Oxidised headlights

sorcerer · October 12, 2016

The headlights on our 2005 RX300 have yellowed so I'm going to clean them up. I'm probably going to go with the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit (power drill version rather than human power) as it seems to get great reviews, but it doesn't come with any sort of UV protector as far as I can see so can anyone recommend something suitable? Should any other form of sealer/protective coating be used either before or after the UV one?

Monte · October 13, 2016

Used 3 dfferent products, not cheap ones, the result is very clear headlights. Unfortunatly it lasts only 3 - 4 months and definetely not 12 as stated.

sorcerer · October 13, 2016

21 minutes ago, Monte said:

Used 3 dfferent products, not cheap ones, the result is very clear headlights. Unfortunatly it lasts only 3 - 4 months and definetely not 12 as stated.

That's apparently where the UV protector comes in. The lenses are coated with a UV-resistant protective coating at the factory, but over time it oxidises and becomes yellow, which then necessitates the sanding/polishing to take off that oxidised layer and get them clear again. Once clear, they then need to be protected again with another coat or two of UV-resistant stuff. I've seen a few videos on Youtube but they've been american and I've had no luck in finding the same UV coating they're using when I Googled for it, hence my question.

katabrontes · October 13, 2016

I had the same problem on my Toyota Vitz (Japanese import of Yaris) in Cyprus. I used Twenty20 Crystalite - Rapid Headlight Restoration from Autobulbs Direct (about £10) which did a pretty good job but I will have to see how its lasted when I get back to Cyprus in a month or so. Not sure if it has UV protection included in the secondary coating applied after the initial cleaning stage (it sa two part process). It was very easy to use but needed a bit more care in cleaning off the oxidised layer and could have done with a couple of extra pads of the wet wipes to do this with.

PCM · October 15, 2016

I'm sure there's a long thread on this forum somewhere about oxidation...?

carld · October 15, 2016

As stupid as it sounds, try toothpaste before using any wet and dry sandpaper and polishing.

carld · October 15, 2016

The reason i say this is that its less harsh than sand paper and it will do until you find a suitable uv protector.

madasahatter · October 15, 2016

Wet and dry till it goes opake , cutting compand till crystal clear. Then use a lacquer a couple of fine coats.

sorcerer · October 15, 2016

1 hour ago, carld said:

As stupid as it sounds, try toothpaste before using any wet and dry sandpaper and polishing

The reason i say this is that its less harsh than sand paper and it will do until you find a suitable uv protector.

Thanks Carl, not a stupid idea at all but I've seen Youtube vids of the toothpaste method and it's not the best. I want to do the job right so I won't be starting it until I have everything I need to hand. Thanks for your reply though, I do appreciate it.

sorcerer · October 15, 2016

2 hours ago, madasahatter said:

Wet and dry till it goes opake , cutting compand till crystal clear. Then use a lacquer a couple of fine coats.

Thanks Keith. Like I said above, I've seen a few Youtube videos so I think I'm ok with the method but I was hoping someone may be able to suggest actual products to either use or stay away from - something along the lines of "I used 'Brand X' lacquer and it was rubbish so I went with 'Brand Y' instead and it did a great job, and I also got 'Brand Z' UV protector".

It seems to need quite a bit of effort to do the job correctly and if you do make a mistake it's expensive to rectify, so I just want to do the best I can do, first time.

But again, thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

sorcerer · October 15, 2016

2 hours ago, PCM said:

I'm sure there's a long thread on this forum somewhere about oxidation...?

Well I searched for the phrase "oxidised headlights" and also "yellowed headlights" (without the quotes) but it didn't return anything useful. If you do happen to come across it somewhere I'd be grateful for a link please.

PCM · October 15, 2016

Here?

sorcerer · October 15, 2016

Thank you Piers. My search string had the word 'headlights' in but did not return that one you've linked to, which is a bit weird but cheers, I'll have a look at it now.

cachaciero · October 31, 2016

Actually its not that the factory UV protection deteriorates its more that it gets polished off by people polishing their headlights!

The basic headlight plastic is a material sometimes know as Lexan or Polycarbonate this material reacts to UV and in time turns yellow. To prevent this the headlight is coated with a UV filter not sure what the factory use however I do know that Acrylic is a good UV filter so I suspect that the anti UV coating is not much more than a good quality Acrylic clear coat.

So a comprehensive solution to yellowed headlights would be to polish the Lexan until the yellow surface has been removed and then spray them with a good quality Acrylic clear coat.

My suggestion your risk :-)

Oh! and for those who still have bright shiny headlights Never ever polish them wash only.

brendangeorge · November 20, 2016

I had the local indi polish the head lamps on my LS430 and they were great for 6 months - I tried the toothpaste method and it does not work.

I read an Honest John article where he said use Brasso and elbow grease - that works and lasts for a few months.

Here is an interesting article from Instructables - worth a read - it seems sanding is not needed.

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-30-sec-Headlight-Restoration/

Bren

katabrontes · November 20, 2016

Having just returned to Cyprus I was disappointed to find that the headlights have returned to their previous yellow bloom. Pity. Maybe toothpaste etc repeated as required is best after all.

NemesisUK · November 20, 2016

One has to give the lenses a coating of spray UV protection after polishing to remove the milky bloom, or it just comes back super-quick!

Malc1 · November 20, 2016

on the Ls400 forum I know there's a piece about rejuvenating headlamps/ front lights to be like new at a minimal cost .......... car bodyshop repairers use the kit from their suppliers and it stays good for years.

Malc 1

sorcerer · November 20, 2016

11 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

One has to give the lenses a coating of spray UV protection after polishing to remove the milky bloom, or it just comes back super-quick!

And so we come full circle to why I started this topic in the first place - can anyone recommend a good UV protector?

Glover · November 20, 2016

I had the same problem with 2001 my Yaris (weekday car!). Found an article online about using wet and dry; start with 800 or 1000, then 2000 and finish off with 4000 grit. Really scary at first .(you'll think, what have I done!) but as you go through the grits the lens gets clearer and the 4000 polishes it. Didn't take long at all but make sure to keep the paper wet and rinse the lens frequently.

I also tried toothpaste; used ordinary cheap own brand at first; then I fought maybe a smokers toothpaste might be a bit better so tried Eucryl Powder. That got them a bit clearer but mine were very oxidised hence finally resorting to wet and dry. I got a mixed pack of wet and dry including 4000 grit from Halfords but looking a few minutes ago they don't seem to do it any more but you can get it on amazon.

ChrisKaye · November 20, 2016

I use the same method as glover did above but skip 4000 grit and use Meguiars ultimate compound with a microfibre cloth, then super resin polish and then a good synthetic wax that gives you the UV protection.

Each head light takes about 30 mins, make sure you put a cloth over any paintwork when sanding and sand a strip at a time with 4 passes, left to right as you work down the lense, then 4 passes up and down starting from the left.

When compounding, polishing or waxing, use circular motion with the microfibre. The easiest step is waxing, no real pressure or elbow grease required!

I tend to do this by hand as you can get carried away with power sanders and electric polishers tend to fling stuff everywhere!

rayaans · November 21, 2016

Something like FK1000p is probably what you need.

"Developed from a West German process called Synthesis FinishKare 1000P is a blend of advanced pure synthetic materials.

The result is a paste wax characterized by melting temps. of 250+ degrees, extreme hardness, extreme slickness, high gloss, and intensive wear without the quality fluctuations found in natural waxes.

FinishKare 1000P delivers heavy duty resistance to UV, hard water, acid rain, bug spatter, tree sap etc while creating a customer appearance. Excellent for use on all automotive paint, gel coat and metal surfaces including critical aircraft surfaces."

The reason I mention it is for the two aspects above that are in bold. I use it and its great for protecting wheels and exhausts so should be fine for headlamps, especially on the inside.

Usually wax tends to degrade very quickly when exposed to high temperature.

ChrisKaye · November 25, 2016

Hi Rayaans,

Always a font of knowledge, I'll keep my eyes open for some FK1000P as I think this will be a useful addition to my car detailing stuff! :)

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

rayaans · November 25, 2016

1 hour ago, ChrisKaye said:

Hi Rayaans,

Always a font of knowledge, I'll keep my eyes open for some FK1000P as I think this will be a useful addition to my car detailing stuff! :)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well worth having - seems to love sitting on the paint for a good 6 months as well.

sorcerer · November 25, 2016

Hey thanks guys. For some reason or other I've not seen any replies to this topic since my own last posting on Sunday, which is very strange. I've accessed the forum on two different computers and also on my phone via Tapatalk so not sure what's going on but hey-ho, worse things happen