How do i clean my weathered headlights?

Question

I'd had my truck since 01 and my headlights have some type of film coating them. is there something that i can use to clean them off?

Answer 1

I have used this product many times and it works to make headlights look practically new and does not fade back over time. Go to Advance Auto Parts and get a product for cleaning lenses in a silver foil package. I don't remember the name but it costs 19.99. It comes with 2 different grits of sand paper and rubber gloves and 2 different chemical packages. You wet sand the lenses with the first grit to take away the bad, weathered coating. You then use the first cleaner and change to the next finer grit wet sandpaper to sand to smooth the lenses to slick finish. The last chemical has an applicator cloth that you put on to seal the plastic and it makes it shine like new money. I have done many cars with this and some of them are over a year now and look like new. Depending on size of lights it will take 45 minutes to an hour to do, but the results are amazing. My 2000 voyager looked trashed but now it looks like new headlights and I did it about 8 months ago. The package is about 6 inches by 8 inches maybe and is not thick at all. It looks like an envelope really. Doh- I just called Advance for you while I'm typing. It is made by CV it is called Headlight Restorer and Defogger. Advance's part number is 00101. The computer at Advance will find the product by that number. Try this you'll be amazed. I have tried many other products and none come close to this.

Answer 2

I had the same problem with my Ranger, the headlights turned very yellow. I tried using toothpaste and it cleared the lenses, but within a couple of weeks they started turning yellow again. I then found a product called Meguair's PlastX. That and a soft cloth are all you need, made the lights look almost new.

Answer 3

I assume that you are talking about yellowing of the plastic covers on the headlights. You can use a product I've seen advertised called Flitz or you can get a cloth buffing wheel and put it on your grinder and get some white jewelers rouge and buff it out. That will also work for watch crystals too. Good luck.

Answer 4

ok, there's 2 things..

if it looks like something flaking off, that's the clear coat coming off, thank the sun for that.
if the lenses look foggy or dull, there is a chance you can buff it out. goto the auto parts store, meguiar's makes a lense polish, use it to clean the lenses. IF the lenses dull back again, that means the sun has beaten the plastic up enough to where the inside of the lense is shot as well.
the ONLY solution is to buy new lenses and/or try to find glass lenses.

Answer 5

Is the film on the outside or inside? If it's outside you can try various glass/plastic cleaner out there such as Meguaires. But if it's inside then you a break somewhere in the seal. Your only choice is to get a new housing.

Answer 6

if you want to go cheap, try toothpaste which happens to be a mild abrasive. a buffer will speed things up as well