How to fix yellowing headlights

[rch-13z]

Are you headlights currently hazing over or going yellow? Well I have found a guide/product which fixes this problem.

For months I wondered how I could fix this problem & actually was about to buy all the individual pieces required to perform this. In comparison my headlights are not as bad as some I have seen but I am very picky with this sort of thing.

Just to give you an idea, below is what headlights looked like before I started.



This is the actual kit I purchased, I found it through Autobahn but I am assuming you can pick from most car accessory retailers.

Permatex - Headlight Lens Restoration Kit which includes:

- 1 sheet each of the following grit wet/dry sandpaper (1000,1500,2000,2500 - Lower the number, the rougher the grit)
- Soft Cloth
- Plastic Polish (doesn't specify exactly what sort of polish)
- Rubber Gloves



Steps Required:

1. You need to decide first of all how bad the damage is on your headlights, in my case the headlights where just yellow but not badly scratched so I didn't need to use the rougher grit paper. So I started with the 2000 grit paper.

Soak the paper in water for a good 5-10 minutes just to make sure it is completely wet. Failure to do so can mean causing more damage to your headlight, making possibly worse than when you started.... Be sure to also wet the lens of the headlight to keep lubrication at a maximum.

2. With your roughest sandpaper(lowest # grit, IE 1500) Rub the sandpaper in one direction IE. left --> right until you have a uniform finish and keep dipping the paper into water so you don't clog up the sandpaper.

3. Re-lubricate the headlight and change the water which you dip your sandpaper into so make sure you don't contaminate the new paper. Then start to rub a higher grit sandpaper IE. 2000 in one direction again, this time top to bottom or visa-versa.

4. Follow the same process again this time with a higher grit again IE. 2500 and change the direction in which you are rubbing the headlight again IE left ---> right again.

NB: Make sure that you are regularly dipping the sandpaper into water to clear off any mass attracted by the sandpaper

Also note, at this stage you will not see the headlight clear up.

5. Clean the headlight with water and dry off with a clean cloth.

6. Once dry, use a soft clean cloth + the polish provided & rub whilst applying pressure in a circular motion over the entire headlight. Once applied please allow the polish to dry. Once the polish is set rub the polish off with a clean cloth.

7. If the lens of the headlight still hasn't cleared up, then re-apply step 6.

8. If you notice any spots which have not cleared up, then re-polish these particular areas.

And after all of this, it should look like this.



All up this process took me between 30-45 minutes to complete and the kit cost about $30. I know it my case I completely happy with this outcome.

Hope it helps guys, any questions please let me know.

[hakhawk]

good to see it works, sold a few of these at work, but no feedback from anyone to know how well they worked.(i havent tried them because my lights are still ok)

nice write up aswell

[rch-13z]

good to see it works, sold a few of these at work, but no feedback from anyone to know how well they worked.(i havent tried them because my lights are still ok)

nice write up aswell

Cheers for that, hope it helps others, Speak to a lot of people who have the same dramas.

I was just worried about attacking my headlights with sand paper...

[XXFR]

Just use some cutting compound on a piece of cloth and rub it all away. The cutting compound is the same stuff used by the painters to do the buffing once the car has been painted.

Works like a dream, and very cheap.

[rch-13z]

Just use some cutting compound on a piece of cloth and rub it all away. The cutting compound is the same stuff used by the painters to do the buffing once the car has been painted.

Works like a dream, and very cheap.

Thats good to know, and I am assuming be a lot cheaper if you need to re-do it too...

Where as at the moment, if I need to re-do mine, I would need to buy the kit again...

Cheers for the info mate...

[GAMBLR]

a problem i currently dnt need to worry bout... good write up and discovery tho. should suggest it to my mate... or let him work it out lol'

CC

[calaiscruzer]

Recently i just went down to local wreckers and 2 practically brand new headlight glass for $5, took a whole 10min to install.

[rch-13z]

lol yeah that will do the job, unfortunatley with some of the newer models that would require a whole new headlight..

Thats what I love about the VNs...

[johnnie5]

always add some dishwashing liquid to the water for lubrication

same applies when sanding paint

[HoZy]

and ofcourse this would only work on plastic headlights.....

cheers
mat

[rch-13z]

always add some dishwashing liquid to the water for lubrication

same applies when sanding paint

and ofcourse this would only work on plastic headlights.....

cheers
mat

Cheers lads, it's good to know because I've gotta do my uncle's car soon!

[johnnie5]

and ofcourse this would only work on plastic headlights.....

cheers
mat

dont think i have ever seen a glass headlight go yellow

[the_random_hero]

An easier way is cutting compound on a buffing wheel, metal polishes work well too. If you have neither, you can use toothpaste - it also has the benefit of leaving your headlights smelling minty fresh

[rch-13z]

yeah but for dummies with no tools & no idea.... this product worked really well!

[Branch]

how much for one of those kits?

[rch-13z]

I think it was about $20 or something..

[svsex]

cheapest way to make ur car look new. nice thread

[2khamisj]

Seconds on the toothpaste, I used to use it to clean my watch faces haha

[Vt-sam]

hahahahahaha

[rjsimmo]

HAHA u no what works really well toothpaste

[Trevor 062]

I just used polish on my VT's headlights. Did the job..

[alien]

Another good one to use is the Meguiars headlight restoration kit. No sandpaper needed and does an awesome job!

[Skidney]

i thought the headlights went foggy because of moisture on the INSIDE of the lens??

[alien]

i thought the headlights went foggy because of moisture on the INSIDE of the lens??

Yes, you are right, but the OP is not talking about foggyness. It's the yellowing of the headlights.

[11gothevt11]

Are you headlights currently hazing over or going yellow? Well I have found a guide/product which fixes this problem.

For months I wondered how I could fix this problem & actually was about to buy all the individual pieces required to perform this. In comparison my headlights are not as bad as some I have seen but I am very picky with this sort of thing.

Just to give you an idea, below is what headlights looked like before I started.



This is the actual kit I purchased, I found it through Autobahn but I am assuming you can pick from most car accessory retailers.

Permatex - Headlight Lens Restoration Kit which includes:

- 1 sheet each of the following grit wet/dry sandpaper (1000,1500,2000,2500 - Lower the number, the rougher the grit)
- Soft Cloth
- Plastic Polish (doesn't specify exactly what sort of polish)
- Rubber Gloves



Steps Required:

1. You need to decide first of all how bad the damage is on your headlights, in my case the headlights where just yellow but not badly scratched so I didn't need to use the rougher grit paper. So I started with the 2000 grit paper.

Soak the paper in water for a good 5-10 minutes just to make sure it is completely wet. Failure to do so can mean causing more damage to your headlight, making possibly worse than when you started.... Be sure to also wet the lens of the headlight to keep lubrication at a maximum.

2. With your roughest sandpaper(lowest # grit, IE 1500) Rub the sandpaper in one direction IE. left --> right until you have a uniform finish and keep dipping the paper into water so you don't clog up the sandpaper.

3. Re-lubricate the headlight and change the water which you dip your sandpaper into so make sure you don't contaminate the new paper. Then start to rub a higher grit sandpaper IE. 2000 in one direction again, this time top to bottom or visa-versa.

4. Follow the same process again this time with a higher grit again IE. 2500 and change the direction in which you are rubbing the headlight again IE left ---> right again.

NB: Make sure that you are regularly dipping the sandpaper into water to clear off any mass attracted by the sandpaper

Also note, at this stage you will not see the headlight clear up.

5. Clean the headlight with water and dry off with a clean cloth.

6. Once dry, use a soft clean cloth + the polish provided & rub whilst applying pressure in a circular motion over the entire headlight. Once applied please allow the polish to dry. Once the polish is set rub the polish off with a clean cloth.

7. If the lens of the headlight still hasn't cleared up, then re-apply step 6.

8. If you notice any spots which have not cleared up, then re-polish these particular areas.

And after all of this, it should look like this.



All up this process took me between 30-45 minutes to complete and the kit cost about $30. I know it my case I completely happy with this outcome.

Hope it helps guys, any questions please let me know.

Sorry to sound stupit but you were doing all this to the outside of lens????
If so i have a buffer just sand down with 2000 or 1200 sandpaper than buff it like i was buffing car sould do the trick???
Thanks for your help