How To Clear Foggy Headlights

Edmunds.com

How To Clear Foggy Headlights

Inexpensive kits promise to restore clear headlights. We tried out two of them and got pretty good results.

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rherren

Call me cheap but I didn't want to spend $15 on a kit for what I figured would be a 1 shot deal plus not knowing if it would be effective. I used some Turtlewax polishing compound ( scratch remover ) I've had on hand for years & it did the trick very quickly.

togwarrior

Forget the kits, forget the sandpaper (Really?), forget all that time...

Go to the store and buy a can of silicone spray lubricant, spray a rag very thoroughly, I mean soak it, and then wipe headlight lens in circular NON STOP motions to remove the grunge in about 30 seconds. Leaves you with nice clear lenses, and cost nothing in time and money. WORKS LIKE A DREAM!!!!!!

sarino

the turtle wax product just made my lenses worse. followed the directions exactly. one minute for each sanding surface squares. first use the clearing compound liquid. what a joke. good thing it was only 5 bucks at menards. but it really did make the one lens worse. i wouldnt be pissed off it just didnt do anything, but to make it worse? i get sick every time i look at it

ezrac

What about a deoxidizer? saw something on facebook about that?

lauriegraham

The car used in the before and after here - aren't even the same cars. Very dishonest post here. Look CLOSELY at the center grill of the before pic - it's SILVER - but it isn't in the "after" pic. Heck look at the license plate - it ends with a 4 but the "after" pic has a piece of the license plate displaying and whatever the number is - it ISN'T a 4 - take a close look again at the pics - this entire post is a lie.

boredswfl

Laurie you are wrong, Notice he says I then tried this on ANOTHER CAR

thecardoc3

No matter what you do nothing lasts real long and eventually you'll have to do it again. That being said the cheapest thing to use is shampoo. Laugh if you want but give it a try and you'll be surprised at the results.

stever

I've used gel toothpaste with okay results. Not long lasting but okay.

alienpriest

This is a good post, believable and well thought out. Good idea to compare the products. I would have liked to have seen you try a deoxidizer vs the kit, most kits are basically the same and I don't feel comfortable grinding sandpaper against my headlight.

volandobajo

OR you can use a soft cloth with rubbing compound to clear off the oxidation. Takes just minutes and the only really messy part, if you can call it that, is hosing off the residue after you are done.

Of course, if you don't want to have to repeat this too often, you should do something to protect the finish once you have done the rubbing compound routine. Krylon makes a nice clearcoat spray in cans. I would use electricians tape and newspaper to mask off the surrounding areas before spraying on clearcoat.

But even if you just use the rubbing compound, the difference is amazing after five to ten minutes total time.

stever

Good idea about the clearcoat spray.

texases

Why not pop the hood instead of taping it?

artemvt

Thnaks

stephenkepes

turtle wax kit works great ,just follow directions , Sand as per the directions twice. Got to keep the surface wet during sanding and wash with clear water offen . I clayed the headlamps after sanding. I used a Porter Cable polisher to applied and polish with the clarifying compound. The orbital Polisher is the secret to success . The headlamps on my 2008 grand prix are like new . I just wish they gave you 2 packs of sealer

lyngal38

I discovered a perfect solution without buying expensive kits, no sanding, no toxic chemicals, no waxing, etc. I tried Armor All Original Protectant Wipes and they worked great--clear headlights! I have an older 1995 car so you know the plastic headlight cover was pretty foggy. Since it worked on my old car, it should work for any car.

isellhondas

I'm trying to figure out how Armor All can remove the layer of discolored plastic?

thecardoc3

Most of the time what appears to be discolored plastic is really countless scratches and cracks in the surface and they are not very deep. Any agent that can fill those micro scratches and cracks can make it look clear again, for a while anyway.

Spike_Dog

Call me Lazy but you can purchase replacement Headlight units complete with lense and new bulbs for $88 for the pair.