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Repair of Cloudy Headlights

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Rebound, Apr 23, 2017.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just up the road from you, I still see a lot of it. Walking our dog, along a block with several old peoples homes, I notice a lot of the cars parked (assumably by staff) have the fogged headlight, from sitting day after day. The newer cars not bad, but as they age it gets progressively more hazed.

    Amen, brother.

    Walking the dog (do I do anything but??), I took a close look at a neighbour's street-parked Jeep with traditional round headlights: they're fogging up. They look like glass, but are apparently not. I've googled though, and apparently there are glass drop-in headlights available.
     
  2. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    Um, they rated the Silvania number 1.

    I have a feeling we'll just need to repeat this procedure every six to twelve months. I have to assume that the sealant isn't as tough as the original plastic surface, which lasted almost five years without difficulty for me. I didn't notice cloudiness until after a trip several miles up and down a very dusty dirt road, which must have scratched up the lenses.
     
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  3. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Well, maybe I've just been lucky. My vehicles are always parked outside, and I've never had this issue. (Knock On Wood).
    The only other thing I can think of, is when I was younger I would use one of the "new" Nano-Wax products, which were OK for clear plastic surfaces, and when I would wax, I would also cover the headlights.

    I've always kind of feared my vehicle getting Cataracts.
    So this thread has been interesting.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I was just waxing ours, and per usual was careful NOT to get wax on the headlights. I've got a vague recollection of a caution in the Owner's Manual, to avoid wax on headlights. But I was thinking about that, if it might indeed be beneficial, say depending on the wax. I'll search tomorrow on the topic.
     
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  5. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I think a majority of waxes...yes...they say avoid it.
    I use to use, Turtle Wax ICE and Meguiars Nano-Tech Wax...both similar benefits products that proclaimed you could put them on nearly any and all surfaces.
    This was for "quick" protection in between washes and between "real full wax jobs".

    But a "normal" conventional wax? Yeah, I don't think I'd put that on my headlights.

    I've slowed down, and I don't wash, wax and maintain like I did a when I was younger.
    So actually it will be interesting to see if that problem develops.

    Now I'm lucky if I do one wax job a year. And I'm thinking of paying a detailer to do that for me.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm doing wax spring and fall, but especially the fall waxing, beginning to wonder why, it seems like overkill. Oh well, keeps me off the streets.
     
  7. orlywon

    orlywon Member

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    Most of the headlight restoration kits are a temporary solution. Applying a UV coat at the end of the restoration process helps keep the lens clear longer. Some kits include this.

    I personally prefer to wet sand the lens and spray a UV resistant clear coat at the end. Not for the faint of heart. Takes a patience to get it done perfect. I did it on my 05, it's far from perfect (left a few drip marks on one edge) but looks clear.
     
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    How's it holding up, how long ago?
     
  9. orlywon

    orlywon Member

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    I've done them last summer, lens still looks clear... I kind of want to redo them again because of the dripping marks...

    Car stays in the garage at night but in the sun during the day (parking lot at work is not shaded unfortunately)

    The curing time took the longest, removed the lens from the car, applied the clear coat and left it to cure for 24 hours before reinstalling it.
     
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  10. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    I bought a kit for the ChuggyPig, and have yet to try it, however I was mightily impressed by the video so that I bought a couple of extras for Yule gifts for friends, and I've yet to hear back from them as to results! ...but it's encouraging to find someone else here who is also impressed! :):)
     
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  11. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    A nice little surprise was waiting for me on the bench when I returned home this afternoon:

    IMG_0372.JPG

    Maybe I will have some work to do on June 24th(y)!
     
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  12. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    PS, I think I might clear-coat mine when I eventually get around to restoring them. (...another youtube vid!)
     
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  13. orlywon

    orlywon Member

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    ChrisFix has a good video on this on YouTube. I followed his instructions when I did mine. You can skip the wet sanding portion if you are happy with the clarity of your lens and you simply want to add a clear coat. I did 3 clear coats on mine.
     
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  14. Lightning Racer

    Lightning Racer Active Member

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    When I fixed up my headlamps, I tried clear coat painting the lens using Chris Fix's video after going through the end of the wet sanding procedures using a kit (Sylvania, I think), with the idea that it would last longer than the UV coating provided by the kit. I recommend you NOT DYI clear coat paint unless you are very practiced with using a spray can. I visualized how I was going to spray it using lessons from the video, and went for it. I ended up getting huge drips. Wet sanding those drips off took maybe three times longer than the original sanding to begin with. I didn't want to waste that effort again, so I just used the kit UV coat.

    I'm sure it's possible to do a good spray can clear coat job, but you would need to be way more practiced than me. One way to get it done would be to take the headlamps down to a professional auto painter to do the clear coat after you do the sanding. Maybe that wouldn't cost too much.

    The kit UV coating is holding up well for me so far after 9 months. But the car has gone from a car parked outside in CA to a garaged car in AK, so I don't anticipate needing to do the restoration frequently.
     
    #54 Lightning Racer, May 4, 2017
    Last edited: May 4, 2017
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  15. Former Member 68813

    Former Member 68813 Senior Member

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    There is a trick some people use who offer this service to used car sellers: they use Helmsman Spar Urethane with UV protection available in home Depot or other places. It's applied by sponge or cloth after mixing with paint thinner.
     
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  16. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

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    If "temporary" means I need to do it once a year, that's no big deal for me. What do you think?
     
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  17. orlywon

    orlywon Member

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    I'd be happy too if I had to do it once a year! (y)
    Some of the restoration kits only buff and shine the yellow portions of the headlight. They clarify the lens, but only last a few months before they become yellow again. It happened when I still had my old '03 corolla. The sun here definitely doesn't help :cool:
     
  18. lenjack

    lenjack Active Member

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    Looked at a lot of products for my 10 Prius. Saw raves for Meguair Perfect Clarity, at Amazon.


    Found it at local store for $18. Stunning results. Like new. 9 months, no change since. Hardest part was masking. 75 minutes. If I need to do it again, probably 50 minutes.
     
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  19. StephenFromCT

    StephenFromCT Junior Member

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    Last weekend I helped a friend wash and hand wax a 2010 Prius which has been exposed to winters in CT.

    I purchased Turtle Wax "Carnauba Cleaner Wax Paste", because it was the only paste sold by the local hardware store. The product is labeled as a cleaner, because it is slightly abrasive, and worked very well at making the body very shiny.

    To my surprise, I was also able to make the cloudy headlights very clear using the same product. I applied the paste using an old sock. Then, while the paste was still "wet", I rubbed it by hand, using the same sock, for a minute or two. I did not use sand paper. I did not use a power buffer. I used just elbow grease. The fix was not perfect, but the price was right. The headlight covers are not perfectly transparent, but now I can easily see the bulbs.

    I did not think about taking "before" photos, because I did not expect the technique to work so well.

    If the headlight covers get cloudy this winter I will repeat the same cleaner wax paste treatment.

    I do not have any reasons to buy rubbing compound, which is more abrasive, but if anyone has some please let us know if if works well on restoring plastic headlight covers, perhaps with a top coat of wax?

    Several years ago several members were discussing using toothpaste, but the results were not reported.

    Fading/fogging headlights | PriusChat

    BTW, does anyone know if blue toothpaste gels are abrasive (vs the opaque white types of toothpaste).

    I will keep you posted.
     
  20. Ed Beaty

    Ed Beaty Active Member

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    I had EXCELLENT results with the SYLVANIA - Headlight Restoration Kit.
    Available at Amazon ($20.00). I got mine at Advance Auto. Requires some care and careful following of instructions, and made my lens (only did one of them, kit is designed to do two lenses) like new. Starts with a cleaning solution, then uses two grades of wet sandpaper (the dark grey stuff), then some rubbing compound, and final step is a clear anti-UV coating. I do NOT recommend just getting some 'rubbing compound' and rubbing away, unless you know exactly what you're doing. This kit works well.

    Edit: one thing I strongly recommend: go to the Amazon page where this is sold and read the reviews. Besides being overwhelmingly positive, MANY useful tips are included there by people who used the kit.
     
    #60 Ed Beaty, Aug 16, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2019
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