Typical yellowing headlights on my vehicle. I’ve cleaned and polished before (not this vehicle, but a previous one). it didn’t seem to last long.
Can anyone please recommend a product that might make it last a bit longer? What have you used and how long might it last?
My vehicle is parked outside so doesn’t get any real shade protection which undoubtedly reduces the lifespan of any treatment.
Toothpaste, rag, elbow grease and time.
or
go to bunnings and buy some medium and very fine grained sandpaper and sand while ensuring the light stays wet, buff out with wax and a polisher if you have one.
or for simplicity sake.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3M-39008-Headlight-Lens-Restorat…
Or pay a guy ~$80-$100 on marketplace/gumtree to do it
go to bunnings and buy some medium and very fine grained sandpaper
Bunnings finest grit paper is 1200, but the auto stores sell 2000 grit and finer.
Or pay a guy ~$80-$100 on marketplace/gumtree to do it
I thought some professional detailers or even mechanics would do it less?
Did you do sanding first? Maybe start with 500 grit and finish with 2000 grit before using the polishing compound.
I have used Meguiar's PlastX on motorcycle visor and car headlights, but of course with sanding first. It's expensive but one bottle can go pretty far and I find it way better than the Turtle Wax brand equivalent.
https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/meguiars-meguiars-plastx…
There are SO many YouTube videos out there with different methods and products. Some say to seal it with a clear coat paint and it will last for years and years.
Just picked up some meguirs plastx from auto one. $5 cheaper than the linky.
Polskie reflektory? Teraz mówisz w moim języku!
bardzo dobrze!
"Polish" is the only reason I came for a look!
Ahhhh. Grosz powoli spada.
Thank-you.
Moja zona jest Polski 🤣 it's the only reason I came to this thread too.
InB4: piss and toothpaste (Toothpaste is about 3,000 to 5,000 grit with a hardness of about 2~3Mohs and is often softer than the lens you are polishing. And piss, I don't think I need to explain.)
Use 600, 800, 1,200, 2,000 grit sand papers in that order with lots of water. Finish it off with some car polish and recoat it with a nice UV sealer.
Chris Fix has a great video on how to do it…
Project Farm has a great video on different products tested…
avocado
.
Potato.
pineapple
*might not fix the yellowness.
drink more water
This is what I did, kind of, and with less steps. My headlights were very foggy and turned out really well.
I sanded them with 1200, which made them smooth but very frosted. I then did 3 coats of UV clearcoat letting it dry in between per the instructions, and sanded that with 1200. I followed up with 2000 grit and then Mothers polishing compound.
I'll reiterate that it's important to keep the lens/sandpaper wet when sanding. I set a hose on the bonnet of my car in the right spot and turned the tap on slightly to keep a constant flow over the lens.
I don't know about Polish headlights, but my car has a Danish cruise control.
Mine does doughnuts.
You need to spray on clear coat after you're finished.
Use a rotary buffer and Kitten Lens Doctor. Lasts around 4-6 months if the car is outside, longer if its under cover.
Thanks all. Perhaps I should have clarified: my Spanish built vehicle’s headlights are yellowing and dull….
What cars are built in Poland?
I’ve just rubbed back some areas where the previous owner had oversprayed mismatched touch up paint. I have the wet/dry paper, cutting compound and polish available. Was tidying up those areas that made me realise the headlights are in poor condition.
Really looking for protectant sealant as a few have suggested. Will see what I can get hold of for a bargain price.
What cars are built in Poland?
*cough* Fiat 500… *cough*
So it's not an Italian car then. Phew.
I've heard anecdotally that Polish cars are more reliable than Italian.
Fiat… Fix It Again Tony
Can confirm! :D
I use Novus plastic polish - start at 3 or 2, and finish on 1
https://lmgtfy.com/?q=novus+plastic+polish
Yeah basically try these headlight restoration kits, armorall had one too, I used it on mine and seems to do the trick….but I guess sanding would probably get more of the shine and clearness out….so it looks brand new….what happened to glass encased lights? They never fog up or yellow….now we have plastic crap…
just any cut and polish. Get the heaviest (for paint in bad condition) one. Once it's done, wax it.
If you want it to last, you need to use one of the ones that comes with a sealant as the last step
Brasso - Can be bought at Woolworths. Removes yellowing & produces a great shine
Once you've de-yellowed the lenses you need to give them a couple of coats of UV-stabilised clear coat, otherwise you;ll be doing it all again in a few months time
For example:
https://www.repco.com.au/en/car-care-panel/car-care/headligh…
Google "chrisfix".
Confirming Oscargarmer and Fatbastard.
Use any one of the various solutions to get the yellow off. They nearly all work for a few months
Rinse the car down.
Sticky tape newspaper around the lights to prevent overspray.
Use Clearcoat spray with UV protection. It is not complicated.
It will take about an hour, but after many other efforts, this is the long term solution.
This guy did a review of a bunch of the restore kits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDB5U4QUdD0
Some may only be available in the US.
jak sie masz!
Pressure pack of FW1, spray it on leave 10 mins and polish off. Works a treat
Tooth paste then seal with clear spray paint
I use Brasso or T-cut polish (not actually T-cut but a heavy cut paint restorer type product). Honda needs it every 6 months
See what I mean about needing a clear coat?
Indeed
Thanks. That’s linked above too. (ChrisFix)
I've just give mine a good clean, then use tooth paste as a cutting/polishing compound, wash off, then applied a wipe of 'quick shine' car polish. Usually lasts about 6 months before 'rinse and repeat'. A lot of the yellow colour appears to be dust and dirty caught in micro abrasions on the lenses.