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Headlight plastic turning yellow and hazzy

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by carolD, Aug 21, 2015.

  1. carolD

    carolD Junior Member

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    i am new here. Just purchased a 2015,Prius c2. I traded in a 2009 Mini Cooper. The headlights on the mini were so bad. When the lights were on they were. Dry dull. Has anyone ever had a problem with this with the Prius models.
     
  2. AliIzad

    AliIzad Member

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    Welcome and congrats on your awesome purchase. My 2012 headlight housings look as good now as they did when I drove the car off the lot. There is no hint of haze or yellowing yet. I have also upgraded to an HID system which is one of the best things--in my opinion--you can do for the Cs headlights. Enjoy your C.
     
    carolD likes this.
  3. E46Prius

    E46Prius Active Member

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    ^ What kind of "HID system" did you upgrade to? Hopefully high quality OEM (Lexus, BMW, etc) and not plug and play kits---extremely dangerous!
     
  4. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    they all do it as they age..its just plastic turning yellow with age...easy to clean, many videos on youtube
     
    WilDavis likes this.
  5. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    Meguirs sells a good kit for that, just used it to clean up a friend's 97 Prius and those lights really really needed it. One of the reasons they were so bad was that the car never saw the inside of a garage.
     
  6. Munpot42

    Munpot42 Senior Member

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    Actually it was an 07 Prius, I really need to proofread my posts
     
  7. AliIzad

    AliIzad Member

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    Upgraded to a 35w H11 kit from The Retrofit Source. Very high quality product, not the $30 eBay junk you see floating around out there. Although the kit I got is plug and play, it is well made with large gauge wires, individual igniters and Canbus modules that are separate from the ballasts. No problems, no overheating, just super clean, bright lights; as bright as the lights in our BMW.
     
  8. carolD

    carolD Junior Member

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    Thank you. I sure will.
     
  9. carolD

    carolD Junior Member

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    My car also is outside all the time and I live in Florida.
     
  10. carolD

    carolD Junior Member

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    My car also is outside all the time and I live in Florida.
     
  11. carolD

    carolD Junior Member

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    Thank you.
     
    AliIzad likes this.
  12. Faster345

    Faster345 New Member

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    What I don't get is why sometimes one light will be hazy but the other side is fine. We have a 2005 Honda Pilot with this issue. We had it polished a few years ago to where it looked new, now it's getting hazy again. Also one of our neighbors has a Pilot, same year, and both the headlights are fine. So it's not an issue with all lights apparently. I don't get it.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That''ll do it, unfortunately.
     
  14. priustexasbob

    priustexasbob Member

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    bug spray with DEET will work to take the yellow out, spray some on a rag well away from the car then wipe. WARNING DO NOT GET IT ON YOUR PAINT it will eat the clear coat
     
  15. Sean Nelson

    Sean Nelson Active Member

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    Is it possible that the way you park your car causes one of the lights to get a lot more sunlight than the other?
     
  16. Topp Cat

    Topp Cat Member

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    Naturally clear plastic will yellow over time! It's accelerated by Suns uv, contaminates and fallouts! Cleaning, clay baring / waxing offen , will help a lot!
     
  17. CARiD

    CARiD New Member

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    carolD, you can also try Rain-X headlight restoration kit. It comes with everything needed, including instructions and removes the haze and discoloration from weathered headlight lenses, so headlights can shine brightly, like new!
     
    xpcman likes this.
  18. Faster345

    Faster345 New Member

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    You know, I thought about this. The car is parked mostly pointing west, so it is possible the 'south facing' headlight gets a different amount/angle/duration of sunlight than the 'north facing' headlight throughout the day. However, we had another car parked right behind it and both its headlights were fading pretty equally. So I don't know, it's also weird because the headlight that is faded on the Honda was replaced a year or so after we got the car because interior moisture, so the one light that is still clear is actually older than the one that is fading. I wish they'd just go back to good old glass.
     
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Me too.

    And keep the shape simple, efficient. Not gonna happen, of course.
     
  20. Blu-ray

    Blu-ray Blizzard Brigade #215

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    Old school Colgate Toothpaste and water. Works quite nicely.

     
    Abb_J and AliIzad like this.