Forget all the expensive magic potions, this is all you'll need

 

You could use just about anything to get the yellowing off, keeping it from coming back is the tricky part....thats were the 50/50 mixture comes in

 

Use a regular toothpaste and apply it on the headlights..rinse it with water and than use a wet cloth to wipe it off..do not use the whitening toothpastes as they contains mint which can damage your headlights..for worst cases use Aluminum Polish Compound method by an expert to get better results.

 

Yep, the toothpaste works and so do many other methods..but I promise you the yellowing will come back unless you put a sealant on the lens..

 

Would something like this help???

 

I've gone the toothpaste route previously with my other cars. But the effects don't last very long. With the Fit, I slapped on some Headlight Armor clear while the lens were still fairly clear of yellowing. Not easy because of the shape and surface area.

On my other cars I found Blue Magic restorer lasts longer and easier to apply than the 3M kit.

 

The 50/50 helmsman mixture looks to be the best stuff to prevent the hazy yellow lights.

 

I agree with you but cleaning the headlights with a toothpaste once in a while is not that big deal..you can do it on a weekly basis..otherwise i mentioned the Aluminum Polish Compound Method..i think that could help you.

 

OK, now if you want the full story regarding the minwax spar urethane and mineral spirit UV protection method, here we go:

1: I now have a full quart can of the spar urethane clear gloss. We can ship it to one another because there is now enough left over to share with everyone on this board for the next 200 years.
2. buy a medium sized foam brush. It applies the best
3. once you BARELY dip your foam brush into the 50/50 mixture, you easily have enough to do a full headlight. I thought I was using just a little, but the formula sags easily if you put too much on. Remember, this is a plastic headlight not a bare wood door.
4. you can re-brush over the areas within the first 4 minutes to ensure there are no sags or runs. After that, it essentially is too late. To go over an area again after the 4 minute mark introduces streaks and hazing on to the lens.

Just remember, just do one 1/2 - 1 inch tiny dip into the 50/50 solution and do the full lens. I was thinking of wiping off the entire lens with mineral spirits and starting again, but enough already; it looks good enough. Any by the way, the Meguare's PLAST X worked just fine for my minor yellowing. I recommend using that product as long as the lens is not too far gone.

 

So... I took care of the hazing on my headlights the other day with some sanding and plastx.

If i wanted to use the helmsman urethane, will I need to sand down my headlights again to prep it for the urethane or can i just polish one more time with the plastx and then let that dry before applying the sealant?

 

Nope, if you think all the crud is off of your headlights, then you don't need to use the PlastX again. So, assuming you are done, wipe down each headlight with some isopropyl alcohol to remove any residue. Once the alcohol is all evaporated/dry (within a minute or so), then apply the VERY SMALL AMOUNT of 50/50 mixture of helmsman spar urethane and mineral spirits. Just try to avoid going over areas again and again. That only causes build up and results in streaking. While you can't notice it on my first lens, you can see it up close. I'll live with it. My lights look wonderful despite my rookie blunder.

 

awesome, well i'm too busy the rest of the week to make time to do this in one sitting, so i'll just have to deal with just the plastx for 5-6 days when i get some time lol.

 

Just did the 50/50 and it works great. Make sure you get the oil-based Helmsman. I grabbed the water-based without realizing until I mixed out into the mineral spirits and noticed they were separating. Then I checked my can and realized I grabbed the wrong one :/ once I got the right one tho, I had no problems!

 

Mind grabbing some pics of your headlights in the daylight?

 

I think we have some really good methods listed here, I have done the sandpaper things and it worked but I didn't keep the long enough to know how long the results lasted. The toothpaste video looks interesting, has anyone else used it with success?

 

I use nu finish on mine every 2 weeks or so just a coat or 2 in the day time dries fast takes maybe 1o mins total for 2 coats on both lights and they stay smooth and lookin good ..have done it since new there is some fading on the inside I have seen but not much u can do about that

 

Just happened across this vid and figured I'd pass it along: