Quote:
Originally Posted by 47p2
It is and will mark but shouldn't make much difference to the light beam pattern. Worth a try using a microfibre cloth. The chrome is sprayed on and very fragile and marks easily.
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I am not 100% sure but as far as I know it is not chrome but aluminium. Chrome is much harder and do not scratch so easily and is normally electroplated. On old cars with metal reflectors they were using chrome. But on newer cars with plastic and metal reflectors and reflectors in general not just car lights (anything shiny including mirrors)aluminium is used as it is cheap, have good reflection for visible light spectrum and is more ecologically friendly then chroming. Aluminium is very soft that's why you will leave marks and scratches on when you touch it. High end reflectors use silver coating which is harder and reflect even more of visible spectrum but it is more expensive and I do not know if any cars use silver coatings, maybe in projector type bulbs where reflector is smaller.
PS. Aluminium coating is probably treated in some way to prevent premature oxidation, if you try to polish/clean it you will not just leave marks but remove protective coating and it will oxidise and go dull pretty soon I would think.
PS 2 Did some search online, here is interesting info about reflector coatings
http://www.molalla.com/members/leeper/refcoat.pdf