The plastic headlights on your car often become dull over the years. That's unsightly and bad for light output. But you can make them shine again in no time. Just follow the instructions!

Why do headlights become cloudy?

Over time, the plastic that covers car headlights can become opaque or yellow, preventing the light from shining properly and even reducing visibility. But what causes this?

Here are some frequent reasons:

1. Oxidation occurs when the polycarbonate glass that covers the acrylic headlight is worn away by UV rays. The acrylic then develops small cracks that give it that cloudy appearance.
2. Road damage can change the appearance of headlights. When small stones and debris collide with the headlight lens, they create small marks that can cause a cloudy or opaque appearance.
3. Dirt and debris can change the appearance of headlight plastic. The layer of dirt can blur the light and affect the strength and direction of the beam.
4. Condensation can cause moisture to build up behind the headlight cover, resulting in a cloudy appearance that reduces light output. This problem usually occurs if the cover was not installed properly after a bulb change or if the seal around the plastic is not in good condition.

How to make your car's headlights shine?

Clean the headlights

Dirt on the headlights prevents them from properly illuminating the road. If they are very dirty, visibility can be greatly reduced. In some cases, drivers can see as little as 10% of what's going on in front of them.

Use a soft cloth or sponge to wash the headlights. First, make sure the cloth itself is clean: dust and sand can have an abrasive effect on the surface being cleaned. Use a special car shampoo to clean them. You can use a special cleaner for insect or bitumen marks. Organic contaminants can be very stubborn, so it's best to remove them as soon as they appear.

Adjust the angle of the headlights

We recommend that you adjust the headlamps at least once a year, whenever the bulbs are changed, whenever new tires or rims are fitted, and whenever work is carried out on the front of the vehicle. To do this, park the vehicle on a horizontal surface, perfectly perpendicular to a wall. Then make the necessary marks on the wall. To find out the order in which to draw the lines, the distance between them, and the distance between the car and the wall, consult the car's owner's manual, as this varies from model to model.

Paint the reflector

You can use a special chrome paint to restore the reflector's shine and remove any traces of tarnish. To do this, disassemble the headlight, polish the reflector with sandpaper to completely remove the chrome layer, then degrease the surface, apply a coat of primer to the plastic, and spray one or two coats of paint onto the reflector.

Polish the headlights

New headlights have a special coating that protects the lens from mechanical damage and ultraviolet rays. Over time, this coating wears away, micro-cracks and scratches appear, and the lens can darken and yellow. This problem can be remedied by using headlamp restoration kits, which are specifically designed to polish lenses. They usually contain various grits of sandpaper, a polishing disc and polishing paste.

Restore power

Rough repairs to the vehicle's electrical circuits, corroded terminals, or a defect in the alternator or battery can cause the voltage at the bulb socket to drop. The voltage is then often insufficient to provide satisfactory lighting. It is therefore necessary to replace old and worn wires as soon as necessary and to use a special non-conductive grease to protect the terminals from external damage.

Replace bulbs

Xenon bulbs tend to fade over time. Halogen bulbs will leave a burnt deposit on the surface of the glass if installed incorrectly. If you notice that your headlights have dimmed recently, try to remember when you last changed the bulbs. In general, the average bulb life is about 500 hours for incandescent bulbs, 1,500 hours for halogen bulbs, 3,000 hours for xenon bulbs, and over 10,000 hours for LED bulbs.

Clean the ventilation holes

These holes let air in and out of the lamp to regulate the internal pressure and equalize it with the external pressure. If they are clogged, condensation can build up in the headlamp housing and cause the lens to fog up, reducing visibility.

3-STEP HEADLIGHT POLISHING

STEP 1: SAND

Clean the headlight and tape off the area around it to avoid damaging the body. Sand any dull areas with damp sandpaper in a range of grits from coarse to fine. You can do this by hand, but it's more convenient to use a small polishing machine.

STEP 2: POLISHING

Using polishing compound and a soft polishing wheel, polish the still dull headlight until the lens is completely clear.

STEP 3: GLOSS COATING

The final touch comes with a liquid or spray that adds a protective layer and a shiny effect. Now your headlights look like new and are ready for years of service!

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