On my last two cars after a few hears the headlights got yellow and foggy. Using a finishing compound made them look good again for a few days, but then went back to yellow and foggy. Anything I can do on my new truck to keep that from happening in the first place? Keeping it out of the sun isn't an option.

 

Plast-X. Get it almost anywhere-- from WalMart, to AutoZone, etc... Great stuff-- cleans off the nasty and oxidation, and leaves a UV protective coating on there. Start using it now, before it gets too bad. I would say that you should need to use it 1-4x per year. (BTW-- use it on your brake lights and 3rd brake light, too... Makes it all look really nice.)

 

Thanks so much - I'll buy (or order) some today. It's so disappointing to see a well maintained car or truck start looking like crap in just a few years because of UV damage to the plastic.

 

from my understanding the clear plastic stays clear better then the cheap kinda foggy older style housings. The lights that are on my truck are off of a 2001 Lightning, and still look brand new

 

For plastic MAINTENANCE, I'd go with Plexus. Plast-X is an abrasive plastic polish that, in my opinion, is more for haze/light scratch removal. Plexus is more of a pure polish/protectant for plastics.

Now, if you have hazing and such, I HIGHLY recommend Plast-X. There are more designer brands out there in the plastic polishing world but, having used several of them, I keep coming back to my $6 bottle of Plast-X.

For an example:


BEFORE



AFTER


This took quite a bit of work - including wet sanding and rotary buffing with wool but, it came out VERY well. The owner mentioned that he would've paid me what he paid me just to do the headlights (which I certainly made a mental note of... HA!).

 

ive got some really yellow headlights. ive tried the pastX and this other thing i got at autozone that uses sandpapaer. i still cant get them clear. i always see condensation in them. would it be a good idea to take them apart and try cleaning the inside of the lens?

 

It may be but, ultimately that's your call...

If you're getting condensation, the best route may be to clean the inside, reseal around the bulb entries and have a priest bless it.

If you don't have a priest or sealant, I'd snare a set off of ebay for less than $70 and just replace them.

 

LMAO

 

hahaha. well i went out and tried to clean them one last time. first i wet sanded them with 2000 grit. and used some plastx. it didnt work. my brother just happen to walk by and jokingly told me to put some acetone on them. so i tried it. IT WORKED! all the yellow gunk came right off. it left the lenses a little hazzy, so i just went back over them with plastx and now they look awesome. it looks like ill be doing this to my moms tomorrow

 

Hmmm.... Interesting. I definately wouldnt have thought of that. Glad it worked out in the long run!

And yes, RP-- very funny ("If you dont have a priest or a sealant...")

 

Neither my 1993 or 2004 F-150 had/has the hazy headlight lens disease. I do belieive the haze comes from the chemical makeup of the lense on certain models. My daughter's 2004 Toyota got the haze and I first used just Turtle Wax (paste) by hand. That didn't do diddly. So I whipped out my Porter-Cable, it still didn't do it. So I next used Turtle Wax Rubbing Compund which has a little greater grit. That did it. I did not see any, but to insure there would be no swirls I went over the lens with the Turle Wax (paste). Came out like new.

It has only been two months so I do not know how long the chemical make up of the plastic lens in the Toyota will hold up before it hazes up again.

 

I think most of it has to do with the way the plastic degrades in the sunlight and chemicals on the road...but I bet RP, being the chemical guru that he is, will shed a bit of light on the situation...or at least a caylume (sp?) light stick on it...