19 replies to this topic

[01lib]

Hey everyone I am new here so please go easy. Anyway I have seen a number of threads on headlight cleaning and restoration here.

Anyway I was wanting to know peoples personal preference on the way to clean your headlights inside and out. What products to use and any tips I may need and what is the most effective in lasting the longest instead of having to do the process monthly etc.

I have a 2001 RX liberty and my headlights are looking slightly average and want to get the best out of them besides buying a new set.

Thanks in advance.

[Morgan]

The inside of your headlights is as clean as a whistle. I'd suggest focusing on the outside to get them looking new again.

Here's a DIY I did a little while ago on restoring headlights -

http://www.subyclub....ht-restoration/

[ADZY7]

Follow Morgans thread. I did and my headlights turned out a treat.

If they still look dull after doing the restoration, you may have to pull the headlights apart to clean the inside.

[00libertyrx]

I bought a restoration kit from autobarn, think it was 30$ and it worked a treat

[01lib]

Hey Morgan I've seen your thread and took note and looks good but was just worried how long it lasts? I have used some of my own turtle wax over the headlights but did not last too long. Thats why was seeing what was the most effective headlight clean was

[Morgan]

The yellow haze that you see on your headlights is just dirt and grime on the front of the lens. When you use the wet and dry on the lens, you will see it all come off. With the water, it becomes like a paste and you just wipe/rinse it off.

We only used the one grade of sandpaper in the DIY but I know people who have started with a rougher wet and dry then gotten finer and finer as they went along. Very good idea.

You might have to do it again but it's like washing a car. It's going to get dirty again because you use the car. If you have a spare $1000, you can buy a brand new set of headlights but I'd rather spend <$50 on decent cleaning gear and use some elbow grease doing it myself

I like to give my cars a good detail (claybar/buff/polish/sealant, etc) every six months and I do the headlights at the same time.

[01lib]

Excellent I'll have to get onto it thanks heaps for your help.

[Morgan]

No worries!

[Jimbo]

Get yourself some Maguires PlastX. Its a polish for plastic headlights and works a treat. About $15 from Supercrap or Ripco ect

[Shiv]

Use whatever trusted brand of plastic / headlight polish you want.

But I personally won't recommend any method which requires scrubbing of headlights using sandpaper. It removes the protecting UV coating of the headlight. Though it might look to have worked after you've done it, exposure to sunlight, cold weather etc will in the long term result in the return of yellowing to the lens.

Different people will have different results. Morgs and Adam's obviously look to have worked thus far. If you're car isn't garaged, that could determine how successful it is LONG TERM.

Ideally you want to use something non-abrasive. So a good buffing pad would be a better option. But keep buffing to a minimum.

Let us know how you go!

[TSG]

I just use the PlastX and a little buffing wheel (I bought a kit), I have to redo it every 6 months or so. Starts to come back along the top eventually.

[Morgan]

Didn't know headlights had UV protection but you need something abrasive to actually get rid of the yellow. Otherwise you're just polishing dirt!

[Brett]

Morgan and Shiv are both right and wrong at the same time.

The dulling is due to oxidation. Not just dirt, although dirty lenses will suffer the effects of UV radiation faster. If you are getting oxidation (and subsequently dulling/clouding) then the UV protection has already failed. So you may as well resort to polishing them up any way you can.

Headlights cop a battering. They're on the front of the car getting all the road grime, they get the worst of stones,bugs etc, they get hot from the inside during use, and are exposed to the elements all the time. Its little wonder they suffer.

Their are businesses that specialise in restoring headlight lenses, and they actually use a special coating, not just a polish.

Im happy to accept that once the factory UV protection is gone, Im going to have to give them a buff up every 6 months or so.

[Morgan]

Good info there, Brett. Thanks!

[Kyreen]

That's a great guide there, Morgan. Definitely going to give it a shot when I get my Liberty back next week.

[Morgan]

Cheers mate! I think I'm going to have to do it to my XT next week. They're looking fairly cloudy!

[CRUISN]

If you get the lens restore kits, they actually come with a coating, the final step that seals the plastic and restores the UV protection.

[Brett]

Do you know who makes these restore kits?

[vicelore]

This is the one i used

http://www.superchea...622#Description

[Beckers]

Make sure the globes you use also have a uv filter.
If you check the stamped/printed info on the globe mounting all new globe should read H7U etc, the U stands 4 uv filter.