Lacquer Thinner Melted My Headlights

[tholden1]

I had never used lacquer thinner before and I learned the hard way what it can do.



I was going to use some lacquer thinner to clean off some touch-up paint. I put some in a plastic cup and then started to walk towards my hood. Well, the thinner ate away at the bottom of the cup, the bottom came off, and the thinner spilled out over my hood and over my headlights.



I then had three etches in my headlight where it had dripped down. There were also etches under the headlight where the lacquer thinner had pooled up between the bumper and the headlights. I paniced and threw water over it but it was too late.







Well, I then figured I had nothing to lose so I tried my newly learned wet-sanding and 3m fine-cut polishing technique. It actually worked quite well. There are still a couple of spots but they are not as noticeable.



The damage is done, right? It isn't going to continue to do anything to my headlights?



In any case I learned two things:

1. Never let lacquer thinner in or around plastic

2. Wet-sanding and polishing plastic headlights actually works.



This was a hard lesson learned but I think I got out without too much damage. Anything I should still be concerned about?

 

[scottabir]

It shouldn't do anything else beyond what it has done as long as you flushed it with water.

 

[jcdouglass]

I have platic cover over my vette fog lights. I tried plastice cleaner and got nothing done. Then, like you, I got the 2000 grit with plenty water. Worked great! then the plastic polish.

 

[Jesstzn]

Out of curiousity check the can lable and see if it had Xylene in it and let us know. Also brand and part number of the lacquer thinner.. TYIA

 

[tholden1]

I bought it at wal-mart in thier hardware, house paint department. It can be found here, at the bottom:

http://www.kleanstrip.com/thinners.htm



The part number is ML-170. According to the manufacturer it uses Toluene at 50%, not Xylene. I know from previous posts here that Xylene can cause clear-coat failure. I am hoping since this contains Toluene instead that it will not cause this problem. I did get some of it on my hood.

Out of curiousity check the can lable and see if it had Xylene in it and let us know. Also brand and part number of the lacquer thinner.. TYIA

 

[rorsino]

Toluene will do the same thing. I use it by the gallon for a fuel mixture, it will eat through clear coat if it sits and etch plastic.

 

[Jesstzn]

Toluene will do the same thing. I use it by the gallon for a fuel mixture, it will eat through clear coat if it sits and etch plastic.

Wasn't toluena at one time an octain booster in leaded fuel? Lit cheaper than 104.

 

[rorsino]

It still is, it's also the major ingredient in the little bottles of octane booster. Xylene also works, it's actually 117 octane, toluene is 114 octane.

 

[tholden1]

Wonderful. One more thing to be concerned about. Oh well, accidents happen. I guess I can't beat my head against the wall too much. The headlights are better now that they are sanded. I may continue to sand them using 2000 grit and try to remove the etches completely. Of course, if someone here tells me that I could over-sand them with that grit then I won't try it..

Toluene will do the same thing. I use it by the gallon for a fuel mixture, it will eat through clear coat if it sits and etch plastic.

 

[spetulla]

haha try putting laquer thinner in a styrophome(horrible spelling) cup. it will go through it like butter, its kind of cool

 

[tholden1]

It went through my plastic cup quite nicely, fell on my hood, then dripped onto my headlights and started to go through them.



I put the plastic cup down and when I came back to it it had melted to my garage floor.



That is one harsh chemical.

haha try putting laquer thinner in a styrophome(horrible spelling) cup. it will go through it like butter, its kind of cool