Best fix for yellowed/ discoloured headlights?

[D_bodyguard]

Bring it by me and i go do it will get clean when i work on it ......have alll the equiptment because i have a b13 and it does be yellow!!!

[Rahtid]

i have waxco headlight restorer.
just clean yuh lights,,rub on,in sunlite,wait n rub off
done talk,,,

[RBphoto]

I try a thing and it working good. I used rain clear two part system (for automotive glass) on my lights and I think it working aight. My lights are already clear from using the mothers. I used the rain clear glass scrub gently on my lights and then used the protectant gel. It gave the same "RainX" effect to my lights and water just slides off like water off duck back. Only done one week now, so will report any problems I get in the future.

Second week now, and I have to say DO NOT USE RAIN CLEAR ON HEADLIGHTS. It wukkin good on windsheild/ all other glass, but it form a scum on the lights and is actually turning them yellow. I think is because of the lamp heat. Sorry for that bad piece of advice there fellaz.

[D_bodyguard]

well .....i see a tuner said sandpaper amd that's the way .......sand the headlight with microfine(1500) and it will get back white but will look fogged up so use the wax that yh buff cars with and rub the headlight with it and a cheese cloth and it will get back rell clear!!!!!

[moe]

what is the root cause for all this yellow thing on de plasitc lenses? ah was just wondering nah why it does get so seeing so many people have this problem!

[ryansouthman]

^^X2

[joel]

well after reading here i went home and used 600 grit sand paper then 1200 grit after. Well boy after lookin doin that i get paranoid, lights get scratch up from the sand paper, which is expected but it was lookin like it wouldnt a get back good..lol, but i aint panic, i went out by the shop and get some mothers plastic polish...applied it and well the lights looking decent now, the yellowness definietly came off but the scratches from the sand paper still lil visible. I think i have to get some finer grit sand paper this afternoon and try to see what would happen as this would reduce the thickness of the scrathes...i figure then the mothers would really show its worth

[nervewrecker]

moe, i assume is exposure to the elements does cause it. my car always parked up in de garage, it doh even get sunlight or wet, my uncle almera buy abou a year afer mine & his parked in his yard, he headlights get like dhal nearly & mine only started to show a lil hazyness.
de heat & cold that it is constantly exposed to causes an effec similar to exfiliation in rocks.

joel, 600 grade was a lil rough dont you think. ry a 2000 grade or 2500 if you can get or if it hav such a thing & hen use the polish.

[slow323]

In the past, automakers designed headlight lenses made from glass so they were limited in the size and shape they could produce. Since then, auto manufacturers began designing cars with plastic or polycarbonate headlight lenses. This modification mainly occurred due to the change in the design of cars---cars became lighter and more aerodynamic, plus plastic was by far less expensive to produce than glass. Today this plastic material is the chosen choice because it is very light and can be transformed into unlimited sizes and shapes to satisfy new car designs.

Polycarbonate has its advantages but also has its disadvantages---namely oxidation / discoloration. To the naked eye one cannot tell that these plastic lenses are actually a porous material that expands ever so slightly when it gets hot. Degradation of the lens occurs over time. Having your headlights on or being exposed to the heat of the day causes the pores to open allowing debris from the road to get in. Debris, together with a combination of environmental factors such as the sun (UV rays), smog, acid rain, car exhaust, and harsh chemicals used to wash you car can cause the plastic headlight lenses to become oxidized.

Plastic oxidation leads to lens discoloration, which transforms new, clear, bright, shiny plastic to a dull yellow tint that appears to be foggy, hazy, or cloudy. This process (oxidation), as described above, not only becomes an eyesore but also is unsafe. Because of the degradation of the plastic lens, less light passed through resulting in diminished visibility during night driving. The car owner either had to deal with these cloudy yellow, oxidized headlight lenses posing serious safety issues or purchase expensive replacement headlights costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.

learn how to restore, clean, polish, and clear those cloudy, yellow plastic headlight lenses on their own without putting more money into the car manufacturer's pocket. One can restore headlights to like-new condition by taking off the top layer of oxidized plastic. This can be achieved through polishing, wet sanding, or through the use of chemicals. Auto manufacturers would rather you go to them for a headlight repair (charging as much as $150) or headlight replacement ($100-$1,000). The top layer of plastic on the headlights contains a UV polymer that retards or slows down the aging of the plastic lens. Therefore, it is important to use a polish (containing UV polymers) or UV coating to slow down the oxidation or discoloration of the lens. Parking your car in the shade or garage, or maintaining the lens by washing, waxing, and polishing a minimum of every three months, could avoid damage to the headlight lens.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_K._Steel

[centralized(m)]

hey i used mothers plastic polish and it worked excellent...removed the yellowness on a p12 lens clean off.....looking like brand new now......i like it as you are seeing it working as looking at the microfibre cloth after you are seeing all the yellowness coming out on the cloth!!!!!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND MOTHER'S PLASTIC POLISH!!!!!!!!!!!

[nervewrecker]

slow323, wah bout clear coating the headlight to keep it from being exposed to the elements?

[eitech]

mother's plastic polisher..

[TheBoostLord]

i used mothers and it worked okay but i saw in a couple gas stations had these stands with some kina polish on display dat does work wonders on all kina material. they did a demo on 1 on my headlights and well i just had to do the other one because it look like my car get a buss eye. i also bought a can..my headlights so clean now i feelin to sell it an buy a yellow pair just to polish it again.

[~Vēġó~]

good info there slow323

[De Dragon]

i used mothers and it worked okay but i saw in a couple gas stations had these stands with some kina polish on display dat does work wonders on all kina material. they did a demo on 1 on my headlights and well i just had to do the other one because it look like my car get a buss eye. i also bought a can..my headlights so clean now i feelin to sell it an buy a yellow pair just to polish it again.

What's the proper name of the product?

[TheBoostLord]

its called FW1

http://www.fw1shine.com

You WILL be impressed.

[slow323]

slacker aint know bout the clear coating it might work i would suggest you check a person who does plastic welding they may be able to tell you if the clear coat would work and how it would affect the plastic. you would also need to look into how much heat the clear coat could take once applied

[slow323]

www.autopaintguard.com

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums ... hts-11296/

[jeromey]

waxco have ah light polish,for about $20 and d sheit works minor elbo grease,use it for ah padna on a nze so i know it works,autosol is ah boss to polish after

[cinco]

slow323, wah bout clear coating the headlight to keep it from being exposed to the elements?

ive heard clear coating does not stand up well the the heat of the lamps
as you can read from slow323 post the plastic lenses need to expand and contractthe clear coat will just crack when they expand and contract

[nismaniac]

Use colgate and a piece of cloth..it works well. I came across an article on the net a few years ago and tried it and have been using it since. No bs it really works just aplly like polish and then buff off.

[wagonrunner]

[~Vēġó~]

zaboca tree go see some pressure!!!! I think I'll be trying that!

[crazybalhead]

I telling yuh that turtle wax thing for 85 bucks from 2Dmax is the sheit!!!!!!!

[Alpha_2nr]

I telling yuh that turtle wax thing for 85 bucks from 2Dmax is sheit!!!!!!!

[foss]

what are the cars that have these problems though?
had a corolla wagon with problem (both headlights if i remember)
then had a 323BJ but didn't have it long enough to see if problem surfaced.
now with a altis, but only one light is discoloured which has me wondering if the light itself was changed before or after being shipped *pulls beard strands*

will update with a before pic if i decide to see about it

[wagonrunner]

^^
plastic lens get discolored.
glass lens don't.

[foss]

^^
plastic lens get discolored.
glass lens don't.

i know.. but I notice problem a lot with toyota cars

[GLXXXTACY]

fellaz, mothers plastic polish and 4 j cloths! u will be amazed everytime u use it and your lights get brighter n clearer

[zacxs]

one way to solve that problem......to buy a mazda ,, lol..none of that sheit on our cars