Been searching around this area and saw several topics regarding headlights but nothing exactly what I was looking for.

My right side headlight is just fine, looks like new. But my left side headlight is very foggy/oxidized... have no clue how one is fine but the other is not.

Right:


Left:



Anyways, I was wondering the best way to clean it and make it look new again. I saw a commercial recently about the Meguiars Headlight Restoration Kit. Anybody used this and know if it works well, worth the $$?

Or does anyone know of any other method to get rid of the fogginess?


Thanks for the input!

 

This is going to sound strange, but try some metal polish

 

I would leave it alone, there is a protective UV layer on it that will come off if using these products. I learned it the hard way when I did it on my last car, it looks perfect for a couple of weeks then turns completely yellow worse than before.

 

From what I have heard from some pretty experienced people, is that the reason they are even in this condition is because that UV layer has already come off.
The solution, apparently, is to do a thorough wet sand and then 3M the headlights.

 

No joke, have you washed it really well with soapy water?

 

The problem is that the UV coating oxides and looks yellowish. When you sand it off, you take a layer off and expose a new layer that has already failed. It's like wetsanding a failed clearcoat.

The best thing to do is sand it off using high grit paper (I'd use 2000+ personally) and then polish them with a good polish such as Meg's M205. Then take a cloth and CLEAN them off with Rubbing Alcohol and then either apply clearcoat to the lights or apply 3M Clear-bra.

Sylvania makes a new kit with some sort of clearcoat included that you put on after polishing the lights.

 

They make something even better these days, but I forgot the name of the manufacturer, lol.

Basically you sand down the failed coating completely (500, 600, then 1000 grit if I remember correctly), then you apply a 2 step coating to the lens (Basically you're stripping off the old uv coating then applying a new uv coating). No buffing required.

 

Actually, after watching the demo video, seems like quite a bit of sanding has to be done.

From the video, I'm guessing dry sand 500, 600, 1000, then wet sand 2000, 2500, 3000, then apply coating. Use hairdryer or heat gun to help with curing process, then apply wax.

 

The lights don't look that bad, Meguiar's M105 along with a heavy cut foam pad or wool pad should do the trick. If that doesn't work, try wet sanding.

To protect the lights from future fading and oxidation, use a dedicated plastic sealant or a permanent coating such as Optimum Opti-Coat.

Here is a picture of Matt applying Opti-Coat to his family's new Camry.

 

Well thanks for everyone's input.

I read reviews of the the different kits out there and decided to go with the Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit, it is the only one that comes with a UV protective coating and the reviews great.

I'll post an update with the results after using it.

 

Well I used the Sylvania kit. I only did it on my left headlight since my right one is still like new. I spent about 20 min on it and made sure I did all the steps correctly; although it is hand wet-sanding, it is pretty damn easy.

I am VERY happy with the result. Such a difference.

One thing I need to input: they say just put 1 strip of tape around the edges to protect the paint from when you work on the light. I should have, and would recommend to anyone in the future who restores their lights, to use probably 3 strips of tape to cover more area. After I was completely done, I noticed I lightly sanded a small area right below the headlight, which you can probably see in the pics below. Luckily, once I take and get my car back from hail damage PDR, I am going to take it to get professionally detailed (Groupon ftw) and the clay/wax/polish should get rid of what the sanding did on the paint




Here are some before/after pics.

Before:

After:


Before:

After:



Oh, and mods, could think about changing thread title to say something about using Sylvania's kit, since someone else might be wondering about it, and I know there is a thread or two about Mequiar's kit.

 

Hey imj0257, did the UV coating in the Sylvania kit hold up?

 

Looks good. As long as you apply a UV protectant every month or so you should be ok. I just did mine which were much worse than yours. Click my thread link below if you'd like to see.

 

Holy shit... Didn't realize how old this thread was til just now.

 

[IMG]C:\Users\Zhivko\Desktop\2013-05-29 12.17.30.jpg[/IMG]

 

I ended up wetsanding mine and got them look all nice and clear but was wondering if getting a clear bra on the headlights would help keep them clear or if it'd cause more harm than good by messing with the light output.

 

[IMG][/IMG]

Mine got this on the top portion of the head light.The rest of the light is fine and clear.Its not hazy just kinda like the UV coat coming off.What should i do,sand and recoat the whole light or just the bad portion of it?Thanks