Whats your choice in Headlight Restoration?

[wutagoalie]

Hello all, I need to clean my cloudy headlights. Ive narrowed it down to 2 products that are most popular in my area.

Mequiar's kit (no sanding involved)

or

3M kit (with sanding)

what is your choice?

 

[message]

From experience neither. Both will clear your headlights, but they will be yellowed and foggy again in less than a year. Do some searching on here and the web and you will find that the Crystal View kit is the only way to go if you want a permanent fix.
Headlight Restoration | Headlight Cleaner

 

[03_4x4Runner]

The only thing I ever tried was the Mequiar's plastic cleaner and polish. It will look good for a while but will need to be reapplied ocassionally. It is not a problem for me as it only takes a few minutes. It seems like once the lenses start to fade it is hard to keep them looking like new for a long period of time. I do not know about the other products.

 

[ur7x]

None of the above. Small can of Mothers Mag Wheel Polish or Plastic polish and a clean cotton rag are all that you need.

 

[DocMT]

Totally depends upon the condition of your headlights. If they are really bad, you'll have to sand them to get perfect results. If they aren't that bad yet, you can get away with polishing (and no sanding).

After you get them looking new again, they will be unprotected and will begin to oxidize probably within a year or so. Even that depends upon how often your vehicle sits out in the sun. So you'll have to do the headlights over again.

Or if you're interested in applying a protective coating on them after you refinish them, lots of people have had amazing results with a 50/50 mixture of mineral spirits & urethane. If done right, it looks excellent and you don't even know it's there. It should provide several years of protection against the lenses oxidizing again...

 

[Uneek]

Sanding them will work for the interim, but quickly return them to the clouded state is due to removing any or what little UV protection the plastic has left.

I use a plastic sealant on mine and it hasn't clouded at all.

 

[DocMT]

Sanding them will work for the interim, but quickly return them to the clouded state is due to removing any or what little UV protection the plastic has left.

I use a plastic sealant on mine and it hasn't clouded at all.

Which product do you use?

I've never used anything on mine (because I didn't know any better) and they've just started to cloud up after 7 years. My 4Runner is kept in a garage, but it gets plenty of sun exposure during the day. I've seen 4Runners of my same year with VERY clouded headlights, so I think it has a lot to do with the amount of sun exposure...

 

[Gatafly]

If it were me I would just buy new ones. . . . . they really are not that expensive.

 

[DocMT]

If it were me I would just buy new ones. . . . . they really are not that expensive.

They are approximately $175 (for each side) on Partznet. That's not cheap if you ask me.

 

[DesertEdition]

Here's my 2 cents... if you use the kit that requires sanding then it would last longer than without due to you removing the oxidzed junk.... the best cheapest way would to be going to your local autobody and have then sand and clear them the sanding with 600 grit will get all the oxidized junk off and the clear coat has UV protectant in them and will last loner than any over the counter product... there's my 2 cents do what you will with it ha ha

 

[message]

You can get the Clear View kit at walmart last I checked for like $15.

 

[Uneek]

Which product do you use?

I've never used anything on mine (because I didn't know any better) and they've just started to cloud up after 7 years. My 4Runner is kept in a garage, but it gets plenty of sun exposure during the day. I've seen 4Runners of my same year with VERY clouded headlights, so I think it has a lot to do with the amount of sun exposure...

I use this: Wolfgang Plastik Surface Sealant ever since my 4Runner start living outside. I apply it maybe every 2-3 months. It's held up well and lasts longer than using wax on the headlights.

 

[message]

Wow, you have to reapply every 2-3 months? Can you see the sealer wearing off?

 

[DocMT]

Wow, you have to reapply ever 2-3 months? Can you see the sealer wearing off?

Sealing the lenses is similar to waxing your paint...it's temporary protection at best. The factory protection is an actual hard coat (similar to the clear coat on the paint) that is applied over the polycarbonate lenses. It still degrades over time and begins to cloud/chip/yellow when it breaks down.

 

[Uneek]

Wow, you have to reapply every 2-3 months? Can you see the sealer wearing off?

The sealant, not just visually looking at it. The lens doesn't beat water very well after the sealant wears off.

Best way to think of it is the factory UV coating is similar to the clear coat on your paint, while the plastic sealant is like wax or sealant used for the painted surfaces. We apply wax or sealant to the finish to protect the clear coat, same purpose here with plastic sealant for the light lenses. I use the sealant on all the lights.