My headlight covers have become very cloudy with age. It seems etched into the plastic.

I assume the only thing to do is to buy new headlight units which is expensive. I have been told by my mechanic that the knock offs are terrible.
Suggestions? And how hard is to install and calibrate the lens?
Also, I posted about the windshield nozzle spray units. It seems that the one on my driver's side is not hitting the right spot. Can they be dislodged by cleaning, or chipped?
The OEM are crazy $$$ and you don't get a pair, just one.
Thanks!
Lyndy

 

There are many headlight refinishing products on the market. I have used them on most of the used cars I buy and drive, including my 2010 Fit Sport, and they work well if you follow the directions. Make sure to use Painter Tape or similar to protect your car's paint around the headlights.

The last few times I have used the Rust-Oleum Wipe New Headlight Restore kit with good results. It used to cost about $10 on Amazon but is a bit more now. I also see that they have a "heavy duty" version for around $15. Seems like a cheap test if it saves you from buying new headlights.

 

I've used this kit a few times. Many other as well, but this one seems to be lasting much longer and it is easy to work with: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...-0391007p.html

Should also be available in the US and on Amazon.

Other kits would last about a year before needing to do the headlights again. The one above lasted almost 3 years, before I had to do the headlights again.

 

You can buy headlight restoration kits. Or if you have sandpaper and paint, you can do it without buying a kit.
All you need to do is sand the lenses with progressively finer sand paper. Start with 800 and lightly sand the surface. The move up to 1000/1200 and smooth out any sanding marks. Finish with 1500/2000 for a nice polished look. Then for long lasting results, apply a couple layers of automotive clear coat! The clear coat is the most important part because that's what protects your polished headlights from UV damage AND adds the final layer of clarity after sanding.

You'll notice that even after finishing with 1500/2000 grit sandpaper, the lenses will still look dull/milky. Once you apply clear coat, they're become clear again.

 

Thanks so much for your ideas and help. I did try a kit, and it didn't work very well.
DetergentCandy said:
Once you apply clear coat, they're become clear again.

That sounds interesting. Has anybody else used this idea?
Frenzal mentioned a product from Canadian Tire. I'm in Illinois, so that won't work, but I am sure one of the products has the same chemicals.
Thanks again, guys.
Lyndy

 

It's not really an idea :P More of a fact. Put a drop of water on your hazy plastic and you'll notice you can see through the plastic under the drop of water. It's the same reason your headlights don't look as hazy when it rains or when you wash your car.
Now just think of clear coat as water, except it doesn't evaporate, it hardens and stays in place.

 

As said, you can find this same kit on Amazon and probably at auto places in the US. I used that kit as suggested on a US forum, so you can buy it in the US.

 

I had zero success (probably user error honestly) with headlight kits so I've just bought replacement knockoffs. First pair lasted close to 8 years, this second pair is starting to turn at around 6 years old. Roughly $200 a set, I don't mind buying it.

 

Oxidation is the haze on the plastic - the plastic has been chemically broken down by UV light, ozone, and similar environmental hazards. You need to remove that oxidation, then apply a protective coating. The coating greatly extends the interval between resurfacings - the headlights had a coating from the factory, but it doesn't last forever. There's no perfect solution for this problem (well, glass headlights I guess), just the treadmill of resurfacing every X years.

I've used the 3M kit available at Walmart (a company I usually avoid) with good success. You will need a cordless drill for sanding, and a garden hose to mist the headlight lens (ideally a continuous light mist) while stripping the oxidation. The water cools the lens plastic and washes away the dust - the lens quickly turns into a smeary mess without it. Light pressure, keep moving the disk back and forth over the lens and you'll be fine. The resurfacing goes in a few steps, as the first low-grit-number pads are good at material removal, but leave small scratches in the surface. The following finer grit pads polish out the scratches (then the scratches from the first polishing if the particular kit goes that far). Some kits include plastic polish paste that gets you to a completely clear lens, but most will finish the sanding/polishing process with a light even haze. The protective coating then fills in the final micro-scratches to give you a final clear lens. Depending on the product, that haze of micro-scratches can actually help the coating stay adhered to the lens by giving it some texture to "grab". Once the coating dries/cures, you're done.

 

Best thing I've found to clean up headlights is Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish.
Just hand rub and in a few minutes it's done.
Doesn't work as well if the lens has been painted.