The solution is easier than you might think. The headlight polish is that you can restore this dangerous and unsightly problem in about 20 minutes. It’s easy once you are know-how. If your lenses have no scratches and are only slightly opaque, you can probably get away with using 2000 grit paper only. The first sanding step is where you will actually remove the scratched and cloudy layer of plastic. The finer grades of sandpaper are to remove the scratches left from the previous grit sandpaper.
Why Do Headlights Become Yellow and Dull?
The problem is not caused by abuse or neglect, as you might think. It is an environmental problem. Without regular maintenance, UV rays from the sun, acid rain, salt and road debris degrade and discolour all clear plastics, including lens covers. If your vehicle has halogen or another type of high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamp, the problem can be worse. These sealed beam units operate at high temperatures, further contributing to degradation and yellowing.
What Is The Solution?
The solution is an easy restoration process. Headlight restoration is a plastic repair process that removes surface damage and restores clarity to the lenses. Even severe cases of yellowing, hazing, and scratches can be fixed in less than 30 minutes.
What kind of results can you expect? It may look hopeless, but most likely the damage is superficial. Even if your light covers are completely opaque, they can be restored. As long as the plastic has not yellowed all the way through, you have a very good chance of full restoration.
Try A Low Abrasive Polish First
If the damage is slight, you may be able to fix it with a simple plastic polish. It is recommended trying this method first. It won’t be wasted effort or expense, either, because you need to use the polish regularly to maintain your lighting. Never use a household glass cleaning product like Windex on clear plastic. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which causes clear plastic to yellow.
If the polish alone does not work, then you need to remove the damage with very fine sandpaper (2000 grit is very safe) and re-polish to restore a clear finish. While it may sound scary or complicated, it’s not. Wet sanding is quick and easy from the spare part.
You can test to see if your headlights will respond to headlight polish with a small dab of tartar control toothpaste. Toothpaste is slightly abrasive. If the small test area vastly improves, then you know polish alone may be all you need.