Headlight restoration kits

MazdaFan

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Greetings, CPF! I'm a long-time lurker here, and have finally decided to join this wonderful community.

So, on to my query. As the official caretaker of my friend's Pilot, it has come time to finally do something about the horrifically faded lenses on his car's headlights, as well as the bulbs themselves. I've already got the bulbs sorted (LED drop-ins, yo! Just kidding; it's getting Phillips Xtreme Visions or GE Nighthawks), and I am aware that the best course of action is to replace the assemblies themselves, but neither he nor I have the ~$500 to purchase them at this moment. So, my question to you is: who is making a good headlight restoration kit? I did some searching on this forum, but I couldn't find much. Some Googling found me a 3M kit, and I know that 3M *usually* makes a good product; is this a decent one, or a waste of money? I do intend this restoration to be a stop-gap measure, as I have already sourced genuine Honda assemblies, but, as previously stated, they aren't in budget at this point. The only reason I'm considering a cleaning is his headlights are incredibly dim, and I'm honestly beginning to fear for his safety. I've driven said vehicle at night, and the lights are bloody awful. I need to do something, but I want to make sure I get a decent product before I proceed.
 

-Virgil-

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None of the headlamp "restoration kits" really work well enough to be worth the purchase price; certainly none of them live up to their claims. Those yuk-yuks at Consumer Reports magazine, who heaped overheated praise on the Sylvania kit, only "tested" its durability for eight weeks (gosh, wow, eight weeks! I guess that's a really long time if you're a 3-year-old, otherwise no). Given that you realize headlamp "restoration" is a temporary, get-by measure and not a permanent fix, you might try UV spar varnish which, carefully applied, seems to be better than the kits.
 

MazdaFan

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Thanks for the advice, Virgil. That's basically what I'm after. Hopefully it'll hold up to the rather harsh Texas sun for a while.

Also, I stopped reading Consumer Reports years ago. Glad to know it's still not worth it, at least for automotive products. (Eight whole weeks!! That must be the best stuff ever!!)
 

JohnnyB

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I can't comment on the product in the link that was posted but I CAN comment on the process that was used in the link. Basically, you need to grind off the damaged layer, then polish out the grinding marks. I have done 2 of our cars (Honda van, Audi A6) with great results. I used several grits of wet/dry sandpaper and then machine polished them with a random orbital polisher and 3 inch pads.. The results really were spectacular. (I'd post a pic of the Audi but I don't know how to resize :( )

Any kit you chose should have a way to sand, then, MACHINE polish the lenses, usually with a drill attachment. I don't think you could get clarity by hand polishing.

Also, as stated the results are temporary. If you don't find a good coating, they will yellow rather quickly. I've used several "UV" coatings with poor results. Currently, I am using Aerospace 303 with promising results... 2 years and counting with no detectable degradation.

Best of luck.
 

MazdaFan

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Thanks for the input, JohnnyB. Glad to know the technique works well, as the lights on the Pilot are atrocious right now. I'll post up before and after pics. I hadn't planned on doing the polishing by hand, as my masochism only extends so far. Do you have any polishing pads you recommend?

The longevity of the coating isn't *too* important to me, as I do plan on replacing the assemblies later this year. I'll be happy as long as it lasts for 6-8 months, which I consider acceptable given the harshness of Texas summers (which basically means March-October; sometimes I do miss Virginia's actual seasons).
 

rishabharies

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I have a Honda pilot as well (2005) and the headlights were not the brightest. I learnt a trick which doesn't involve any sanding and i know it works as before i did this, i had a friend of mine (a detailer) do the sanding and polishing with great results that lasted about 1 month.
The procedure is, to take a coarse shop rag, spray penetrating fluid on it and rub the crap out of the lens. When it starts to feel dry, switch sides, spray some more penetrating fluid and rub again. When it feels like you have covered the entire lens, get another rag and repeat the process. Then finally get some windex and clean the oily residue. The lens will stay clean for a very long time. It's been 6 months since i did mine and it had lasted through the winter up here in Toronto.
About the bulbs, im not sure if the bulbs you have mentioned will have any additional benefits. I have Denso 9003 (I work at a Lexus dealership) in mine and they appear to be pretty bright. As per an article i read not too long ago, those claims of 100% or so more visibility are pretty bogus. If i can find the article, I'll post a link here.
 

-Virgil-

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Yeah, that Consumer Reports article is the one I figured you'd point at. Its test protocol was very badly flawed. For more realistic data, see here.
 

MazdaFan

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I've used brake fluid on lenses to clean them, and it did work, for a couple of weeks. Honestly, I'd much rather take the time to 'restore' them with sanding and putting on a semi-protective coating to coax a few more months of life out of the assemblies until I can replace them.

About the bulbs, im not sure if the bulbs you have mentioned will have any additional benefits.

Having actually used the Philips Xtreme Power/Vision bulbs before, I can say with certainty they will have additional benefits. Legitimate +30/50/100 bulbs do deliver significant lighting improvements over standard and long-life bulbs. Granted, the bulb life is drastically shortened, but as has been mentioned on this site many times before, a new set of bulbs every year or two ($35-60) is a lot cheaper than body work. I'm more than willing to spend the extra money on better bulbs.
 

FlashKat

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I use Mother's headlight restoration kit, and it actually works. My friend recommended the Mother's kit as he has tried many other brands.
 

TheIntruder

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With as many degraded polycarbonate headlight fixtures as I see on the road, all makes and models, it's a bit of a mystery why US regulations still require "sealed" units that don't have replaceable parts, aside from the bulb.

Restoration kits and other methods are half-measures, and pragmatically speaking, few owners are going to replace their fixtures, when they already scream bloody murder that a bulb doesn't last five years like they expect.

The average age of an American vehicle is more than eleven years, which further decreases the chances that the OE parts may even be available, never mind the higher cost of genuine parts acting as a further deterrent.

The Germans marques are good at parts support for older models, even without their heritage programs, but on the flip side, a domestic marque like Ford is notorious for their poor support for their older models.
 

-Virgil-

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I've used brake fluid on lenses to clean them

Yikes. That'll strip all of the clear coat right off of the lenses (and it'll also attack and remove the paint on the surrounding body parts of the car). For lamps that aren't totally baked to death, I've used brake cleaner (CRC "Brak-Kleen" in the red/white can), applied to paper towel, to quickly and easily remove the oxidized clear coat while leaving the un-oxidized clear coat intact, then a good brand of car polish/sealant to make the remaining clear coat on the lens shiny and transparent. That actually works for quite a long while as long as there's some original clear coat left on the lenses.
 

-Virgil-

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With as many degraded polycarbonate headlight fixtures as I see on the road, all makes and models, it's a bit of a mystery why US regulations still require "sealed" units that don't have replaceable parts, aside from the bulb.

They don't. Replaceable lenses are legal, but headlamps with replaceable lenses have to pass tougher tests as far as reflector durability, and it's more expensive to make a lamp that passes those tougher tests, so mostly the makers don't do it.

The average age of an American vehicle is more than eleven years, which further decreases the chances that the OE parts may even be available, never mind the higher cost of genuine parts acting as a further deterrent.

Car maker answer: "Too bad, so sad, buy a new car."
 

MazdaFan

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Yikes. That'll strip all of the clear coat right off of the lenses (and it'll also attack and remove the paint on the surrounding body parts of the car).

Yeah...I was young and stupid then (now older and slightly less stupid). That advice was given to me by an old-school manager of mine when I worked at a quick lube franchise, and I decided to try it out. It worked for a bit, but I'll never do that again. I know better than to do that now.
 

JohnnyB

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Thanks for the input, JohnnyB. Do you have any polishing pads you recommend?

I believe my pads are by Lake Country. I used the standard orange foam pads plus Menzerna polishing fluid on my Porter Cable DA polisher that I use to correct the clear coat on cars. If you get the sandpaper down to 2500, the lens will be smooth but completely opaque. The polisher will eliminate that milky color and leave them crystal clear.

I took a bunch of photos when I did it. I can try to resize them and post them here if anyone is interested.
 
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JohnnyB

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Let's try this...Car is 2006 Audi A6 bought Summer of '05 so, 10 years old when these were done (last Summer)

Degraded state. They are pretty bad.

DSC_6055 by JohnnyB2005, on Flickr


Wet sanding with a sponge inside

DSC_6058 by JohnnyB2005, on Flickr

800,1000,1500,2000, then finished with 2500 grit paper (I know, a little overkill :)

DSC_6059 by JohnnyB2005, on Flickr

Starting the polishing, orange pad with Menzerna "Final Polish"

DSC_6061 by JohnnyB2005, on Flickr

Final product, crystal clear in all types and angles of light

DSC_6062 by JohnnyB2005, on Flickr


These are almost 9 months old with no deterioration using Aerospace 303. Our van headlights are 2 years old and doing well.
 

JohnnyB

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That looks really nice JohnnyB.

Thank you.

A few points I thought of after posting...

If you are buying a kit, avoid the "miracle fluid" that you wipe on and walk away. They are usually oily and will make the plastic look a little better for about a week.

Buy a kit with an attachment for your drill. You will need this to polish off the marks made by the sandpaper. On a side note, the drill attachment may have been better than my DA polisher as it would not introduce vibration. I was afraid it might be a problem and sure enough, the next day my driver's side DRL (halogen) was out. Coincidence?

Once the outer layer is gone, it will have no protection from UV. You will need to coat it with something or all your hard work was for nothing. I have no first hand experience with any of the coatings offered in the kits, only the product I listed above. Several car polishes that promise "UV protection" did not work at all.

Best of luck.
JB
 

TheIntruder

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They don't. Replaceable lenses are legal, but headlamps with replaceable lenses have to pass tougher tests as far as reflector durability, and it's more expensive to make a lamp that passes those tougher tests, so mostly the makers don't do it.

That's too bad.

I was given that impression by an action BMW took in the past. A past generation of the 7-series was originally equipped with HID fixtures with replaceable glass lenses.

Then, they subsequently withdrew those lenses from their U.S. parts system, and blamed it on non-compliance with U.S. regulations.

Needless to say, owners faced with the prospect of having to buy full new HID fixtures, instead of just the lenses, were not pleased.

Thankfully, the strong enthusiast aftermarket for some marques makes it possible to buy non-U.S. compliant OE parts relatively easily. Aspherical side mirrors are one such popular item.
 

-Virgil-

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I was given that impression by an action BMW took in the past. A past generation of the 7-series was originally equipped with HID fixtures with replaceable glass lenses. Then, they subsequently withdrew those lenses from their U.S. parts system, and blamed it on non-compliance with U.S. regulations.

Interesting...got a cite? I'd like to know which lamps/which models that happen

Needless to say, owners faced with the prospect of having to buy full new HID fixtures, instead of just the lenses, were not pleased.

Gosh, I can't imagine why on earth not...!

You can read about NHTSA's perspective and rulemaking on replaceable lenses here, here, and here.
 
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