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Headlight starting to haze

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by A617, Jul 26, 2014.

  1. A617

    A617 Member

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    My headlight is beginning to haze it's very light at that moment but it's an eyesore to me, so I wanting to know if one of those headlight haze removal kit will it be over kill for my current situation or should I get some 2-3k grit sandpaper and compound and do it my self.
     
  2. qdllc

    qdllc Senior Member

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    I've used the 3M kit and can sing its songs of praise.

    HOWEVER, the truck I used it on already is back to how bad it was before, and it's largely parked. I think the hazing is a combination of environmental exposure and aging. Once it starts, it never stops.

    I did the 3M kit and it went from badly hazed to 100% clear. I was very happy with it. That it's WORSE now with a lot less time than it took for it to happen in the first place tells me that it doesn't make the surface 100% smooth like OEM. There's probably tons of pits in the material which will begin to oxidize the second you finish the job, so you'll have to do it again in a year or so....depending on how much you keep the car garaged.

    Still, it's an option if you don't want the cost and trouble of replacing the fixtures. The kit gives you all you need (sans power drill) to do it properly. That's its chief benefit.
     
  3. A617

    A617 Member

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    Good to know, i think you need to put some sealant like car wax on the headlight, after removing the haze to prevent it form happening again.
     
  4. John Bergendahl

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    I noticed i had some haze on mine after i got it home and i used some of that headlight restore stuff from auto zone and it did very well.trick with any car i have had it to treat it before its gets overwhelming. I'm going to give them a good scrubbing every 3 months or so just to be safe.My Altima i got rid of never had one spec of haze because i washed the car one a week and never allowed anything to settle on the head lights
     
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  5. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    The haze is the UV degradation of the plastic. A UV protector like armor all or similar should help keep the haze down. But if your car is outside all the time it would not take as long for the UV protection to wash off or wear off and that would hasten the degradation.
     
  6. John Bergendahl

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    2010 altima sat outside for 4 years clear as new when i traded it in.Just keep up with your car and it will continue to look good. I'm proof.You dont have to take my word I'm just sharing my story
     
  7. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    Thanks for sharing. Is someone doubting your word?
     
  8. John Bergendahl

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    seemed like last guy said in no time lights will haze because loss of UV protection but i disagree.mine stayed good whole time i owned it
     
  9. gliderman

    gliderman Active Member

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    John Bergendahl,

    Maybe Nissan uses a different plastic. Once the UV rays start attacking the plastic after the UV protection has worn off, it is going to deteriorate more rapidly after haze removal because the whole plastic lens is degrading, not just the surface. The haze may be on either the inside or the outside surfaces. Eventually it will degrade the whole lens. But haze removal is easy and alot cheaper than a new lens.

    Yes, the more you wax or apply UV protection to your car the longer your finish will last.

    Anyway, nothing new here, there are lots of threads on headlight hazing.
     
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  10. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    This subject has been brought up many times in many forums. Here is a suggestion to everyone that I found really works great for me. I used the product on our last Prius from the time I bought her until the time I traded her in for the Prius I have now.

    The product I use is called "PlastX". It is made by Meguiar's. If used regularly it will clean up lightly hazed headlight lenses. However those that are heavily hazed over or deeply scratched will require the use of the more aggressive kits such as the 3M kit mentioned earlier in this string. The problem with the kits is this. When you use the sandpaper you remove the "clear coat" on the lens. Once the lens has been reconditioned with the kit one should reapply the clear coat. Then the lens will not haze over quickly as other's have found. If you use the PlastX regularly say at least once a month the lenses on your car will stay clear. PlastX will NOT remove the scratches though. It will dull them down, but the scratch will still be there. The only way to remove the scratches is with the kits mentioned above. Remember the kits remove the clear coat... You can find the PlastX at any parts house. Look for it in the wax and cleaning areas. Comes in a white bottle. Read the instructions and follow them. It does take a little elbow grease but it will keep the lenses looking like new.


    Meguiar's : Home


    Hope this helps. If you feel the information is valuable, please consider clicking like on this post.

    Ron (dorunron)
     
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  11. Redpoint5

    Redpoint5 Senior Member

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    I wouldn't polish the lens if the discoloration is slight, because the hazing will occur at a much accelerated pace afterwards.

    I've used the 3M kit on my Dodge Ram and Toyota Camry with good results, but hazing returned after just a couple years. I recently did just the final polishing step with the 3M kit on the Camry and it's looking very good again.

    The best thing to do is clear all the clutter from the garage and park the cars in it. My TSX is 8 years old with no sign of UV damage. It lives in the garage.
     
  12. A617

    A617 Member

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    The thing is I have no garage :( , that's why I wax my car every 3 months
     
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  13. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

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    Try the PlastX
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    There's a caution on page 406 of my Owners Manual:

    "Do not apply wax on the surface of the lights. Wax may cause damage to the lenses."

    (Might be their lawyers talking, do not know.)
     
    #14 Mendel Leisk, Jul 27, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2014
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Ignore. (managed to quote myself, lol)
     
    #15 Mendel Leisk, Jul 27, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2014
  16. Robert W. Horsey

    Robert W. Horsey New Member

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    You can always put ppf on the headlamp after lens restoration to prevent UV degradation.
     
  17. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    You'd think automakers could do a better job.
    Seems to vary from automaker to automaker even model to model.

    So far, so good with my Prius.

    However, I've noticed nearly ALL PT. Cruisers get discoloration to the point of being like a demon with cataracts.
    Can't believe it's safe.
     
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  18. Robert W. Horsey

    Robert W. Horsey New Member

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    Mequiar's says the PlastX is only for headlights that do not have a UV clear coating.
    The rep. did not emphatically say the product will remove UV clear coat though.
    I would stay away from it.

    I'm planning to install the Weathertech headlight film soon. It is extremely thick so it may
    be tricky.
     
  19. Coast Cruiser

    Coast Cruiser Senior Member

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    image.jpg

    Man, I've seen some Gen2 Prius's and you couldn't even tell that was a headlight! Completely yellow.

    I really think it depends on what kind, or quality, of plastic lens the various auto companies use. I've seen 10 and 12 yr old cars, and the lens looked new. The owners say they've never touched them. Then you look at a different brand of car, and it looks like sh*t!

    My '05 Camry was always outside, and the headlights looked good for the first 5 years. I always waxed every inch of that car... every month. But then the headlights started getting grungy. They would clean up fairly well, but got dingy again after just a couple months. I finally took it to the detail guy, and he used a high-speed polisher on it. You can see the "clean" headlight in this pic. (From last February... before I traded it in for my Prius.)
     
  20. Redpoint5

    Redpoint5 Senior Member

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    I found a post somewhere that recommend using Helmsman spar urethane to clear coat the lens after polishing. I've tried it on my truck lights and on a clear plastic cover on a display that lives outside on a 4-wheeler. Time will tell how it holds up...

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