head lights

[plasticfoodwrap]

Hi, I have a 2005 xc70 that has head lights with plastic lens. The lenses are in bad shape, can I just replace the lens or do I have to replace the whole assembly?
my 2004 s60 has glass lenses, are they same light assembly? If not is their a better light assembly option then the plastic lights? Thanks

[Ted Brown]

I recently purchased a 2007 XC70 with the plastic lens quite badly oxidized with a hazy "film" covering more than 50% of the lens. This can be rectified very easily and without much expense. You will need to buy 3 grades of emery sandpaper (600, 1000, 2000 grit) and find about an hour of time. Also find something to sit on that will have you comfortably at the same level as your headlights. Using water with the emery paper to keep it wet one simply sands the haze away in three successive steps for each lens. Once finished it is best to apply a coating to protect the lens from UV light but this is optional depending on your circumstances (kept in a garage, etc). Lots of Youtube vids illustrate the process.

I grimaced when I first thought about sanding plastic but it works.

Good luck!

[pbierre]

The 2004 S60 has thick polycarbonate headlight lenses....one of the things I love about my '04 XC70. I don't know why Volvo dropped it for a much thinner (polystyrene?) lens.
In either case, the headlight is one integrated assembly, and very pricey to replace new. About $400 per. I did the lens polishing Ted describes on my wife's '07 S60,
using the 3M kit. It gives reasonable improvement, but nothing comparable to a new unit.

[Ted Brown]

... but nothing comparable to a new unit.

Agreed that the polishing will not equal a new lens.

I found that the degree of improvement was directly proportional to the time and care one spends to do the polishing. I did not know of the 3m kit; simply bought the emery paper from a hardware store and got water from the hose. Carefully rinsed the lens and paper during the polishing process several times and kept at it.

I managed to remove all the oxidization and ended with a clear lens and focused bright beams (I have the active bi-xenon headlamp option) where before it was diffused and dull.

As the gentleman above stated normal headlamps cost $400 each, the active bi-xenon are more like $1,000 per side so the $5 I spent for emery paper was very attractive.

[chapeau1]

I just used the Sylvania brand headlight restoration kit on my 2005 XC70. Wow, what a difference it made. Well worth the $20. It also uses 3 grades of sandpaper, 400, 1000 and 2000 grit. Takes about 30 minutes per headlight. Good luck.

[vtl]

For the nice result the headlight needs to be coated after polishing. Next, highway debris will eat the coating in just a couple of weeks, so the coating itself needs to be protected. I did the last polishing using Rain-X kit and laminated the headlights with Lamin-X about 1.5 years ago, they still look good, even after seeing a lot of bushes and gravel roads. I need to do something about paintwork though...