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foggy headlamps

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Aswin Garimalla, Jun 25, 2015.

  1. Aswin Garimalla

    Aswin Garimalla New Member

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    my head lights appear foggy all the time. it is my feeling that headlights are not powerfully shining the lights on pitch dark roads. I paid $60 for a headlight clean at toyota dealership, later realized it is a rip-off and i can get cleaning solutions at walmart for $10. Even after service and cleaning, it appears dull. what is the solution?
     
    #1 Aswin Garimalla, Jun 25, 2015
  2. gggGary

    gggGary gggGary

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    You will need to look over the headlight carefully, often the inside of the lens and the reflector get cloudy from moisture and age. Housing replacement is probably the best option once the inside is "foggy". Did this on my German van last summer before a long trip, I replaced foggy OEM with a Korean Will fit, the difference was "night and day", chuckle. There are aftermarket assemblies at a quite reasonable cost for most volume production cars.
    PS the Korean replacement was perfect fit in the German body.
     
    #2 gggGary, Jun 25, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2015
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  3. Aswin Garimalla

    Aswin Garimalla New Member

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    Thanks ggGary.
     
    #3 Aswin Garimalla, Jun 25, 2015
  4. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    Toothpaste on a buffing wheel does the trick if the fog is on the outside.
     
    #4 kithmo, Jun 25, 2015
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  5. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Separated posts made in a thread in the Prius v forums and moved into a new thread here in the Gen II forums.
     
    #5 Paradox, Jun 25, 2015
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  6. Aswin Garimalla

    Aswin Garimalla New Member

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    Thanks Kithmo. I dont have buffing wheel. is there any other alternative , household item like large brush , cloth i can use?

    Thanks Paradox for your information. I am new to this forum and would make myself familiar with all rules in future. I appreciate the enthusiastic participation of forum members in sharing their experiences and expertise to help others.
     
    #6 Aswin Garimalla, Jun 26, 2015
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    get 2.

    There are a lot of Youtube vids detailing headlamp restoration.
    I've seem some good results, but I consider $140 to be reasonable for new replacements.

    NEVER use a dealership for anything other than buying a new car, and if Tesla gets their way they won't even be useful for that.

    EDIT: Make sure that the replacement fits YOUR Prius.
    There are other outlets besides the big "A" but they tend to be both inexpensive and they allow returns more readily.
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Jun 26, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2015
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  8. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    you can use a cloth but it's harder work.
     
    #8 kithmo, Jun 26, 2015
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