Are you sick and weary of your automobile headlights being cloudy and hazy, which reduces the effectiveness of your lighting system? Do you wish to find a long-term restoration option rather than pay for expensive replacements? There's nowhere else to look! In this in-depth guide, we'll walk you through every step required to restore headlights permanently.
Foggy headlights degrade the look of your car and can put you and other drivers in danger when driving in dimly lit areas. Thankfully, there are several quick remedies for hazy headlights, including a long-term headlight restoration option.
THE REASONS BEHIND HAZY HEADLIGHTS
A number of different things can cause headlight fog. Although UV oxidation is the main cause of foggy headlights, UV radiation is not always to blame.
- OXIDATION BY UV
Your car's headlight lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is engineered to withstand even the most severe driving conditions. However, they are not as resilient in the sun, which is why the producers cover them with a UV-blocking film. UV light exposure deteriorates this coating over time, oxidizing and clouding the plastic.
- CHEMICALS AND DIRT
Salt and grime can damage headlights. Yellow lenses can develop over time from a layering accumulation of dirt, salt, and other substances.
- TRAPPED CONDENSATION
Water vapor can condense inside your lightbox and get caught in your headlights. Dimming headlights might also be caused by trapped condensation.
TEMPORARY QUICK FIXES FOR HEADLIGHT RESTORATION
If you need to fix your headlights quickly, there are a few quick solutions you can try with things you probably already have lying around the house. While sanding will permanently restore headlights, these solutions are quick and simple to do.
METHOD 1: DISTILLED VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA
What can vinegar not remove? You can use vinegar, a very adaptable cleaning solution, on your headlights. To begin, mix one part vinegar and one part baking soda to make a cleaning paste. While the vinegar gets rid of the dirt, the baking soda breaks down any pollutants on the lenses.
You can put your paste to your headlights after you've made it. Use a paper towel dipped in your paste to firmly rub the headlights. After a few minutes, remove the paste from the headlights with a fresh towel.
METHOD 2: BAKING SODA AND TOOTHPASTE
Instead of making your paste with vinegar and baking soda, you may always purchase pre-made paste, like dental paste. Certain toothpastes can be used exactly as is, and they do include baking soda. You will need to mix baking soda with toothpaste that doesn't contain it. Oxidative pollutants are broken down by abrasive compounds found in toothpaste. Baking soda is added, which aids in the breakdown of contaminants even more.
Mix one part baking soda and one part toothpaste, then spread the mixture onto a paper towel. Scrub the headlights with the paste to produce abrasive friction. If you have an extra toothbrush, you can really use it in place of paper towels. Moreover, a Dremel would speed up the procedure. After you've scrubbed for a few minutes, the headlights can be cleaned with a dry towel and water.
METHOD 3: USING COCA-COLA
The phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola is excellent at eliminating rust and stains from vehicle body components, which may make you wonder what Coca-Cola does to your own body parts.
Since Diet co*ke has no added sugar, it is preferable to use it instead of Regular co*ke if you have some. Pour your Diet co*ke or regular co*ke into a spray bottle, then give the headlight lenses a strong spray. After a few minutes, let the co*ke sit on the headlights and then use a dry cloth to wipe them clean. Several repetitions of the procedure might be necessary to remove all of the debris from your headlights.
THE STEPS INVOLVED IN RESTORING HEADLIGHTS PERMANENTLY
The easiest approach to restore headlights permanently is to sand them down, even though the preceding short remedies will work for a while. Do you want to know how to fix headlights permanently? Prior to starting the restoration process, you must obtain the following items:
- Soapy water
- simple water
- Gentle fabric
- Painter's tape or masking
- 600-grit sandpaper (dry or wet)
- 1,000 and 2,000 grit waterproof sanding papers (Matador sanding sheets are our preferred choice).
- alcohol
- Polishing compound for plastic
- Flannel polishing cloth
- UV-resistant sealant
1. CLEAN AND DRY THE LENSES FOR HEADLIGHTS
Cleaning the surface you'll be working on is the first stage in the procedure, just like with any other sanding project. An uneven finish might occur from contaminants on your sanding surface covering up surfaces or being ground into the surface during sanding. Before you start sanding, you should make sure the surface of your headlights is clean.
Wash the foggy headlight lenses in warm, soapy water. Rinse the lenses multiple times with distilled water to remove all soap residue. To ensure that your tape sticks correctly in the following step, you might also wish to wash the areas surrounding the headlights. Next, use a gentle towel to dry wipe the headlights.
2. COVER YOUR LENSES WITH TAPE
You should be careful not to sand the paint off your car, as you will be sanding your headlights. To avoid having to tape anything, you could always take out your car's headlight lenses, although doing so usually requires more labor than merely taping something. Apply tape and a garbage bag to the area surrounding the lenses to mask them carefully. For this task, masking tape or painter's tape works well.
3. SAND THE HEADLIGHTS
To sand your headlights, you will use a grit progression consisting of three different grits (600, 1,000, and 2,000). We advise using our high-quality sandpaper sheets from Benchmark Abrasives. First, you will need a 600-grit sanding sheet.
You can sand the 600-grit sheet dry or wet. Sand in straight horizontal lines until all traces of the hazy layer are gone. For more extreme sanding, heavily oxidized headlights might need to be sanded using a 400-grit sheet.
Make sure your 1,000 and 2,000-grit sheets are waterproof before you start wet sanding after your 600-grit pass is complete. To provide lubrication for sanding, use a spray bottle to mist your headlights with water. Using the 1,000-grit sheet, gently sand the headlight surface, then keep applying water to keep the surface moist.
After using the 1,000-grit sanding sheet, transition to your 2,000-grit sheet. Sand in straight horizontal strokes after greasing the surface with water once more. Once you've finished sanding, the headlight surface should be continuously clear and smooth.
4. HEADLIGHTS: CLEAN AND POLISH
After sanding, you should clean and shine your headlights to remove sanding residue. To start, use paper towels soaked in alcohol to wipe the headlight lenses to remove the sanding residue. Next, use a flannel polishing cloth to apply your polishing compound evenly, making sure to rub it in.
If you'd like to work with power tools, you can apply the compound using an angle grinder and a cotton buffing wheel. If you choose to use an angle grinder, make sure it is set at a low speed to avoid overheating the plastic surface.
5. USE THE UV COATING
Applying a fresh UV coating is the final step toward permanently repairing headlights. In the end, your headlight lenses should have three coats of UV coating applied to them. Allowing the first coat to dry for a minimum of five minutes is recommended before adding a second or third coat. Ensure that every application is uniformly lit. After that, give your headlight lenses a full day to dry.
CONCLUSION
Although oxidation may not always be avoided, there are things you can do to make your UV coating last longer. To protect your automobile from the sun, try to park it in a shaded spot whenever you can. Regular car washing can also help prevent the accumulation of chemicals and dirt. Lastly, you can maintain clean headlights all year long by sanding your car's headlights a few times a year.
