Having crystal clear headlights looks good and is one of the vehicles' most significant safety points. Having foggy or yellow headlights can "Reduce visibility by 80 percent," according to AAA. Most headlights fade around five years but can start as early as three years old. All headlights have a UV protective coating or clear coat on top of them that help prolong the look and visibility of the lenses.
Why They Fade
The main reason is UV exposure from the sun. Road debris flying up from cars in front of us and hitting the lenses can cause minor chips in the clear coat & damage the protective coating even faster. This degrades the UV protective coating even more.
Luckily a Fixable Issue (In Most Cases)
Whether you are a DIYer or want to go to (or have come to you) a professional and have them done: here is a video, blog post, and kit I recommend if you have no tools. However, this won't work only if the fading or damage is on the INSIDE of the lens. But it's hard to tell until you attempt to restore.
How To Prevent
Yes, you can help prevent and prolong the look of your brand-new headlights. The best solution is to have them Ceramic Coated when they are brand new. This is the best option for UV protection, just like protecting your paint.
Another option is to find a wax or paint sealant with UV protection and apply it every few months. Most waxes and sealants can be used on your headlights as well!! (And tail lights)
How To Fix
The go-to method for fixing foggy headlights is to wet, sand, and polish them. That sounds harder than it is. There are different options to choose from, some with tools and some with no tools required. You can even buy kits to do it yourself! Of all the kits on the market, look for a kit with some protective coating afterward. Without some UV protection to apply after that, they will just fad again, most likely starting within a year. A no-tool needed kit that we recommend if you don't have a drill or polish is by CERAKOTE.
Our Method
We wet-sand each lens with the following grit in order:
1)1500
2)2000
3)2500
4)3000
With a spray bottle of water, spray the lens and keep spraying to help flush the areas as you sand. We spend 4-7 minutes on each step, on each lens. You want to ensure you do an even coverage across the whole lens. Then we pull out our polisher, or in a DIY case, a drill with a polishing foam pad and our Owners Pride Compound to finish them down to a clear look!
After we polish, we use an IPA to remove any oil left over from the compound and then apply a ceramic coating to provide UV protection for years to come, to keep them looking their best and most durable at providing the best visibility.
Need Us To Restore Your Headlights?
Send us a message or fill out our form, and we will get it Scheduled Today!!