Small headlight cracks

[oilit]

As per title really, my nsf headlight on the db9 has all of a sudden developed lots of hairline cracks in it - it’s been in the garage so really odd, but it’s not cloudy like some plastic headlights

Interested in whether others have seen this and managed to repair/polish out or is it a replacement

/

[Simpo Two]

They look like what mine have - lots of short vertical cracks going down into the plastic.

I've polished mine, which as you'd expect made no difference to the cracks, and I can't think of any way to fix them.

I had an XK X150 which was the same age and 5x the mileage but that was fine, so I can only think it's poor quality acrylic.

[oilit]

Thanks, I feared that polishing wouldn’t work!

Oh well, time to sit down and see how much they want to charge me for a pair of headlights ! (might as well get a pair as sure as eggs are eggs the osf will go soon)

Aston 1936 has an interesting article on clear bra film for headlights - which he claims is uv protecting - may try that on the drivers side for now

Edited by oilit on Thursday 22 June 19:39

[Simpo Two]

oilit said:

Oh well, time to sit down and see how much they want to charge me for a pair of headlights ! (might as well get a pair as sure as eggs are eggs the osf will go soon)

IIRC the units are at least £1K each and then I'd need to pay for fitting so I'll live with the cracks...

At a car show last month I was next to a 2005 DB9 which had perfect-looking headlamps, and the owner was certain they hadn't been replaced... strange.

ETA I wonder if the stuff they use to make small cracks in windscreens disappear would work?

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 23 June 10:05

[Astontony]

Just a thought, I had a DB9 11 model and it had minute cracks and haze in the lights. I had a professional look at them and he said it was in the exterior hard coating. I had mine cut back to underlying surface re coated with a hard layer that was also uv resistant and when finished they looked like new. I have also had the Vanquish lights done since owning it as it had similar issues.
I suggest you take to an expert repairer for lights and get their opinion. All up cost for the process was $300

[mrpseudonym]

i think this is in the category of “they all do that sir”

mine are the same and its driven rarely and kept under cover. More worryingly one of mine developed a longer crack recently so I am up for a replacement shortly

[F1NDW]

But we know they don't all do that sir. I think your expert may well be correct about the hard layer being the problem, but why only on some?

[Simpo Two]

F1NDW said:

But we know they don't all do that sir. I think your expert may well be correct about the hard layer being the problem, but why only on some?

If not a manufacturing difference, exposure to the sun would be my best guess. But then, my car was very well looked after, if not garaged then under a cover, and is badly affected. Therefore, a manufacturing difference

[oilit]

I was wondering if there was any correlation with headlight washers and cold water hitting warm/hot plastic when been in sun or headlights on.

New ones are silly money - so refurb per astontony is worth a go

[TheRainMaker]

It could be the outside layer which is around 1mm thick.

The only way to know for sure is to polish them with a heavy compound on a polisher; it's not very hard.

The Autoglym kit will probably give you everything you need; it will look awful once you break through the layer but should polish up ok.

Give it a go. You have nothing to lose.

[LunarOne]

Not on an Aston, but I had this happen after a hail storm...



I've decided not to do anything about it as it's apparently a common thing on these cars.