Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration
Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration: Reasons and Methods Foggy plastic headlight restoration wasn't really even an issue until around 1980.
Before that, headlight lenses were made of glass, whereas now they're made of plastic, on all makes and models, from all countries of origin.
Due to weather, sunlight, and the various road chemicals our headlights are exposed to, the plastic eventually becomes foggy.
It isn't just a matter of how your car looks with foggy headlights, safety can be affected too.
If you're driving at night with foggy headlights, the light beams will be more scattered, potentially making it more difficult to see road hazards, animals, and pedestrians.
Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration: Super DIY Method While you can purchase ready-made kits for foggy plastic headlight restoration, you may have the materials and tools at home already to attempt it.
You need some 1,000 grade sandpaper, some water, and rubbing compound.
You may or may not want an electric buffer to speed things along.
The basic method is to put some water on the sandpaper and gently sand each headlight.
You may have to repeat this step to get rid of all the oxidation layers.
Go side to side, then repeat going up and down.
Then you buff the foggy headlight with rubbing compound on either a soft, clean cloth or your electric buffer.
Considerations for Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration What you are doing with this plastic headlight restoration method is sanding away a layer of oxidized plastic.
The oxidation occurs because the manufacturer puts a protective coating on the headlight, and it wears down over time.
Once you finish sanding and add the rubbing compound, you should seal off the lens to help protect it from future discoloration.
Some DIY-ers feel more confident using a ready-made kit for fixing foggy headlights.
It is certainly worth a try.
At roughly $15 to $50 for a kit made to restore both headlights, the cost is far less than the cost of replacing even one headlight.
Before that, headlight lenses were made of glass, whereas now they're made of plastic, on all makes and models, from all countries of origin.
Due to weather, sunlight, and the various road chemicals our headlights are exposed to, the plastic eventually becomes foggy.
It isn't just a matter of how your car looks with foggy headlights, safety can be affected too.
If you're driving at night with foggy headlights, the light beams will be more scattered, potentially making it more difficult to see road hazards, animals, and pedestrians.
Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration: Super DIY Method While you can purchase ready-made kits for foggy plastic headlight restoration, you may have the materials and tools at home already to attempt it.
You need some 1,000 grade sandpaper, some water, and rubbing compound.
You may or may not want an electric buffer to speed things along.
The basic method is to put some water on the sandpaper and gently sand each headlight.
You may have to repeat this step to get rid of all the oxidation layers.
Go side to side, then repeat going up and down.
Then you buff the foggy headlight with rubbing compound on either a soft, clean cloth or your electric buffer.
Considerations for Foggy Plastic Headlight Restoration What you are doing with this plastic headlight restoration method is sanding away a layer of oxidized plastic.
The oxidation occurs because the manufacturer puts a protective coating on the headlight, and it wears down over time.
Once you finish sanding and add the rubbing compound, you should seal off the lens to help protect it from future discoloration.
Some DIY-ers feel more confident using a ready-made kit for fixing foggy headlights.
It is certainly worth a try.
At roughly $15 to $50 for a kit made to restore both headlights, the cost is far less than the cost of replacing even one headlight.
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