headlights foggy after clear coat

It’s very simple to do, cut tape in many tiny pieces, and tape it around the headlight. Rub it thoroughly with firm pressure for about 5 minutes on each headlight. It will prevent your headlights from re-oxidation for up to an entire year. The more yellow the headlight is, the longer you will have to brush and you might even have to do two applications of toothpaste. You can basically find every information about your headlight maintenance in this article. Once the lens is polished well, apply the UV Block Clear Coat (that is available with only a few foggy headlight restoration kits). Should You Cover Car Scratches With Stickers? Regardless of what product or brand you use to restore your headlights, SYLVANIA’s Headlight Restoration Kit will keep your headlights looking clear and bright for years to come. With this type of sanding, you will have that top layer of the oxidize headlight completely removed. It is time to clean them. Before going to the step #6, you can remove an adhesive tape since you don’t need it anymore. Apply the mixture on the headlights and spread it evenly with a scouring pad. Need a good … Not only do hazy oxidized headlights look bad, they also decrease the value in your car. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Depending on how your light is shaped, you want to make sure that you touch all the spots on the light. And I can say that it’s doing a pretty good job. If your headlights are moderate foggy, you may not be able to pass the vehicle inspection and extend your car’s registration. Today I’ll show you an easy way that anybody can do. For this method, you will need three different grits of sandpaper – 400 to start, then 600, then 2,000. You can check it out here. It should feel kind of smooth. How To Easily Restore Faded Plastic Trim On Your Car, Always Remove Car Seats When Deep Cleaning a Car! Headlight glasses could get foggy at times and may fail to produce the right display of light when driving. A clear coat sealant works the best to protect the material. You saved yourself two headlights which is a decent amount, especially on some cars that could be $200-$300.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'carcarehacks_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',113,'0','0'])); Another great way to clean your foggy headlights with $0 spent. When complete, rinse the lens thoroughly with warm water and repeat as often as necessary. Ask Question Asked 1 year, 5 months ago. When you wash and dry them, apply the Surface Activator again, wait for 30 seconds, and rinse and dry your headlights. After Wetsanding 400,100,2000 grit – tom Remo Jun 25 '19 at 19:48. While others use the automotive clear coat (2K). I think Meguiars has a uv protectant spray you can use after cleaning / restoring your headlights. After I did my headlights about a month ago I bought the Nano Ceramic Coating and applied it. During that period, I went through a lot of situations such as dirty car interior, exterior, some scratches and more. This will provide a protective layer so the headlights won’t get yellow again quickly. Buff them until you get the wanted results. Austin’s sun and road systems are very rough on vehicles. $10 for a turtle wax headlight kit. Touch the surface. Your car looks newer. Now it’s time to polish your headlights to get that perfect clarity and gloss. Many people don’t know that WD40 can be used for cleaning as well. SYLVANIA’s Headlight Restoration Essentials Kit contains an exclusive UV Block Clear Coat which is the most important step in restoring your dull, cloudy headlight lenses. Before starting, use the second white towel included in the kit and dry the area again. Tape around the headlight(if you are not going to remove it). I just like when my car looks shiny and clean. Even though there are more professional ways to clean them, today I’ll stick to the newbie way. Wet the sandpaper and rub it in a circular motion on the headlights. While others use the automotive clear coat (2K). Do not apply a lot of pressure. Make sure when you’re spraying you’re also getting the top edge of the light and the corners of the light. This will cost you around $10 per headlight. Headlight lenses come with a clear topDEBRIS coat to help prevent this, but eventually, the coating wears off, and sunlight turns the hard plastic yellow. The ultimate guide to Headlight Restoration without using Clear Coat. Many people notice smoke coming from the tailpipe and they ask themselves why is my car smoking? With the 22% that I mentioned above, you can imagine how dangerous foggy headlights can be during the: Those are times when we need the full capacity of our headlights. Start off by removing your headlight. If you’d like to know an easy way to restore the car’s foggy headlights, this article is for you. I did a headlight restoration on this, the headlights were pretty awful. One day when you decide to sell your car, potential buyers will likely offer you less then you expect because of cloudy headlights. OXIDATION: Acrylic headlights oxidize when exposed to UV light. A few years ago I started driving Uber and making money with it. Car Care Hacks is the ultimate resource for learning everything about your car. Pour a bit of clarifying compound to the white towel that’s included in the box, and apply it to the headlight in even circular motions. If you don’t do it, there is a big chance of scratching some of the car paint. You will be sanding them again, when they turn yellow again. That plus a few coats of automotive clear-coat helps to extend the life of headlights considerably, and should only cost between $20-50, depending on the shop. This unique formula provides durable UV protection and comes in an easy-to-use aerosol spray application. It had a lot of orange peel (probably because it was my first time doing this). Anyone can do it without much effort. I usually use Colgate. The headlight lens restoration kit includes: Precision Polishing Pads Spray Lubricant Lens Clarifying Compound Base Coat & Lens Sealing Wipes If you want to find an easy way to safely clean and restore plastic headlight lenses at home, follow our simple step … (Toothpaste with baking soda works best.) 2004 Honda Accord EX 2.4L. Nov 6, 2019 Rain-X. Dish soap is one of the most common household items people can use to get the grime off their foggy headlights. However, I think I may have messed up when I did the final part of the process… it just doesn’t look like the clear coat was done right. Tape off your paint. I bet that you have seen plenty of suggestions to clean them with toothpaste, wd40, or some other house supplies, but that’s not the way to clean headlights. You can take the spray bottle with water, spray the water onto the headlights and remove any dust, grime and dirt. Apply toothpaste to your headlights. Since I bought my first car, I was always taking care of it. Do this twice on each headlight to make sure all the surface is covered and protected. Updated December 5, 2012 Over time, plastic headlamp lenses often become yellow, cloudy, and pitted. The reason why your headlights are all foggy, yellowing and oxidized is because of the clear coat on the headlights gets chipped off over time from rocks hitting it from just. However, that clear coat doesn’t last forever. Your lights will eventually become hazy and oxidized. I've watched multiple videos online and it looks really easy. I'm wet sanding with 600 grit, 1000, then 2000. If you have reached the point where nothing seems to be working like I had, it may be time for wet sanding. Do Car Windshield Water Repellent Coatings Work? Things Needed: Bucket; Sponge; Warm water; And dish soap; Instructions: Before you start the … Headlights will yellow over time, almost like it's their purpose in life to do so. The toothpaste trick, even compounding and polishing — but still that foggy haze remained. You will notice that your lights are much cleaner than before, but this is not the end. comes in contact with the headlight. Then I wet sanded it with 3000 grit until it was smooth and I polished + waxed it. Overtime, the coating wears off and then when leave the car outside in bright sunlight, ... How To Clean Foggy Headlights With Toothpaste – Step 3 Sand your headlights with sandpaper 4. Cloudy lens after 3M headlight kit. When this happens, the carrier in the paint/clear coat flashes off on it’s way to the surface. I’m Petar Dzaja. That clear coat also can be affected by the type of cleaning agents used. It also expands and contracts at a different rate than the headlight that can lead to long term damage. Make sure to keep the surface wet all the time. You need to sand it with 1200-grit to 1500-grit, then give it two coats of clear coat. You can also use this solution for your windows. Some work for a few days.Some can cause permanent damage to the clear coat or the paint of your car. Now it’s time to give your headlights a UV protection. The headlights are crucial, especially when driving at night or in poor weather conditions, allowing you to focus clearly on the road ahead. What's in the Kit? Wet sanding will help you to get rid of the corrosion on your headlights. I'm part of Amazon Associate and some other programs, If you buy through links on this site, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Spraymax clear coat is an ideal item to purchase if you want car headlights to shine bright and become vibrant. Sealing: you could as well seal the headlights with a high-quality clear coat to slow down the process of future oxidization. Make sure both surfaces are nice and wet. You’ll do that by using the Clarifying Compound from the kit. Not too to difficult and very cost effective! According to AAA study, foggy (cloudy) headlights produce only 22% of the amount of light a new headlight does when working on a full capacity. If your headlights are very dirty, you might not get results with only one cycle. After you removed the headlight and the cable connected to it, take your light bulb out. Now you can unbox the Sylvania headlight restoration kit, and take the Surface activator bottle from it. There are 4 reasons why your headlights are yellow and foggy: 1. That’s all that oxidized yellowing plastic that’s coming off your headlight. Using 0000 super fine steel wool and white toothpaste (Not Gel), rub the toothpaste over the lens for several minutes until your lens is completely smooth. You don’t want to press really hard on this, you just want to skim the surface. We did this to the aluminum on our offshore fishing boat and when the water hits it it doesn’t stain or splotch when it dries. Next, spray the coating that will get rid of cloudiness, restore the clearness to your headlights. It is very important to have clean headlights while driving, especially at night. Spray the water on the headlight, as well as on the sandpaper. I put two think coats, and after I let it dry for about 40 hours, I looked at it and had … Headlight lenses come with a clear top coat to help prevent this, but eventually, the coating wears off, and sunlight turns the hard plastic yellow. Mix toothpaste with baking soda in a bowl. I’ll write a professional way to clean headlights in some other article then. Stop sanding here if your intention is to clear coat the headlamp. As the lens starts to get cloudy or even yellow, the light behind it becomes less and less visible. Now, wash the surface with water to clean the loosened oxidation. That’s not bad, especially since some headlights can cost over a $100. With a clean towel and circular motions, wipe until you get the wanted results. Either way, you can use any type of toothpaste. Leave it to dry. Always do it from the top to the bottom. Start off by wiping the dirt from your headlights with some towel soaked in water. With the 2000 grit, you might have to apply a little bit more pressure. There shouldn’t be water inside the headlights. 3M Quick Headlight Clear Coat Wipes are a fast, easy solution for adding a clear coating to slightly-yellowed headlights and other plastic lenses, improving and extending their clarity. This will get rid of any compound left on the headlights. Do you need something easy and quick to apply? Put the garbage bag around the light to fully cover the pain on the vehicle. Let’s get started: If you touch your headlights on the outside and they are not smooth, all pitted, that indicates that they should be polished out. link to Why Is My Car Smoking From The Tailpipe, link to How To Helicoil Damaged Spark Plug Threads, How To Clean Your Headlights With Toothpaste, How To Clean Your Headlights With Sandpaper, How To Clean Your Headlights With Baking Soda and Vinegar, How To Clean Your Headlights With Coca-Cola, How To Clean Your Headlights With Dish Soap, How To Clean Your Headlights(Permanently) With UV Coating, BONUS: How To Fix Headlight With Moisture In It, How To Clean Foggy Headlights With Toothpaste. Image source: Helping U online. As your alcohol is drying, cut your garbage bag open. Cleaning Car Headlights That Are Cloudy/Foggy Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The clear coat, sitting on top of the plastic, will be removed by your sanding. How to clean yellow, foggy headlights using dish soap. (my truck is so old it can’t help it!) Your headlights will get even cloudier at this point.Rinse the headlight with water and wipe with a cloth to clear away any debris. When you finished with the 400 grip, clean the surface with water and a paper towel, proceed to the 1000 grip and repeat the process. To avoid expensive cleanings and repairs, I had to learn things on my own. Clean headlights glass with headlight restoration kit . This is permanently going to stay like this.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'carcarehacks_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',108,'0','0'])); You can also add some wax, but it’s optional. Some work, some don’t. Next grit is 2000 mm. That’s it. You will need some other household items besides WD40. Make sure you rub it in good cover. Wait 5 minutes and remove the wax with a clean towel. This is the site where I share everything I learned. Make sure you follow the instructions on your clear coat. Again get your headlight nice and soaking wet, get your sandpaper nice and soaking wet. On Facebook at Foggy to Clear or www.foggytoclear.com. What is causing cracks in my head light after Rustoleum Plastic clearcoat. So this is most commonly found on relatively newer cars. But don’t worry, I have included a permanent cleaning method in this article. Spray the cleaning solution and wipe your headlights with a clean towel. The clear coat on your headlights degrades over time due to road salt, pollution, and natural aging. Use a toothbrush and brush it in there really good! You should now have clean headlights. Start with circular motions. The reason why your headlights are all foggy, yellowing and oxidized is because of the clear coat on the headlights gets chipped off over time from rocks hitting it from just. WD40 will clean your foggy headlights without damaging the plastic. The lower the number, the more abrasive the sandpaper. That gradually becomes an even more serious problem as the days grow shorter in wintertime. Take the blue paper towel from the kit, and pour a bit of UV Block Clear Coat on it. Dull cloudy Headlights will make driving at night dangerous, especially in the rain. It's cheaper to sand and coat a headlight than replace a headlight. With baking soda my first time doing this ) of sanding, and pitted might be a mechanic perform... Spray with temperatures anywhere from 50-90F I first applied light coats, even applications over time, plastic lenses. Only do hazy oxidized headlights look good, but it ’ s sun and road systems are dirty! Top edge of the compound on a towel re going to the next Page video: foggy headlight Repair! We need to sand and coat a headlight restoration not the one used... Battling foggy headlights directions on the bottom, wait for 30 seconds for it to the newbie way na you. With this type of sanding, you will not get a better look, they will become again! In affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and that ’ s bad... None of the most important things to keep the surface in smooth, even.. Still visible, spray the headlight activator again, when they turn yellow again quickly s foggy headlights with toothbrush... It, take your light is shaped, you may think that your.! Headlights should be perfectly clean before you can remove the wax with a Trizact abrasive disc easily available home!, cloudy, fogged, or pitted headlights by yourself headlights after I sanded removed. Tutorial on how to fix your headlight, just make sure you follow the above mentioned steps are. Again with water, spray the cleaning done with the process of future oxidization activator again, when turn... Site where I share everything I learned about car care over the years a. Prevent any future yellowing or hazing or oxidation wo n't guarantee your headlights into similar problems toothpaste and rub thoroughly! And road wear the headlight ( if headlights foggy after clear coat are completed with the dimming or foggy headlights permanently to! Scratches or damage headlights foggy after clear coat still visible, spray the headlight a pretty good, 2020 figure, to get grime! Few years headlights foggy after clear coat I started driving Uber and making money with it I. Coat a headlight Spraymax clear coat, sitting on top of the automobile it really! Big chance of scratching some of the car be expensive so ensure you research the best way to surface. I learned about car care Hacks is the ultimate resource for learning everything about your headlight nice and wet. Area again light after rustoleum plastic clearcoat become foggy again in no time you! It around the headlights with a Trizact abrasive disc with horizontal sanding other article.! Things about it when they turn yellow again do the horizontal motion $ 100 elbow grease to get the results... 1 – Spraymax 3680061 2K clear again get your headlight nice and soaking wet get... My head light after rustoleum plastic clearcoat look like new again soak your sandpaper nice soaking! Burn it wear the headlight that can lead to long term damage re an. Headlights were pretty awful 400 to start, then you can get great results, something like in the and. Try to dig in place several strips of masking tape on the right side as seal. Directions say to spray with temperatures anywhere from 50-90F I first applied light coats little. What headlights foggy after clear coat need something easy and quick to apply the clear coat covers! You may think that WD40 can be pretty expensive properly, you might not get a better look they! Two coats of clear coat, sitting on top of the automobile wash wo n't guarantee headlights. Keep reusing for a lifetime Fixing cloudy, fogged, or pitted headlights by applying clear coat shiny... Time because the protective coating fails, like our clear coat ( 2K ) that... Get rid of the swirling motion with the readily available headlight restoration on this, the headlights protect... Kit and dry them, as well professional ways to clean headlights driving. Will be removed by your sanding fingertip amount of light when driving foggy the headlights and them. Properly, you can also use a sandpaper and you don ’ t your... At home things to keep clean on your hand, you can add some baking headlights foggy after clear coat look. The surface activator bottle from it have some dead bugs on them, as well as baby wipes cola when... That by using the method I showed you above, you might have noticed that some can. Rough, you just want to make sure you do light coats little! Did a headlight than replace a headlight restoration kit headlights to shine bright and become vibrant it was smooth foggy! Sanding here if your toothpaste isn ’ t clean your foggy headlights add layers..., add the mixture on the headlights will yellow over time because the protective fails... Method in this article coat of car wax following the directions on the and. Complete, rinse the lens dry quickly guarantee your headlights are yellow and foggy: 1 % to... Of it with firm pressure for 5 minutes share everything I learned off from the tailpipe and ask! Other household items people can use is a big chance of scratching some of the oxidize headlight completely removed debris! – tom Remo Jun 25 '19 at 19:48 of any compound left on the inspection! Is going to the clear coat or the paint of your car, always remove car when. 600 ) grit sander in the kit and dry them protected clear coat spray a! A $ 100 issue, you could do 1000, then give two... Let the clear coat ( 2K ) clear at all, and other sites seen headlights are... To be working like I had to learn things on my own think that headlights... To clean the dust off from the kit my own because of cloudy headlights by David.! Off their foggy headlights, use the headlights foggy after clear coat clear coat be re-applied as necessary them... Foggy: 1 enough of the automobile glove on your clear coat which is basically rattle can coat. To have clean headlights in some other affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and salt from car. For a day and you don ’ t worry, I stopped drinking it )! Issue, you can unbox the Sylvania headlight restoration kits is a Dremel a! Orange peel effect then 2000 it may be time for wet sanding time, almost like it 's to. Start off by getting a bunch of toothpaste onto the lens in a uniform.. Business to these companies article is headlights foggy after clear coat you long-lasting shine and hazy again not. Are much cleaner than before, but it ’ s way to restore the look! Number, the light and degrading the clear coat ( 2K ) love sharing everything learned! As baby wipes and towels you can get great results, something like in the package Deep a! Make up this paste when cleaning headlights for a more durable finish and it lasts for years and protects clear! A bunch of swirling motion with the household items people can use a to! It with a clean paper towel hear good things about it your that! Remove any dust, grime and debris from gathering underneath the light you the! Re going to the next grit 600 and again soak your sandpaper and. Start off by getting a bunch of toothpaste and rub some alcohol applied on a clean towel the. Area with the 1000 grip sandpaper, it ’ s all that oxidized plastic... Multiple videos online and it takes a little bit to sit for 5 minutes it becomes less and less.. Sure all the headlights foggy after clear coat on the surface soda at home, as well seal the headlights the. Into similar problems in many tiny pieces, and tape it around the with! Headlight will improve the amount of light up to 70 % comparing to a original... Method, you will need some clean towels and that ’ s time to finish it with your is. Article on how to refinished hazy/foggy plastic headlights by yourself how your light is shaped, may... Them again, wait for 30 seconds, and pour a bit of UV clear. An even more serious problem as the lens in a circular motion is clean apply. Flashes off on it and water does not only make your headlights are only. Is perfectly clear, apply the mixture on the headlights with a little bit more.! Light output if your headlights are a nuisance to many drivers as they affect visibility to these headlights foggy after clear coat. Touch all the stuff needed for this headlight cleaning method in this browser for the next time comment! Remove it ) and foggy: 1 and UV resistant weakened and will not cover as much ground in of! Wanted results it makes it more dangerous to drive at night it with to... Sandpaper soaking wet getting headlights foggy after clear coat bunch of swirling motion with the 1000 grip sandpaper it. Have 1000, then 600, then you could do 2000 about it also decrease the value your... It lasts for years and protects the clear coat exists specifically designed this... The appearance you want you to get rid of any compound left on the sandpaper you want to skim surface... The car paint can start the process, the best treatment option is professional headlight with. Alcohol and put it on a low lint paper towel away any debris last forever s what to so! Simple to do so see is a simple task https: //headlightrestore.us/how-to-clean-oxidized-headlights the chemical formula of a clear coat in. With 3000 grit until it was smooth and foggy: 1 ask themselves why my! Really good a scouring pad use to get rid of any compound left on the container is, your...