You need a UV-protectant top-coat. Use something designed for headlights, not just clear paint as some people do. The Sylvania restore kit gets high marks, and its "UV Block Clear Coat" is available on its own. I can vouch for the 3M wipes (harder to find on their own), which are supposed to last 2-3 years.

 

I use Meguiars Keep Clear Headlight Coating. Should last several years and one small can should allow for several applications over the years. . Keep in mind that the main cause of headlight damage is sunlight UV. If you're parking your car outside for long periods of time if possible try to keep your headlights pointed away from the sun.

 

So then I apply the UV Clear Coat on top of what's on the headlights now? Thanks for your help with this.

 

No. You have to clean the lens off first with one of the sandpaper kits. It has to be crystal clear before you can use the UV protection on it as the final step. Some of the sandpaper kits include the clear coat. Cheaper ones don't.

 

A few of the kits (3M for example) only have you go as far as a super-fine grit finishing paper (they have some brand-name I've forgotten) which leaves the plastic hazy. The protection coating is supposed to fill in those final micro-scratches to get a glassy clear finish. That said, I didn't trust it. I cleared the lens with polishing compound from the Harbor Freight abrasives-only kit, then cleaned it thoroughly and applied the wipes.

 

I understand now. Again, thanks y'all for the guidance. A local shop wants $1,400 to install new headlights and I don't think that was using Honda parts.

 

Aftermarket OE-style replacements are in the $80-200 range per side. Installation requires removing the front bumper cover, but should be well within the realm of DIYer work. I'll give it a 4 out of 10 difficulty-wise. Screwdrivers and a 10mm ratchet.

 

Apparently the big clouding agent is UV rays so something you can apply to them to protect against UV (and the elements) should help. There are products at your local auto parts store made specifically to protect headlights. Some people use a good car wax that has UV protectants.

 

I am not aware of any car waxes or polishes which have any significant protection from UV. You need to buy something which very clearly states that it has UV protection for headlights. I've seen less than a handful of such products, and a lot of snake oil which vaguely talks about "protection" for your car.

 

I looked around and see Meguiar's Keep Clear Headlight Coating said to "Provide Durable UV Protection". It's a spray on aerosol and should be easy for me to find.

I also find McKee’s Headlight Protectant Spray that "Provides Durable UV Protection Against Sun Fading", Mothers PowerPlastic 4Lights Polish & Protectant for Headlights with "a special blend of oxidation inhibiting polymers, UV shields and an ultra-fine polish for a long lasting shine" and Blue Magic Headlight Lens Sealer Spray that "Protects lenses from UV Rays".

My kid has the Fit so I see it only every three to four months, so I'll see what it looks like then and go from there.

 

I'm about to restore my parents 2013 fit with this kit. had some good reviews

 

Let us know how how goes. I need to do mine, too.

 

They honestly turned out pretty well. I forgot to get a before photo but...
- I did the FIT first and should have put more effort in the passenger side wet sanding
- Both civic and fit was cloudy on the passenger side when i started.
- The passenger sided for the civic i put more work into and it turned out much clearer than when i did the fit.
- the oxidization wipes it came with are great! there were 4 for each side but i did 6 on the passenger side for the civic as it was much worse than the driver
- the pads also turn yellow when its time to switch to a new one. which is why i used most of them on the passenger as the driver side at one point didn't turn the pads yellow so i knew it was clean enough

 

@Lazee Nicely done.

 

Really nice @Lazee ! The challenge many of these kits is that it's hard to know what it's going to look like until you're done.

 

thanks! it was surprisingly easy to do. although i do admit before using the final wipe, seeing it looking cloudy did worry me a bit haha