might remove the coating. I also use the same sealer on the covers that I use on the paint, so if I've already killed the coating, maybe the sealer will help protect them. Is there need for me to be concerned?

 

It is very likely you have removed the coating if you have polished them several times. The coating is thin, which is why it wears down and causes "foggy/hazy" headlights that are common on older (and sometimes pretty new) vehicles. I would suggest coating them with something more permanent like Opti-Coat 2.0. This will add a much greater layer of protection than a paint sealant. However if you routinely apply sealant (several times each year) you should be just fine.

Just a comment though - My car is 3 years old and I have never felt the need to polish the headlights, they still look brand new. Are yours actually oxidized, or do you just polish them for the heck of it?

 

Our RX is still new, and has only been polished once, when we first brought it home. It did get an extra coat of sealer prior to winter, but it didn't need to be polished, again. My IS got a new set of headlights due to a defect in the original set, and I don't think they've been polished at all. Just sealed prior to winter. So I'm betting (hoping) that I haven't killed the coating for either car, yet. That said, I must admit to a little disappointment in how thin the coating must be. I can deal with it, but It seems like it should be pretty simple (and not very expensive) to use a more durable coating. Especially for a "premium" brand like Lexus. Maybe I'm wrong, and there is a valid reason for the way they choose to protect them.

I was taught that it's the little things that make a good detail stand out, and I still believe that to be a true statement. Door jams, dusty air vents, and dirty wheel well liners are examples of the kind of details that are often overlooked. To me, foggy headlights are another example, and they stand out like a sore thumb. It's just one of the things I tend to notice, so I make an effort to keep mine as clear and clean as I can, for as long as I can. It's just me. I've always just assumed that because mine have never hazed up, either I've been taking pretty good care of them, or I sell the car before they do . Either way, I had no reason to think I might be doing something incorrectly.

Someone pointed out in another thread, that you're always learning new techniques for improvement. This is an example! It's always good to learn stuff like this, that help me understand WHY I should continue to learn! Thanks!

I now return you to the original direction of this thread. I hope the detour was as valuable to someone else, as it was to me!