Problem: Hazy Cloudy or Yellow Oxidized Headlight
First if we understand what causes today car headlights to get oxidized and discolored then we can do some things to prevent or prolong it from happening. In the good old days headlights were made from glass and we did not have the problem of yellowing headlights because of its structure. Now today and for at least the past ten years most headlights are made from polycarbonate plastic which is very though. The problem however is that this plastic is porous.
What Causes Your Headlights To Oxidize and Discolor
The debris from the road the sun UV rays and the acid rain are the main factors that contributes to your headlights becoming hazy dull or discolored. Here is what happens because there placement on your vehicle which is obviously in the front, it is subjected to the sand, small pebbles kicked up by other vehicles in front of you in traffic. These pebbles mixed with oil and other elements from the road makes small pits on them. Some of the oils and dirt settles in the pits that gets rained on and then gets cooked with the UV rays from the sun. Over a period of time this constant pitting bombardment consumes your headlights like a cancer. It just keeps eating away the outer layer until you notice that they are no longer crystal clear any more.
First you start seeing a line towards the top of your headlight then it starts to get dull then foggy or yellowish then to a whitish cloudy look then finally a scared dirty color where you can't even see the bulb.
Cloudy Headlights Compromise Your Safety
At this point your safety is being compromised because while driving at night you are left wondering weather your headlights are ON or OFF. Your light projection is reduced by as much as 70% or more. This creates a danger not only for you but other as well. Here is where most people start thinking about headlight restoration or replacement not only because of the safety issue but their cloudy oxidized headlights makes their car look older and ugly. It becomes like an eye-saw. The question now is what solution to use, replacement or restoration?
Headlight Restoration - solution to cloudy headlights
Restoring your discolored headlights is an economical solution instead of replacement. You can save hundreds may be even thousands of dollars base on your vehicle. Most foggy headlights can be restored because it is generally the outer layer on your headlights that are oxidized and this can be fixed using a headlight restoration kit or using a professional headlight restoration service like us FixMyHeadlights.com if you are in south Florida.
Headlight Restoration Preferred - Wet Sanding method
There are a couple of ways to restore hazy headlights. Chemical and sanding process. I have tried both methods and the method of choice for me is the wet-sanding method because apart from removing the oxidation, scratches are removed as well giving the headlights a like new headlight when finished. Apart from cleaning and polishing the headlights sealing the headlights is a vital step in the headlight restoration process. Because of the porous nature of the plastic if it is not sealed properly your headlights will get oxidized in a very short space of time.
Maintain Your Headlights After Restoration
After restoring your headlights take a little time to maintain them. A five minute program can prolong your headlights from becoming hazy or cloudy. At least once a month when you wash your car apply some car wax on them and this will help keep debris from sticking on your headlights.
Be SAFE
It does not matter weather you do it yourself with a headlight restoration kit or you use a headlight restoration service or replace your headlights. The main thing is Don't compromise Your Safety Restore Your Dim Headlights. Drive SAFE!
Author
Abraham Baksh
The debris from the road the sun UV rays and the acid rain are the main factors that contributes to your headlights becoming hazy dull or discolored. Here is what happens because there placement on your vehicle which is obviously in the front, it is subjected to the sand, small pebbles kicked up by other vehicles in front of you in traffic. These pebbles mixed with oil and other elements from the road makes small pits on them. Some of the oils and dirt settles in the pits that gets rained on and then gets cooked with the UV rays from the sun. Over a period of time this constant pitting bombardment consumes your headlights like a cancer. It just keeps eating away the outer layer until you notice that they are no longer crystal clear any more.
First you start seeing a line towards the top of your headlight then it starts to get dull then foggy or yellowish then to a whitish cloudy look then finally a scared dirty color where you can't even see the bulb.
Cloudy Headlights Compromise Your Safety
At this point your safety is being compromised because while driving at night you are left wondering weather your headlights are ON or OFF. Your light projection is reduced by as much as 70% or more. This creates a danger not only for you but other as well. Here is where most people start thinking about headlight restoration or replacement not only because of the safety issue but their cloudy oxidized headlights makes their car look older and ugly. It becomes like an eye-saw. The question now is what solution to use, replacement or restoration?
Headlight Restoration - solution to cloudy headlights
Restoring your discolored headlights is an economical solution instead of replacement. You can save hundreds may be even thousands of dollars base on your vehicle. Most foggy headlights can be restored because it is generally the outer layer on your headlights that are oxidized and this can be fixed using a headlight restoration kit or using a professional headlight restoration service like us FixMyHeadlights.com if you are in south Florida.
Headlight Restoration Preferred - Wet Sanding method
There are a couple of ways to restore hazy headlights. Chemical and sanding process. I have tried both methods and the method of choice for me is the wet-sanding method because apart from removing the oxidation, scratches are removed as well giving the headlights a like new headlight when finished. Apart from cleaning and polishing the headlights sealing the headlights is a vital step in the headlight restoration process. Because of the porous nature of the plastic if it is not sealed properly your headlights will get oxidized in a very short space of time.
Maintain Your Headlights After Restoration
After restoring your headlights take a little time to maintain them. A five minute program can prolong your headlights from becoming hazy or cloudy. At least once a month when you wash your car apply some car wax on them and this will help keep debris from sticking on your headlights.
Be SAFE
It does not matter weather you do it yourself with a headlight restoration kit or you use a headlight restoration service or replace your headlights. The main thing is Don't compromise Your Safety Restore Your Dim Headlights. Drive SAFE!
Author
Abraham Baksh
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