Headlight Oxidation/Buildup..What to do.
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
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All cars get the hazy nasty oxidation build up from dirt/sun/scratches, now I have taken my car twice in 9 years to a shop to get them buffed up and nice and pretty again, but I also have tried the "Wipe New" stuff but they dont come up as clean as the shop...What methods are you guys doing to get rid of the haze and what are you using to seal it back up?
#3
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I have used without problems. I am about to use it on my is350 then apply a vinyl over the headlight so I can just replace the vinyl when it looks scuffed up instead of having to go through polishing it again.
#4
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I use Novus 2 plastic polish to clear the haze from my headlights. It's quick and easy to apply, so I do it every few months. I too would like to find a durable protectant to use once they are clear, but all I've been able to find are silicon based products that posters on the Internet say don't last long.
Aren't your headlights less than a year old? New headlights have a factory applied UV coating to prevent haze that usually lasts for years.
Aren't your headlights less than a year old? New headlights have a factory applied UV coating to prevent haze that usually lasts for years.
#6
Racer
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I use a product called Blue Magic Headlight Lens Restorer. I got it at autozone. It is a buffing compound. And as others have all ready said, you need to coat the lens afterwards with a UV resistant clear coat.
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#8
Racer
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Oxidation makes the plastic lens look yellow. What you need to use depends on how bad the oxidation is. Look at a 10 year old Chrysler product. You have to sand those things with 2000 grit sandpaper first.
#11
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I've used different products and the reason for it happening often is that the clear on it is faded or no longer present. So there's 3 options;
1) Purchase new lights - too expensive unless u have $$$$ to burn
2) Continue using the same products on the market - pain in the **** cause you will apply it every couple of months, BUT inexpensive
3) Wet sand, polish, clear coat - Cheap, time consuming, but you won't have to touch it for years
1) Purchase new lights - too expensive unless u have $$$$ to burn
2) Continue using the same products on the market - pain in the **** cause you will apply it every couple of months, BUT inexpensive
3) Wet sand, polish, clear coat - Cheap, time consuming, but you won't have to touch it for years
#12
Super Moderator
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What kind of clear coat product are you referring to? While it's no big deal to do the Novus thing every few months, it would be nice to apply a product that kept them looking great for a few years.
#13
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After wet sanding 3 times within three years, my headlights have flakes now (small cracks) & are so yellow.
Thanks to the detailers who sand without informing me this is a short term treatment that removes the protection layer.
Thanks to the detailers who sand without informing me this is a short term treatment that removes the protection layer.
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#14
Lexus Test Driver
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Any plastic polish with microfiber pad will do. Do about 2 coats by hand and it will look pretty good for a couple months. But the key is to seal it with a clear coat. I just saw meguiars has a new system which lasts up to a year they say. Its basically a plastic polish followed up with a clear coat spray. Im going to give it a shot.
#15
Pit Crew
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Excellent guide here:
http://imgur.com/a/DUpmh
Note: If you wet-sand, you HAVE to protect it with a plastic protector, otherwise after time it will revert to becoming yellow and hazy. The yellowness comes from UV light from the sun changing the properties of the plastic within the headlight; I forgot what the material is called, but automakers use a cheaper plastic due to cost, and it reacts to UV light over time to become hazy.
http://imgur.com/a/DUpmh
Note: If you wet-sand, you HAVE to protect it with a plastic protector, otherwise after time it will revert to becoming yellow and hazy. The yellowness comes from UV light from the sun changing the properties of the plastic within the headlight; I forgot what the material is called, but automakers use a cheaper plastic due to cost, and it reacts to UV light over time to become hazy.