Cloudy/Hazy Headlights

Does anyone know if the NTSB or the Federal Government reviewed the issue of clouding plastic headlight covers?

My issue and others is why do I have to buy restoration kits for the obvious, every automobile has the symptom with plastic lens?

When you buy after market ultra bright headlight bulbs or additional forward lighting the Police department will pull you over possibly getting a citation over for non compliant headlight accessories.

I never bought a restoration kit for my plastic rear tail light covers, why do I need to for the plastic headlight covers?

I think we're getting our wallets violated with this defect issue. If car manufacturers recall other safety issues why not the headlight clouding issue? It should be included for free replacement for at least seven years.

headlights get a good deal hotter than tail lights do, so they can use cheaper plastic and have it last longer in the rear. Also, those headlight restore kits are nice for the rears too, just not necessary.

Companies just went with a cheaper plastic in the late 90's, my 95 civic has plastic lights that are still new engine clean. One of the many reasons why I won't buy a new car, cheaper more plastic crap is in em.

Police don't pull enough people over for the illegal headlight issue, they need to pull em over more with heavier fines. I'm not talking about the SilverStar upgrades, I'm talking about those crappy little "HID" kits people get cheap on fleabay. In addition to NOT being DOT legal, my logic is because they are incredibly blinding to other drivers because they aren't focused like they should be. Makes me wanna shoot the headlights out every time that I see em.

SilverStars are perfectly legal, all one needs to do is to save the package and receipt, then humiliate the cop.

Here in Arizona, very common for plastic headlight covers to get hazy because of the sun. Even my oldest's 2008 Mazda CV-7 has this issue. Ever price replacements - pretty expensive, up to several hundred dollars !!!

Anyway, here's what I do right now, on my 1998 Frontier my youngest drives, on my 2005 Yukon, and did on our 1994 Suburban:

I use regular car wax on them, about every three months, takes 5 minutes. The results were unbelievable the first time I tried it, do one healight cover at a time. Car wax has small amount of abrasive it it, does the job. There are kits with abrasive balls or discs that go on a drill or polisher (Autozone, O'Reillys, even Harbor Freight has these), some kits contain secret liquids to put on afterwards.

Obviously, our B-trucks have good-old fashioned glass sealed beams, don't need this.

polishing compound can also work. I got a bottle of blue magic and it works well on my GF's 01 Cougar.

I too think cheap or bad plastic blends are to blame...

If your lights are bad those "kits" at the parts store isn't enough to do the job. You may need to use a series of finer and finer sand paper to get down to good clear plastic again. Some videos on the INTERNET show using 1000, then 1500, then 2000 grit paper and finally using what comes in those "kits". If your lights are really bad you might want to consider replacing them as now it's a safety issue or start with 800 grit paper then follow along... Remember go in opposite directions with each grit level to avoid lines. Also a grinder or professional buffer is helpful in applying the proper pressure to the lights. Be sure not to scratch your hood and surrounding painted surfaces.

Keep in mind once you "fix" your plastic lights they will not "last" so you'll need to do as Cusser does, once a year or so reapply a wax coating - and this applies to any plastic lenses front or back.

Dan

So Dan - does this also happen to plastic headlight covers in Ohio, or is this just more of a sunny climate thing?

Yes, it happens all over the country as far as I can tell.

Our climate covers the gambit from -20 to 100+. PLUS ours are sandblasted by salt and road grime all winter then construction dirt and debris all summer. There is no break for our headlights in this climate. My partner at work has some so bad he could not see at night until I told him how to fix them and now he can but... he waited too long, he should replace them now.

Ok most info covered so my little bit.I use meguiars plastX polish every TIME I wash my wifes 04 accord on the hdlghts and hand apply and sometimes buff with my cordless foamy buffer.Keeps them clear,bubbles water,and no hazy stuff.If the lights are bad,using 800,1000,2000 sandpaper helps but I also have used meguiars #2 fine cut cleaner after sandpaper(normally 1000 or 2000) soapy water wipe dry apply it.Then use the plastX.I do not use sandpaper all the time,like every 6months then luster it with the fine cut,polish out.Cheap plastic bottom line.I replaced my nephews 98 accord light assemblies last summer with new oem from rockauto like 33.00 each.Just polishing the lens regularly prevents the haze,yellow effect.I suggest once a month,but I am a clean fanatic so all the time is good.

Along with heat the other big cause is UV light. thats what discolors them a bunch.and thats why it happens in AZ and AK, A good fix is to sand them and to put a good automotive clearcoat on them, not a spray can clear but a two part ureathane clear. that will slow it down from doing it again. but once it happens the only way to get rid of it 100% is to replace them and then keep the new lights waxed and protected.




As for hids proper aiming is a big part because there is so much more light, poorly aimed lights can blind other drivers no matter what type of bulbs they have. I bought the best silver stars out there and it didnt help one bit. I put an hid kit in from ddm tunning and can see 100 times better. But i am slighty color blind so different shades make a big differeance. i have never been flashed for someone thinking they are too bright.