Plastic headlight restoration
Encyclopedia
Plastic headlight restoration is the act of refinishing
aged headlights that have succumbed to headlamp oxidation and other environmental hazards of travel, weather, and exposure to caustic chemicals. This condition which results in cloudy lenses is known for causing reduced night time visibility for travellers as the condition becomes worse.
Most often the solution is to resurface the lens by lightly sanding the affected surface with different grades or grits
of finishing paper until the oxidation is removed and then applying a protective finishing coat
to re-seal the surface of the restored headlight.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of manufacturers offering such products to combat this prevalent problem. Although seemingly expensive at generally $20 to $50 USD per product, do-it-yourself headlight restoration in the long run can effectively save consumers hundreds of dollars over replacement of damaged plastic headlight covers. A cheaper, less effective alternative is plain white toothpaste. Although it may remove light scratches and cloudiness, it requires much more elbow grease
.
Plastic headlight restoration is growing exponentially because auto manufacturers continue to make vehicles with plastic headlight lenses that, without proper care and maintenance, result in cloudy foggy headlights. After as little as two or three years on the road, they become so "cloudy" that they actually output less light than is needed to legally do their job. The problem affects virtually every make of car and truck, foreign or domestic.
Refinishing
In woodworking and the decorative arts, refinishing refers to the act of repairing or reapplying the wood finishing on an object. In practice, this may apply to the paint or wood finish top coat, lacquer or varnish. The artisan or restorer is traditionally aiming for an improved or restored and...
aged headlights that have succumbed to headlamp oxidation and other environmental hazards of travel, weather, and exposure to caustic chemicals. This condition which results in cloudy lenses is known for causing reduced night time visibility for travellers as the condition becomes worse.
Most often the solution is to resurface the lens by lightly sanding the affected surface with different grades or grits
Grits
Grits are a food of American Indian origin common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. They consist of coarsely ground corn, or sometimes alkali-treated corn . They are also sometimes called sofkee or sofkey from the Muskogee language word...
of finishing paper until the oxidation is removed and then applying a protective finishing coat
Protective finishing coat
A protective finishing coat is a substance or chemical composition applied to the surface of an object that provides a barrier of protection from external elements. Polishes use a highly refined abrasive that is suspended in a liquid carrier. The polish wears away the surface to create a smooth...
to re-seal the surface of the restored headlight.
Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of manufacturers offering such products to combat this prevalent problem. Although seemingly expensive at generally $20 to $50 USD per product, do-it-yourself headlight restoration in the long run can effectively save consumers hundreds of dollars over replacement of damaged plastic headlight covers. A cheaper, less effective alternative is plain white toothpaste. Although it may remove light scratches and cloudiness, it requires much more elbow grease
Elbow grease
Elbow grease is an idiom for working hard at manual labour, as in "You need to use some elbow grease." It is a humorous reflection of the fact that some tasks can only be achieved by hard effort and human energy, contrasting with the idea that there should be some special oil, tool or chemical...
.
Plastic headlight restoration is growing exponentially because auto manufacturers continue to make vehicles with plastic headlight lenses that, without proper care and maintenance, result in cloudy foggy headlights. After as little as two or three years on the road, they become so "cloudy" that they actually output less light than is needed to legally do their job. The problem affects virtually every make of car and truck, foreign or domestic.