Advice on replacing foggy headlights

[Timbo]

I need to replace the headlight on my wife's 2002 Honda Accord. The lenses are oxidized and very dull. I have cleaned them twice in the past with toothpaste and plastic polish, but the oxidation is so deep that I can't get it all off, and what I did remove comes back pretty quickly. The next step would be 5-6 progressively finer sheets of wet/dry sandpaper, then polishing. It's not worth it to me since I just found out that I can get a new pair with bulbs included from a bunch of vendors for $70-$80.

Question is...Is there a particular brand that good at resisting oxidation, or are they all about the same? Seeking any advice from anyone having experience replacing their headlights due to severe oxidation of the lens.

Thanks.
Tim

 

[Ed McDonnell]

I tried the micromesh, wet/dry paper, and lots of other stuff on my wife's car. A waste of time and money. You are making the right choice to replace them in my opinion.

I have a 9 year old F150. Headlights are crystal clear. I had to replace the headlights on my wife's Dodge Magnum when it was about 5 years old. Does that mean Ford headlights are better than Dodge (or Honda). No. Every make of car seems to have some where the headlights haze up and some that don't.

I've heard two theories on what causes some headlights to have problems and not others.

1) It's supposedly just another example of what you get when you source products from China. The Chinese manufacturer runs out of the chemicals that stabilize the plastic lens (or doesn't want to pay the price) and they substitute something else that doesn't work. If you get the headlights from the defective batch, too bad for you.

or

2) The headlight lens have a protective coating that stops micro pitting that can cause hazing. Aggressive cleaning by the dealer / owner strips off the protective coating the headlight lens haze up over time.

If the problem is 1, it won't matter what brand you buy (unless you find one that doesn't come out of China, but good luck with that). It's up to luck whether you get a good product or not. Brand has nothing to do with it.

If the problem is 2, it also won't matter what brand you buy. Just don't strip off the protective coating when cleaning (avoid power buffers and polishes on the lens).

So, when it came time to buy replacement headlights for my wife's car, I didn't worry about brand and just bought the lowest priced lights I could find.

Ed

 

[Wood Butcher]

This will sound nuts but a friend says it works. He has a car that sits out, not garaged, and the plastic lens covers looked like they were white not clear. He used OFF, mosquito spray. He sprayed it on a cloth and wiped it on the frosted covers and they cleared up right away. It has been a month or more and still look good. I can't say what the long term results will be but he says it worked and was quick and cheap. Might give it a go.
WB

 

[seamus7227]

We take our cars to sams club and they charge around $30 for the set of headlights on any car. And they guarantee it for somewhere around 2 years




These looked so foggy that when we had them done, our feild of view was so much better, I have no idea how we managed to even see at night before.

 

[Timbo]

We take our cars to sams club and they charge around $30 for the set of headlights on any car. And they guarantee it for somewhere around 2 years




These looked so foggy that when we had them done, our feild of view was so much better, I have no idea how we managed to even see at night before.

We have a membership there. That might be worth a shot if only to save time. I'll look into it. Thanks.

 

[butchf18a]

Use Colgate since it whitens and brightens

 

[Dalecamino]

We have an '05 Accord and '91 GMC K1500 I wet sanded both sets using MM Pads then, Novus II and Plast X same as I would polish a pen. It made a big difference. I think the main problem is, the plastic brushes at the car wash. It would be nice to find one that uses felt brushes and, use them exclusively. Which I do now.

To replace the lenses shouldn't be that difficult. There are usually 4 bolts. You may have to remove a shield to get to them. You will probably pay extra for original equipment. I found our Honda dealer is very proud of their parts and, labor. $500.00 for front pads and, turn rotors

Good luck!

LOL!!! I just went out and, took a look at our Honda. I now retract my statement about, not being too difficult. It's NOW something I wouldn't try myself, not knowing exactly HOW to do it. Sorry!

 

[ChrisN]

One local garage sands them down, and then gets them clear coated with automotive clear coat. It's easier and lasts longer than sanding and buffing.

 

[randyrls]

Unfortunately, in our era, the manufacturing process has replaced "Good, Better, Best" with "Cheap, Cheaper, Cheapest" as a motto.

 

[t001xa22]

Tim, for what it is worth, I can vouch for the DEET repellent idea. I know that the best idea short of complete replacement of the assemblies would be a commercial service like has been mentioned. A possible solution could also be the repellent application. I have done 7-8 vehicles in the past, and it has helped all of them. I don't know what chemical in the repellent does the trick, but it has worked for me. The key things to remember are to apply only to the application cloth first (never spray directly on the lenses and surrounding bezels), and to wipe in a continuous motion (don't allow the cloth to sit in one spot too long). If the lenses have pitting that can be felt, then they would have to be wet-sanded before the spray application. I offer this only as a possible idea that I have used with success.

 

[Timbo]

Thanks guys...I now have 3 options...not sure which I'll take just yet.

1. Replace headlight units - a lot less expensive than I thought for aftermarket.
2. Let Sam's Club restore the headlights. I need to confirm my club offers this service.
3. My research outside of this forum indicates that 3M's restoration kit works really well. Not sure I'll be motivated to pursue this option if Sam's Club will do it for under $30.

 

[navycop]

Crystal View Headlight Restorer/Defogger 101: Get the best Headlight Restorer Kits & Supplies at Advance Auto Parts
I have used this on my wifes car. Her's are still clear. I just used it on my Tacoma a couple weeks ago. Big differance at night..

 

[79spitfire]

NAPA AUTO PARTS

I used this, it worked great on my 07 Yaris and my wife's 06 Accord

 

[Timbo]

I just confirmed that our local Sam's Club do headlight restoration for $29.88 plus tax. I think I'm going to go that route. Thanks everyone for your advice.

 

[Sandsini]

I'm a huge car buff and have purchased and sold TONS of cars over the years. I can assure you that the 3M Headlight kit works Extremely Well. Make sure to get the one that uses your hand drill and you will be amazed.

Seriously. Don't pay to have someone else do them. It's very easy and especially rewarding when you see the difference.

Good luck!

 

[Timbo]

I'm a huge car buff and have purchased and sold TONS of cars over the years. I can assure you that the 3M Headlight kit works Extremely Well. Make sure to get the one that uses your hand drill and you will be amazed.

Seriously. Don't pay to have someone else do them. It's very easy and especially rewarding when you see the difference.

Good luck!

Hey Eric...I agree with you for the most part. Most of what I've read said the 3M kit with drill attachment works very well. Its more an issue of time for me. The kits costs ~$15, to have Sam's club do it will cost ~$30. Its worth the extra $15 not to have to spend time doing it myself. I got three more shows and 8 commissions to complete before the Christmas...I think I'm going to focus on that and not put myself under anymore stress. Thanks for your comments.

 

[woodbutcher]

This will sound nuts but a friend says it works. He has a car that sits out, not garaged, and the plastic lens covers looked like they were white not clear. He used OFF, mosquito spray. He sprayed it on a cloth and wiped it on the frosted covers and they cleared up right away. It has been a month or more and still look good. I can't say what the long term results will be but he says it worked and was quick and cheap. Might give it a go.
WB

+1. It really does work. I used Cutter Mosquito Spray though.

 

[Scott]

Not to resurrect a dead topic, but based on what I read in this thread, we took our 97 Honda Civic to Sams Club this last weekend so they could work on our headlights. It was $29.88. For this they cleaned all the cloudiness from the headlights, and applied a clear coat. They really do look brand new! And they gave a five year warranty! I am impressed!

Just thought I'd report back on what I found. And to say thanks! I love the IAP!

Scott.

 

[Timbo]

Not to resurrect a dead topic, but based on what I read in this thread, we took our 97 Honda Civic to Sams Club this last weekend so they could work on our headlights. It was $29.88. For this they cleaned all the cloudiness from the headlights, and applied a clear coat. They really do look brand new! And they gave a five year warranty! I am impressed!

Just thought I'd report back on what I found. And to say thanks! I love the IAP!

Scott.

Thanks for reporting back. We're planning to take that route also...just haven't had time yet.