Just saw a video of a guy rubbing a yellowed headlight with a sock soaked in repel 40 (think off mosquito spray) and it seemed to have clearedit up.
Off or repel
- Thread starter mjoekingz28
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DEET! I'll have to try that.
I did a year tree planting and we would spray our hard hats with 95% DEET muskol. The plastic would become sticky and the black flies would stick to it and die... I don't know the long term effects on the plastic, so I wouldn't let it soak on the headlight too long.
I did a year tree planting and we would spray our hard hats with 95% DEET muskol. The plastic would become sticky and the black flies would stick to it and die... I don't know the long term effects on the plastic, so I wouldn't let it soak on the headlight too long.
Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Just saw a video of a guy rubbing a yellowed headlight with a sock soaked in repel 40 (think off mosquito spray) and it seemed to have clearedit up.
Consumer Reports has rated the Sylvania headlight restoration kit the best. Some of it is how bad the headlight is and whether it has a coating over the plastic already. For some toothpaste may work. If you can feel anything with your finger then you need something with a few levels of abrasive pads.
Just saw a video of a guy rubbing a yellowed headlight with a sock soaked in repel 40 (think off mosquito spray) and it seemed to have clearedit up.
Consumer Reports has rated the Sylvania headlight restoration kit the best. Some of it is how bad the headlight is and whether it has a coating over the plastic already. For some toothpaste may work. If you can feel anything with your finger then you need something with a few levels of abrasive pads.
I have seen a few headlights softened by the chemical so I don't think I will ever try it. Be careful if you do.
Ive heard of toothpast polishing (w/no Ti dioxide) then follow with Armor-all. Never tried.
On my sons Honda, we used 3000 grit sandpaper to remove heavy oxidation and then 6000 grit to polish...finished that off with a buffer and compound. 303 on top of all that. Mainly we were experimenting because those things were already in the garage, but it worked out very well.
DEET ( used as bug repellent) used to leave fingerprints on M 16 stocks. Plus side was it was supposed not to have an noticeable smell.
Now that I have my headlight assemblies where I want them by using:
1st, a rubbing compound, then moved to a
2nd, mild(er) headlight cleaner(Meguiar's Plast-X) &
3rd, now I maintain with toothpaste and clear tire dressing(every couple of weeks)
1st, a rubbing compound, then moved to a
2nd, mild(er) headlight cleaner(Meguiar's Plast-X) &
3rd, now I maintain with toothpaste and clear tire dressing(every couple of weeks)
Using insect repellent is a one time deal. It will leave the headlight cover softer and the problem will come back in short order.
The sand paper and buffing with some kind of polish is probably the way to go.
My 12 year old 4Runner's headlight covers are still like new and I've done nothing.
The sand paper and buffing with some kind of polish is probably the way to go.
My 12 year old 4Runner's headlight covers are still like new and I've done nothing.
I've had very good luck on multiple cars with the following:
- 400 grit sandpaper wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 800 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 1200/1500 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 2000 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- Get a terry cloth towel (I used a 12" x 12" one), get it wet, but not dripping wet, put a BIG blob of plain toothpaste on it (Regular crest works well) and just start rubbing the headlight lens with it. If the toothpaste starts to dry out, spray it with a little water to re-moisten it. Keep doing this until the lens is clear. It takes a little while, but works great
-- rinse thoroughly with water.
- Hit the lens with a good coat of wax / sealant / clearcoat. I have used both paste car wax and a special headlight sealant. Both seem to work well.
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On both cars, I turned yellowing, hazy lenses into nice, clear, clean lenses that lasted for a LONG time without needing any re-application.
- 400 grit sandpaper wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 800 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 1200/1500 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- 2000 grit wet sand
-- rinse with water
- Get a terry cloth towel (I used a 12" x 12" one), get it wet, but not dripping wet, put a BIG blob of plain toothpaste on it (Regular crest works well) and just start rubbing the headlight lens with it. If the toothpaste starts to dry out, spray it with a little water to re-moisten it. Keep doing this until the lens is clear. It takes a little while, but works great
-- rinse thoroughly with water.
- Hit the lens with a good coat of wax / sealant / clearcoat. I have used both paste car wax and a special headlight sealant. Both seem to work well.
-----------
On both cars, I turned yellowing, hazy lenses into nice, clear, clean lenses that lasted for a LONG time without needing any re-application.
I find melamine sponges to do a good job at cleaning headlights and many other surfaces, including painted walls. I buy the cheap no-name brand at the $1 store instead of the Magic Eraser brand. I guess a melamine sponge to be equivalent to 2000 grit sandpaper or so in terms of abrasiveness. It is capable of dulling plastic and paint, but after cleaning the headlights, I buff them easily to a shine with plastic polish on a cloth.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Ive heard of toothpast polishing (w/no Ti dioxide) then follow with Armor-all. Never tried.
I tried it. Didn't do much.
When my headlights were very cloudy, I used the 3M kit to clear them up. Now, I just use Scratch Out every few months. Only takes a few minutes and it works very well. Scratch Out is good stuff.
Ive heard of toothpast polishing (w/no Ti dioxide) then follow with Armor-all. Never tried.
I tried it. Didn't do much.
When my headlights were very cloudy, I used the 3M kit to clear them up. Now, I just use Scratch Out every few months. Only takes a few minutes and it works very well. Scratch Out is good stuff.
Originally Posted By: Leo99
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Ive heard of toothpast polishing (w/no Ti dioxide) then follow with Armor-all. Never tried.
I tried it. Didn't do much.
When my headlights were very cloudy, I used the 3M kit to clear them up. Now, I just use Scratch Out every few months. Only takes a few minutes and it works very well. Scratch Out is good stuff.
I did exactly the same about 2-3 years ago. First with 3M kit then Scratch Out every few months.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Ive heard of toothpast polishing (w/no Ti dioxide) then follow with Armor-all. Never tried.
I tried it. Didn't do much.
When my headlights were very cloudy, I used the 3M kit to clear them up. Now, I just use Scratch Out every few months. Only takes a few minutes and it works very well. Scratch Out is good stuff.
I did exactly the same about 2-3 years ago. First with 3M kit then Scratch Out every few months.
Putting on a UV-protective cover like Lamin-X or similar would help keep those newly cleared headlights nice and clear for years without further upkeep. It also protects expensive headlights from rock strikes very well.
Blue magic headlight polish with a wool pad on my cordless drill has worked wonders for me on a number of cars.
Might as well fix the problem.
Sand and polish, then coat. Use the least aggressive sandpaper you can, anything coarser is just more work later. Work up to 2000 grit, or even 3000. Polish with a professional polish. I would use Meguires m105 to start and then m205, and you can use these on your paint later.
The factory lights have a UV resistant coating, which is why polished lights fog so quickly and it took years for factory lights to. Some use minwax iirc, but I question longevity. Others are using opticoat, but this will need to be applied again in the future. You could clear the lights with automotive clear. The best bet is having a new UV coating applied, but I imagine the cost is quite high.
Sand and polish, then coat. Use the least aggressive sandpaper you can, anything coarser is just more work later. Work up to 2000 grit, or even 3000. Polish with a professional polish. I would use Meguires m105 to start and then m205, and you can use these on your paint later.
The factory lights have a UV resistant coating, which is why polished lights fog so quickly and it took years for factory lights to. Some use minwax iirc, but I question longevity. Others are using opticoat, but this will need to be applied again in the future. You could clear the lights with automotive clear. The best bet is having a new UV coating applied, but I imagine the cost is quite high.
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