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For an update, I used Spraymax 2K clear on my headlights about 4 months ago and they still look about as good or the same as when I first sprayed them. Waxing in comparison does not really last a 3-4 weeks before I started noticing them fading or yellowing slightly. Based on my experiences Opti Lens or Opti coat in comparison would have showed pretty significant haze/yellowing by now, it only seemed to last maybe 2 months or so maybe less on a car exposed to the elements before I noticed it going back to hazing/yellowing.
I did not use a adhesive promoter because there are very few clear ones available, it is a little confusing exactly what the proper steps are as different people say different things, and the Dupli color one I used was a disaster and useless. At first I wet sanded my headlights working from 600grit, to 800grit, to 1000grit, I might have started with 400grit lightly though. Certain people and companies say to stop at 800grit for proper adhesion but I was afraid the spray may not cover all the scratches so I did some light 1000grit . I tried the clear Dupli color adhesion promoter after cleaning the headlights and wiping down with alcohol. Immediately it went on hazy/foggy in most parts, I waited the proper dry time and then I tried more coats and it only got worse, drying did not help, then the finish splintered and cracked, useless. I have read of similar experiences with the promoter later on and mine turned out exactly the same. I then had to remove it with chemicals and sanding and then decided to just stop at 800 grit and go straight to CC. I cleaned the headlights, wiped them down thoroughly with alcohol, and then let them dry. I was pretty nervous because at 800grit you can't really even see the bulbs inside the housing they are so milky looking and even wiping them down with water/alcohol they did not go completely clear temporarily but I felt why not give it a shot. I put on a fairly heavy first coat of 2K clear trying to make sure I got everything and ended up having a few drips/heavy spots but they immediately went crystal clear once they are covered with the clear coat, I then put on 3 more coats which took down the drips but did not fully get rid of them. I was happy with the results. They had maybe a slight bluish tinge to them at first but that seems to have gone away, you can still see some scratches/haze when the lights are on but it looked that way after I sanded and polished them crystal clear before. I did 4 coats to make sure everything was thoroughly covered because if it is light in any areas and fails then the scratches will show right through and make the headlight milky, 2 coats probably could have sufficed though. My drivers side light is slightly off color but that is because the inside of the headlight is not crystal clear and I don't really want to take them off, separate, and reseal them just try to make it perfect. I did do some very light sanding to try to take down the drips but you really don't see them unless you are looking for them, I later did a little polishing to get rid of the sanding scratches but I did not wet sand the whole headlights to try to get them perfect because I wanted to see how well the finish held up first and did not want to risk taking too much CC off.
So far this seems to be the best solution if it continues to last for clearing faded/yellow headlights as far as longevity, durability, looks goes. Wax lasts maybe a couple weeks, Opti Lens and Opti coat lasts maybe a couple months, 2 at most in my experience on my headlights until you start noticing they are fading and yellowing again but it does make it easier to just polish them to get them clear again over having to wet sand them again when you just use wax as protection. The Spraymax 2K clear cans only cost around $20 which will be plenty for a set or several sets of headlights so it is actually a great deal compared to other lens products that can run $60 or more.
The main issues are you will have to wear a respirator when using a 2K clear/Spraymax 2K and I am still not sure if it adhered properly to last several years or at least a year, time will tell. I did not have a good experience at all with a adhesion promoter even though they are recommended for this process by some. You also have to protect the rest of your car finish as the CC overspray will stick and it can be difficult to remove especially the longer you wait, it does come up with some rubbing alcohol, a rag, and elbow crease but make sure you look for over spray and feel for it around the car when you are done. What I did was lift my hood up and then put sheets in the engine bay, draped them all along the hood to drape down and on the windshield to also cover mirrors and then taped up around the headlights and taped newspaper on the bumper to cover everything but the lgihts. By having the sheets hanging down and making sort of a cave around the headlight/hood area where I would be spraying into I did not have to protect the rear and sides of my car as the cave caught most of the overspray but make sure you tape up most of the seems and paper/sheet overlaps well because overspray finds its way in between them.
Hey guys, I just finished with my SC400 lights this weekend...I read this thread and yes what most people are saying....the resealing process is the most crucial unless you like going on to add some wax/product to make the headlights shine again.
tl;dr: sand down headlights 400/600/800/1000/2000 and then used clear gloss deck sealant with UV protection/mineral spirits in order to seal/protect the headlights for (hopefully) years to come. Will post updates in a year
For an update, I used Spraymax 2K clear on my headlights about 4 months ago and they still look about as good or the same as when I first sprayed them. Waxing in comparison does not really last a 3-4 weeks before I started noticing them fading or yellowing slightly. Based on my experiences Opti Lens or Opti coat in comparison would have showed pretty significant haze/yellowing by now, it only seemed to last maybe 2 months or so maybe less on a car exposed to the elements before I noticed it going back to hazing/yellowing.
Any update on how it's holding up 5 months later?
I noticed spraymax sells a headlight kit with their 1k spray (their version of an adhesion promoter) and 2k clearcoat. Do you remember how long the 2k is usable once it is mixed?
An old thread but new to me. My 99 Rx300 headlamps look like crap. About half of the film (clear coat?) has peeled or is flaking off. What's underneath is oxidized.
So my first question is about the peeling coat, how can I remover the remainder of it? A solvent of some kind? I tried laquer thinner and sandpaper but did not seem t get it off, at least without deep scratches.
After that, can I try a liquid, like posted earlier in this thread, Plastx, applied by hand, or do I need to sand 2000 first, or do I have to go with a $30 kit bu 3M, etc?
Is that a clear bra over the headlight that is peeling?
I have never seen OEM lights peeling like that, so something must have been applied to them in the past.
I doubt you have an easy task ahead of you by the looks of those lights. What grit sand paper did you use when you attempted to sand away the peeling layer? I would assume you're going to need to get aggressive with 400-600 grit paper.
That looks like someone already sprayed clear on them and its starting to flake off.
You'll want to wet sand that off completely. A solvent might damage the underlying plastic and create more work for you.
If it is an aftermarket clear, then you'll have to go down to 600 grit or possible 400 like Zach mentioned. Start at 800 and see if it removes the material completely. If it doesn't then step down to 600, and if you still can't get rid of it go to 400. Then work your way back up. I recently did 800 > 1500 > 3000 > plastic polish for my lights.
The headlight kits are a nice starting point because it'll give you most of the supplies if you have nothing, then you can buy the additional sand papers you'd need to fill in the gaps. The 3m kit goes 500 > 800 > 3000. Ideally you'd have another grit between 800 to 3000.
My lenses were not nearly as discoloured as some posted here, but, I just bought and used the Meguiar's PLastX (New and Improved the bottle said) and it worked great, my lenses are clear and bright, wow. And, it only took a few minutes, if that, to follow the instructions for the application and wipe off. I also used it on the smaller lens below the main headlights and the rear lights. Price was under $10.00 USD I believe.
I noticed spraymax sells a headlight kit with their 1k spray (their version of an adhesion promoter) and 2k clearcoat. Do you remember how long the 2k is usable once it is mixed?
Sorry, did not see your post. My car was totaled in April but the lights were holding and still clear up until then, I did the headlights in Oct.
I did not use adhesion promoter when I did mine, actually I originally tried a Dupli color one that was horrible, it went on milky and then crackled, totally useless. Had to remove it and re sand my headlights. I am sure the Spraymax adhesion promoter would work better especially if it is made to be compatible with their 2K spray, I could not get clear answers if I needed a adhesion promoter with 2K, how to put it on, compatibility, etc so I gave up on it after the Dupli color turned out so bad.
Spraymax 2K has a pot life of about 48hr I believe when mixed, that can be extended by a few days by putting the can in the freezer when you are done spraying, or fridge for less effectiveness. If kept in a freezer I don't think I would use it after it has been in there for 5 or 6 days, probably 7 days max is what I read some people going to when putting it in a freezer.
As far as headlights go, it is an ongoing project once the OEM protection has been compromised. Unless you respray the lights with a quality clear coat, any hand applied product is only going to be a short-term fix. No big deal, you'll just have to polish and protect them from time to time... but as long as you keep up with it, there should never be a need for wetsanding again.
I would recommend something like CarPro DLUX for added protection, but for simplicity sake, you can use whatever wax or sealant you already have at home.
I can wet sand, polish and buff my headlights to make them like new again that's no problem, but I'm just wondering what to use for a sealer
I was trying to avoid clear coat spraying the headlights like ive done on my previous cars, its a pain in the ***.
I thought there would be some good quality wipe on , permanent sealants on the market but it doesn't look like it ?
***(edit) what would be the best wax for a temporary sealant ? would it be carnuba wax or is there better stuff with good UV protectant ?***
The only long lasting durable Carnuba is Colonite 476S, it is actually very good and rivals some of the best sealants for durability and longevity. There is really no good sealant that is going to stop your headlights from yellowing again, it may prevent it for a couple months at most if you are diligent. I tried Opti coat and Opti Lens and it still did not last much longer then the waxes I put on, it did seem to polish up better and clearer.
The only way you are going to get a permanent to semi permanent solution for yellowing headlights after you sand them is to use a 2K clearcoat like Spraymax, it is actually not that bad, the cans are only around $20, you do need a respirator when working with the stuff but if you are outside in a well ventilated area it is not as bad as when spraying body panels in a garage. Just make sure you cover most of the car up with old blankets and towels to not get any overspray on the rest of the car but spraying the headlights is a easier process then body panels of a car after painting them.
Go to home depot or lowes and buy some cheap (typically 5 for $5) plastic drop clothes. Wrap the entire car in plastic and you will have no overspray. The process takes just 15-20 minutes to completely cover and tape off all areas, which is way less time than it takes to remove overspray.
01-27-17, 02:24 PM
