Cleaning yellow film off headlights

[VanKitten]

I just learned this and have to share.

After years of buying products to polish the yellow film off the headlights....even paying a garage to do the job ( paid them $100 for it!).  

I was told the secret

Just use deep woods off.

No kidding.   Spray it on, wait a sec.  wipe it off.  Off comes the yellow...and the headlight is clean and clear again!

I don't know how long it lasts...but it has been great for the last 3 weeks.    

Even if it clouds over again in the next week....the can off deep woods is going to last a long long time!

 

[DuneElliot]

Be careful with that. The ingredient DEET will eat plastic and paint, which is why it apparently works with removing the yellow.

It will destroy your vehicle's paint job so if you do this again, make sure you cover the paint around the light.

 

[Wabbit]

Thnx VanKitten neat trick! However, I did a quick google on this and found the following video.(below) In a nutshell, this is NOT recommended. Why? Its the DEET in the product that is actually melting the plastic to get them clear again. He demonstrated the plastic was tacky afterwards and showed his fingerprint impression in the softened clear plastic. The DEET will damage the car finish and bumper if it gets on them. If it rains, the DEET will runoff onto the finish and bumper. They say if you are going to do it, apply the product to rag and then apply that to headlamp. Clean off carefully 10 minutes later(with spray bottle and quickly wipe it off). Video guy says it will last for a month or so and then you'll have to redo it. Again, NOT recommended.

Video:
http://kool1017.com/warning-dont-use-bug-spray-to-clean-your-headlights-until-you-watch-this/

 

[VanKitten]

Hummm

Well.. I've tried everything else. Paid lots for stuff that never worked.
Even replace one lens already, only to have it happen again.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to be careful to protect the body and clean it carefully afterward and rinse it all off.

Even if it only lasts a month...that beats the $40 stuff "as seen on Tv".

 

[Wabbit]

I had mine done at a Walmart in Iowa. I'm thinking it was $10, but it might have been $20. They came out looking really good for what it cost.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I've used this before:  https://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Hea...842&sr=1-2&keywords=headlight+restoration+kit

Lasts ~1 year if you don't protect the lense from UV:  https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-7...42&sr=1-17&keywords=headlight+restoration+kit

 If protected, how long it lasts depends on following directions.  You don't need a drill but the kit is awkward to use without one.

I haven't used it, but this one is manual application:  https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Head...42&sr=1-20&keywords=headlight+restoration+kit

Have a friend that tried the DEET method.  Headlight lenses became soft after third application.  Dirt and bugs imbedded into the plastic.
You need to use hot soapy water to wash DEET off.

 -- Spiff

 

[VanKitten]

Ok...thanks for that info. Will do.

Yeah, I used that polish...with bit to mount to my drill. Tons of hard work...lasted less than 3 months. After that I replaced the lens that was the worse. Clouded over within a year.

These lens are total crap! Seems like the car manufacturers aught to be held responsible sidle for this garbage. Meanwhile, any answer that isn't going to kill my arms, cheap enough....even with extra cleaning...I'll do it.

 

[highdesertranger]

TMG did a thread on here when he did his. no Deet involved. highdesertranger

 

[SternWake]

The yellow, is the original UV protectant applied to protect the polycarbonate below. When removed chemically or by abrading, the plastic below has NO protection and will cloud up even faster.

Apparently the best results are by wetsanding through the grits upto as high as 2500, then spraying on a new UV resistant clear coat onto the lens.

https://www.amazon.com/U-Pol-Products-0796-Clear-CLEAR/dp/B009LHER0M

Aftermarket headlamp replacements are also said to be of very poor quality. The reflectors are generally not the same as the OEM, and as a result the beam pattern is usually poor with too much upwards stray light that blinds oncoming drivers. OEM headlight replacements, whose light output patterns should be much better, can be ridiculously expensive, making the cheaper aftermarkets the usual choice, but it could be bad for actually seeing objects on the road.

There is only so many times a headlamp can be polished, and if the shiny reflector material is compromised/ dirty/ flaking, then the lens performance drop can be just as steep as a super clouded/yellowed lens.

So I would not use the DEET on any vehicle I cared about. I'd use the wetsanding method to a high grit number paper, perhaps polish with meguire's plastiX, remove the plastix film, then use the U-Pol clear coat spray, or similar, in many light coats, in an attempt to slow the degradation of the plastic.

The DEET dissolving a UV protectant layer and softening plastic must do a number to one's skin too. Its kind of like sunblock, are the chemicals used to block UV A and B more dangerous than getting burnt?

 

[Vanada]

Just a couple weeks ago I reconditioned my turn signal / DRL lights. For some reason the headlights on the Chevy's are fine but the lower ones cloud up more. 

I used a method which is an amalgam of a couple YouTube instructional videos (ChrisFix and AMMO NYC):
- A dry sand at 600 grit side to side
- Wipe off with 50/50 water and isopropyl alcohol
- Wet sand up and down at 1000 grit
- Wipe off as above
- Wet sand side to side at 1500 grit
- Wipe off
- Wet sand circular motions at 2500 grit
- Wipe off
- Clean with isopropyl only
- Allow to dry fully
- Give 3 coats of UV resistant gloss clear coat (I used the rustoleum stuff)
- Wait 24 hours for complete dry
- Give a light 2500 grit wet sand to reduce the "orange peel" from the spray
- Apply a coat of wax as one would normally
- Feel satisfied

Results attached!

I also echo what others have said about the temporary methods such as toothpaste and DEET. They are just that.

 

[Gary68]

my mom tried ajax,didnt work,i just got her some new one instead of trying to grind her mess off

 

[DrJean]

I've tried a lot of products too... the 3 part one was not too bad... I used "scratch out" for clear coat scratches and that worked great on my headlamps on 2002 car.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

After years trying a number of methods, I bought new headlights.

 

[highdesertranger]

this is one of the unforeseen consequences of auto makers trying to save weight. anybody have this problem with glass lenses? highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

IMO current headlights were/are driven by styling (with an added bene of a captured market).  Only problem I ever had with glass headlights was from rocks thrown up and damaging them.  Wrecks plastic too.

7" round glass headlights for my '51, $8 each.  No fading from UV.  Same headlight fit all(?) cars in the 50's and 60's; can still buy them in lots of stores.

Sleek, stylish, light weight, aerodynamic headlights for my Ram, $238 each.  Unique to my truck model so few places stock them.  Will yellow at ~ 10 years.  I have a lot better uses for 500 bucks; I'll polish until it doesn't work any more.

 -- Spiff

 

[TMG51]

As HDR mentioned, I did this myself for the cost of some fine grit sandpaper and some Rustoleum 2x clear coat spray. This post is from a year ago and my headlights are looking just as clear today.
www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/Thread-Refinished-my-headlights-on-the-cheap

 

[CautionToTheWind]

this is one of the unforeseen consequences of auto makers trying to save weight.  anybody have this problem with glass lenses?  highdesertranger

No...my mother's 91 caddy is fine.  I noticed gmc savannas changed from glass to plastic, and now glass again. Bob Well's is plastic. Very prone to micro scratching thru the years. I've been tempted to have my new headlights wrapped (clear).

 

[eDJ_]

Only thing I can offer is what I saw being done to plexiglass motorboat windshields that had become foggy.
Inexpensive plain tooth paste was used during the cool of the morning or evening in the shade.  It cleaned
the plexiglass to where it was clear again.   Plexiglass isn't polycarbonate...yes I know.   But this is inexpensive
enough to try and it may save hundreds of dollars on new headlamps. 

My vehicles use glass lenses and I keep them clean and Rain-x applied.

So if you want to try some of your white (like basic Colgate tooth paste) and see if it will fix things for you
you aren't out anything.  If they clean up you could wax the lenses to seal them up.

If it doesn't work, you still have your tooth paste to use.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah when I posted it was to save weight I was only half right it was to improve aerodynamics too. highdesertranger

 

[Urban Fisher]

I tried the tooth paste thing. Yeah they looked good at first, but it didn't last long. Especially once they get wet they just go foggy again (if not worse than before). Sealing them with wax afterwards may help though...I did not try that.