OT: car headlights - "fogged out" lens and dimmed lights

[weisan]

My daughter is driving a 1995 Toyota Avalon. It's a trusty old steed that I have maintained and kept up with. Last night when she drove home, she commented that the lights were really dimmed and she had to flip to high beam in order to have a decent exposure on the road ahead. I am aware that the front has turned foggy and yellowish and I have tried so many different things with marginal success. Wonder if any pals have some tricks up their sleeves that have worked for them in the past.

[Tony T]

I use Novus Plastic Polish (http://www.amazon.com/NOVUS-7100-Plastic-Polish-Kit/dp/B002UCYRZU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451830500&sr=8-1&keywords=novus+plastic+polish#Ask) for the plastic windows on my Jeep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GZxSNAXmVU

It supposed to work on headlight fogging.
(Check the Amazon comments: http://www.amazon.com/NOVUS-7100-Plastic-Polish-Kit/product-reviews/B002UCYRZU/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending)

Yours look so bad that you may need to wet-sand first with 3000 grit sandpaper (http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirror-Unigrit-Finishing-Sheets/dp/B000IE7Z6K/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1451831216&sr=1-2&keywords=meguiars+3000+grit):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sZg9cj2hxI

.

[Cicli]

Polish them with toothpaste. Seriously.

[rwsaunders]

The polishing systems only last so long. See if you can find replacement units as your daughter is putting herself and others in danger driving with her lights in this condition.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

...

[dsimon]

this worked like a champ and was very easy

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G2000-Perfect-Headlight-Restoration/dp/B00P9OF04I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451831746&sr=8-2&keywords=meguiars+headlight+kit

[mg2ride]

The polishing systems only last so long. See if you can find replacement units as your daughter is putting herself and others in danger driving with her lights in this condition.

+100

Polishing will last less than a year.

That looks like a late 90's Camry?

you can get a headlight assembly for less than $75 and you can install it faster than you can polish the old ones.
http://www.autolightsbulbs.com/1996-Toyota-Camry-Headlight-Assembly/K1107757.aspx?id=10028908&gclid=CPWzzuzxjcoCFQdqfgodgLsGnw

[Seramount]

I tried toothpaste...it works, but takes a looong time and didn't remove all the haze.

found an old can of Turtle Wax polishing cream (Color Back) in the garage and tried that.

worked well and was about 50x less effort than toothpaste.

the hazing starts to return in ~6-9 months, I just touch it up...takes 5 min.

replacement lenses for my Acura are way expensive.

[regularguy412]

[Seramount: snipped --replacement lenses for my Acura are way expensive. ]

rant-on

And,,,, you know what I find weird is the covers on the turn signal lenses (immediately adjacent to the headlight covers which are the same age and have seen the same use) are PERFECTLY CLEAR! Now I realize that they're made of some different type of lexan-variety material, but what the heck!?!?! I also realize that they're made differently for some reason, but C'MON MAN! If you can make one that doesn't haze-up, then why not do the same for the main headlight covers?

/rant-off

Thanks for listening,
Mike

[kramnnim]

Would the foggy lenses alone be the cause of her dim lights?

[Cicli]

Would the foggy lenses alone be the cause of her dim lights?

Likely,
Without actually seeing them its hard to say.

[Tony T]

Windshield looks as foggy as the headlights.

[AngryScientist]

for my old jeep i tried all the tricks and polishing compounds. they work fine for surface haze, but once the lens is actually opaque, they'll never come back to full clarity.

the good news is that for my jeep, an older grand cherokee, ebay knock-off headlights were available VERY cheaply. i bought two new headlights, non-OEM knock-offs, loaded with new bulbs for a song. they were not the same quality as OEM, but a huge improvement over the cloudy ones they replaced.

search ebay, the knock-offs fit fine and offer a good improvement, particulary if you are not picky about the car having perfect fitment and are more concerned with seeing the road over having a cherry ride.

[jimcav]

I forget which brand I used but it worked great--blue pads u put on a hand Held drill Only lasted 3 months and then it started hazing again. Car buddy told me u need to clear coat it with quality auto clear coat to make it last ( so if u have a buddy that paints or happen to getting body work done...)

[eddief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMiCBR7YqTI

[dlui]

+100

Polishing will last less than a year.

That looks like a late 90's Camry?

you can get a headlight assembly for less than $75 and you can install it faster than you can polish the old ones.
http://www.autolightsbulbs.com/1996-Toyota-Camry-Headlight-Assembly/K1107757.aspx?id=10028908&gclid=CPWzzuzxjcoCFQdqfgodgLsGnw

+2

that link is for BOTH left and right headlamp assemblies! plus maybe a hour to install. it will make a night and day difference for visible light output for driving safety

[weisan]

I agree...the way to completely eradicate the problem is to replace the entire unit.

Thanks for the link. That's for a Camry, mine is an Avalon.
http://www.autolightsbulbs.com/1995-1997-Toyota-Avalon-Headlight-Assembly/K1107758.aspx

[572cv]

There is a specific kit from 3M, their headlight restoration kit:

http://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Headlight-Restoration-System/dp/B001AIZ5HY%3Fpsc%3D1%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYY TFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-ffsb-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165 953%26creativeASIN%3DB001AIZ5HY

You need a small drill to use it, but it works very well. I had great success on my daughter's Golf, my Nissan. I thought this one was very well thought out, and the outcome has lasted very well.

[Pastashop]

[Seramount: snipped --replacement lenses for my Acura are way expensive. ]

rant-on

And,,,, you know what I find weird is the covers on the turn signal lenses (immediately adjacent to the headlight covers which are the same age and have seen the same use) are PERFECTLY CLEAR! Now I realize that they're made of some different type of lexan-variety material, but what the heck!?!?! I also realize that they're made differently for some reason, but C'MON MAN! If you can make one that doesn't haze-up, then why not do the same for the main headlight covers?

/rant-off

Thanks for listening,
Mike


Heat and UV light from the sun (plus oxidation) degrade the plastic (acrylic or polycarbonate) comprising the headlamp lens. The presence of all 3 factors -- the chemistry of the plastic begins to change, making them yellowish and hazy.

The turn signals are on for much less total time and generate much less heat than the headlamps, so they degrade less. The orange dye in them may also help absorb some of the high energy components of sunlight.

[regularguy412]

Heat and UV light from the sun (plus oxidation) degrade the plastic (acrylic or polycarbonate) comprising the headlamp lens. The presence of all 3 factors -- the chemistry of the plastic begins to change, making them yellowish and hazy.

The turn signals are on for much less total time and generate much less heat than the headlamps, so they degrade less. The orange dye in them may also help absorb some of the high energy components of sunlight.

Thanks! Knew something just didn't add up.

:)

[carpediemracing]

Pastashop hit the point I was going to post - it's a UV/sunlight thing.

You can try to clear it up but if you don't put a UV protecting layer on it then it'll yellow right away.

I didn't have luck on my car, but that was a while ago.

I did see something on YouTube using Coke or something to clear up headlight lens.

Replacing the headlight lens units would be a prudent thing I think. The cost of that versus the risk of having an accident...

[Vinci]

I have fixed many lights that have been fogged to various degrees. Some as bad as being rough to the touch.

The only way to "fix" cloudy lights is to sand and polish them until all the damaged material is gone and clear plastic remains.

This can be done with any number of "kits", but I prefer to use wet-sand paper or discs and polish. It's a bit more steps, but I feel the result is better. I already have the detailing equipment, so that is a factor too.

Even if you get the lights nice and clear, they will fog back up again after a while. You can prolong that with coatings. I use acrylic car wax on mine and can get a year or better before the fog starts to creep back. The only way to get a long-term repair is to replace the lights.

[m_sasso]

Thanks Vinci! Entirely more sensible approach rather than creating another piece of landfill. Repairing rather than replacing is the way to go, is there not enough plastic junk every where already, why can't people be bothered to fix usable things!

[YoKev]

I heard brake fluid works wonders, but that's just heresay...only what I've heard.

[Seramount]

Thanks Vinci! Entirely more sensible approach rather than creating another piece of landfill. Repairing rather than replacing is the way to go, is there not enough plastic junk every where already, why can't people be bothered to fix usable things!

just saw a piece on national news about the sea of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean...covers 1.4 million square miles (5x the area of Texas)...really give one pause to think about how much we crap in own nest.

agree with you about repairing still functioning items, so I'm totally willing to deal with the minimal amount of time polishing my headlights a couple of times per year to keep two more chunks of plastic out of the landfill.

[brockd15]

I bought replacements for our Highlander and gave away the old ones on craigslist.

[m_sasso]

Has any one tried BlueMagic Headlight Sealer: http://bluemagicusa.com/index.php/blue_magic/products/238
or http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-730-6-Headlight-Sealer/dp/B0051PJWQW with any appreciable success?

[jischr]

I used the 3M kit that's posted above with very good success. Still needed more work a year later but not as bad. I tried several other types since then and much poorer results. I gave up trying a couple cars later and now just replace the unit. In terms of time/money I see it as a wash. And the replacements last years.

[jmoore]

The lights on my Silverado were pretty bad. No amount of polishing, etc. helped at all. All the issue was on the inside of the lens.

So I bought a replacement set from Amazon and swapped them out. They look and function WAY better now. I think the full set for my truck was <$100. That was two lights on each side, so 4 lights total. Installation took about 15 minutes.

[donevwil]

Has any one tried BlueMagic Headlight Sealer: http://bluemagicusa.com/index.php/blue_magic/products/238
or http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-730-6-Headlight-Sealer/dp/B0051PJWQW with any appreciable success?

I used the sealer on my second restoration attempt.

I initially used only the Restorer (because I was cheap) with OK'ish results. Too much effort on its own. Not satisfied I decided to do two wetsand steps, one with 1000 grit followed by 2000 and then again two Restorer steps. Very good result, not new lenses, but close enough for me. Six months later the lenses were foggy again. Repeated the above followed by two applications of the Sealer. Six months in they look the more-or-less the same as the day I polished them.

I went to all this effort because I figured lenses for my minivan would be hundreds of dollars if they were available at all. Never even bothered to price them. The link earlier in this thread shows my lenses, both left and right for <$80.

[AngryScientist]

one problem is that all the wet sanding and polishing in the world is only going to remove haze that is initiated from the outside of the lens. the ones on my jeep were so far gone that there was a haze also initiated from the inside of the lens, presumably from UV damage and heat from the lamps. no amount of effort was going to solve that.

for many headlights the only solution is replacement to get them road worthy again.

orrrr

a big old set of KC lights bolted to the grill.

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx215/Stillmatic21/My%20Cars/DSCF2680.jpg

[goonster]

Years ago, I was convinced that fogged headlight lenses were to blame for poor nighttime visibility.

Turned out, the real culprit was the windshield, with 150k+ miles worth of pitting.

[brockd15]

The units I used were less than $100 from Amazon. When I replaced ours it was a little more work than for some here. I had to take off the bumper cover and wheel well guards to be able to do it, which took a little time. I did it during the day and found out that night that something was wrong when I got pulled over for my tail lights not working.

The next day I spent a while trying to trouble shoot it. I checked all the connections and it looked fine. Then I tried new bulbs in both headlights and no luck. To get to the blinker bulbs I had to loosen the side of the bumper cover and the wheel well guard, so I did that on the right side and tried the right blinker...still no dice. I gave up at that point and took it to a garage, I didn't want to deal with doing the left side.

And wouldn't you know it, the problem was the left blinker bulb causing a short so that the tail lights wouldn't work. I swapped that bulb and it's been fine since, and it looks soooo much better.

[mg2ride]

I agree...the way to completely eradicate the problem is to replace the entire unit.

Thanks for the link. That's for a Camry, mine is an Avalon.
http://www.autolightsbulbs.com/1995-1997-Toyota-Avalon-Headlight-Assembly/K1107758.aspx

Yikes! Certainly more pricey. That's the downside of having a top end car.

Would still be worth the money if you/she plans to keep the car for a few more years.

Best think to do to keep them out of the landfill it to burn them!:D

[SpokeValley]

Used this, just ok results:http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-T-240KT-Headlight-Restorer/dp/B001TI5IIQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1452003630&sr=1-2&keywords=headlight+restoration+kit

Then used this and it rocked. Super easy. Great results. BE SURE to open the garage or do it outside. Strong fumes. http://www.amazon.com/Wipe-New-HDL6PCMTRRT-Headlight-Restore/dp/B00K889FCI/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1452003630&sr=1-5&keywords=headlight+restoration+kit

[jh_on_the_cape]

This is timely. The mechanism that aims the lights broke on one side of my Volvo and you have to replace the entire assembly. I found a knock off on ebay for 170 for one side, and it will take the mechanic 2 hours to replace it. They are 450 OEM!

My lights are really pitted so I ordered the 3m kit to do the other side. Car is pretty old so between those two and some new silverstar or whatever bulbs I should be OK. Hope to keep for 1 to 2 more years. So if I have to repolish the remaining side again I am OK with that.

I read to wipe with WD40. Does not do much.

I did replace my pitted windshield and that really helps with oncoming traffic light.

I am surprised that my car passed inspection the way it is.

[jh_on_the_cape]

UPDATE One side replaced and it just makes the whole car look SO much better. I polished the other side with the 3M kit and it looks SO much better but not as good as the new one. The lenses were in very very poor state.
I also put in Silverstar (or something) bulbs. Overall a HUGE improvement that I should have done long ago. I should have replaced both headlight assemblies but live and learn.

This is timely. The mechanism that aims the lights broke on one side of my Volvo and you have to replace the entire assembly. I found a knock off on ebay for 170 for one side, and it will take the mechanic 2 hours to replace it. They are 450 OEM!

My lights are really pitted so I ordered the 3m kit to do the other side. Car is pretty old so between those two and some new silverstar or whatever bulbs I should be OK. Hope to keep for 1 to 2 more years. So if I have to repolish the remaining side again I am OK with that.

I read to wipe with WD40. Does not do much.

I did replace my pitted windshield and that really helps with oncoming traffic light.

I am surprised that my car passed inspection the way it is.

[soulspinner]

The polishing systems only last so long. See if you can find replacement units as your daughter is putting herself and others in danger driving with her lights in this condition.

+1 Ive done it myself, it does not last, its for your daughter buy new.

[AngryScientist]

Overall a HUGE improvement that I should have done long ago.

yea, it's like old windshield wipers, you dont realize how bad the old ones are until you get new ones.

if you frequently drive at night or in inclement weather, good wipers and good headlights are a must.

[cmbicycles]

I've used whitening toothpaste with good results, but it has to be redone after 6-9 months just like the polishing kits. Wipe on with my finger or dry toothbrush and polish it off with a paper towel or rag... leaves them minty fresh.
I tried a drill mounted 3m polishing kit previously but wasn't impressed. Whitening toothpaste was easier and did as nice a job w/o all the extra sanding steps.