mike9186

I removed my headlights to clean the insides and to replace the bulbs (the current bulbs had manufacture dates of 1993 and 1995). I splashed a decent amount of windex inside waited a bit and then drained them out. The difference in clearness was significant.

The next day I took a bit of sponge on a wooden skewer to wipe the remaining droplets and I accidentally touched the reflector silver and the silver wiped right off onto the sponge! The amount I took off was about the size of a silver dollar.

I am bummed.I don't know if it was the chemicals in the windex but I assume that the isopropol alcohol others recommend here would have caused the same result.

Anyway, if you are cleaning your headlights be very careful around the silvering inside!!!!

LouZ

Man - bummer! Does the rest of the reflector look like it separated from the metal and would peel off?

I did it with isopropyl alcohol and had great results. I did clean out and dry the inside fairly quickly.

mike9186

I think the 'metal' is really just a metallic spray paint on the inside of the plastic body. Now that I think about it the fluid may have softened the paint and when I touched it with the sponge it wiped off. I bet it resets a little bit once it fully dries out.

If I could split the glass from the reflector I could respray it but that ain't gonna happen!

911URGE

I used isopropol alcohol but I dropped in a few paper towel sheets and swished them around with the alcohol. I then drained and set out in sunlight to dry. So far much better and no issues with the silver coating.

Makmov

I have also taken mine out a cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and had no issues.

In theory you can slpit them. Porsche does just sell the glass lens. I know one of mine have been separated by the PO and siliconed back together.

Are the moisture absorbers intact?

I don't think it's paint. It's most like plated, but if you have had water getting in them at some time and sitting on the silver plating it may have delaminated.