ISFCOBRA

The headlights on my ISF look very foggy. What is the best product to clear them up?

Vitveet

OFF (Bugspray/repellent). Cleans them very well. Does not prevent the yellowing from coming back like some of the more expensive product do/can do. But for $3 for a bottle, you can't really go wrong, lol. I've done literally hundreds of headlights this way. If you want to go the cheap route, it gets no better than this stuff.

V.

j3ff

Meguiars Scratch-X also works pretty well. It's mainly for painted surfaces but I've had good experiences with it on the headlights also.

leisinjp

It really depends on what tools and the level of confidence you have in your work. I've tried every brand from autozone when I got my first car. They do little to nothing. If you are positive that the fog is on the outside of the light and not on the inside the best way that I have been taught is from a member on here, Zach McGovern who does professional detailing. I believe he is a forum moderator in the detailing section of CL.

This is what I would recommend.
Start off with the least aggressive method which would be taking polish and a polishing pad to the headlight with a rotary or dual action buffer. If that does nothing, pull out the compound and compound pad and do that. If that doesn't clear it up, use a meguiars microfiber cutting pad with compound. If the cutting pad works, then polish the light, then protect it with some kind of sealant or coating. (That is a whole different topic)

I'm a detailing enthusiast so I love this stuff and have bought all of the tools. If you don't want to tackle the job on your own I'm sure there are many detail shops in your area that offer this service. I would just make sure that they are actually removing the layer of fog and not covering it up. I worked at a Honda dealership in high school and they claimed they could clear up foggy headlights and it was a joke. Basically toothpaste and a white rag and a lot of elbow grease.

The link I attached is written by Todd Cooperider, a professional detailer in Colombus, Ohio who does great work. He uses sanding blocks because of how bad the lights are. Depending on yours, you might or might not have to do that step.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...ation-process/

If your headlights aren't that bad I would read through this link and see if it works better for you!

http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...t-restoration/

Goodluck!
Jordan

Leander311

iTrader: (2)

Jordan has some solid ideas, but the root of the problem is the UV-isolating clear coat used on all modular headlights loses its effectiveness after a ~5-8 years... Sanding down to bare plastic and re-applying a quality clear is the only "permanent" fix. Otherwise, it's simply a matter of time - usually less than 6 months after all clear is removed and plastic is left "polished" - until they're cloudy and yellowing again.

After *MUCH* research and trial/error, I've found what I'm confident is by far the best product on the market. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. It's essentially an extremely high-solids clear coat that is UV-cured. Nothing else comes close: https://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/s...tomotive/s-sat

I once was tempted to apply a second coat after I'd thought my first coat was a little thin, but they are 110% right when the tell you to absolutely never do that. The only fix is starting all over.

This is also a great product for refinishing rock-chipped fogs. Simply start with a lower grit sandpaper. When my IS-350 was in the shop getting a new front/rear after I was rear-ended into a 4-car pileup, the body shop was shocked when I brought back my 9-year old fogs and they looked absolutely flawless and new. They've since started using this product when customers don't have insurance and are faced with otherwise buying a new headlight after front end damage.

Enjoy,
Nick

leisinjp

Leander311,
I've never heard of that company but after reading through the link you attached it looks like the most permanent solution that will last the longest. My only issue with that product is the price, $658!!

This is the product I would seal my headlights with after the sanding/compounding/polishing is completed. Gyeon Q2 Trim lasts 24 months and costs $40. Then with the rest of the product you can protect other parts of the vehicle or save it and in two years put another layer on the headlights.

http://gyeonquartz.com/product/trim/

But hey, luckily there are thousands of products out there and we can choose whatever we like best. If I had the $$$ I might be tempted to try that LightRite product but I would end up on the couch for a month!

Leander311

iTrader: (2)

Whoa whoa whoa... $658?! The can of clearcoat w/sand and prep kit is only like $24. They do sell a 6-car w/UV light kit that is drastically more expensive if you're planning on opening a restoration shop or something, otherwise a sunny day is all you need to cure the stuff. I've done it in October just a couple of hours before sunset, and that was still plenty of UV for full curing.

This is the one you want: https://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/s...kit-p-sat-lrk1

leisinjp

Haha my bad, I though you were talking about this one!

https://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/s...ll-p-sat-lrb30

For $23 I might be tempted to mess with my wifes car and do one headlight with this stuff and one headlight with the Gyeon Trim and compare over time.

huy33

If you go to a place that installs clearbra on cars, they'll have a service to install it on your headlights ONLY. Those films protect against UV also and that's what you're needing. Polish first and then have them install the film. The nearby Lexus dealership does both for $150 and that's CHEAP to me. If you just polish bu themselves, the yellowing will come back. My CT got it done when I got it new. Both the Honda and ISF, I'll pre-polish first to where I like and they'll just film it for me.

F_Throttle

I polished out my headlights (sandpaper, compound, and polish) and wrapped it with a 'pre-cut' headlight film from X-PEL. It has been a year and my headlights are not showing any signs of fading.

ISFCOBRA

thank you everyone. Will try some clean up this weekend.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Here's another route, and you get to see something you don't with most other recommendations - measured results.


I bought the Sylvania kit, but haven't needed it yet. My lights are still pretty clear, but my car doesn't sit out in the sun very often.

Rickna

iTrader: (3)

PF does many product comparisons, a lot of useful information.
When I got my '09 in 2015 the headlights were moderately yellowed. I used the Mothers kit wit very good results.

ChpEng

iTrader: (1)

I have used the RainX, Meguiars, and 3M kits. Avoid the first two, as their sanding supplies and rubbing compounds are woefully inadequate. I used Meguiar's PlastX for years and it just doesn't work as a polish or protectant.
I have had much better polishing results with 3M, but needed more Trizact pads than are included with the kits, so I bought a large quantity separately.
For periodic maintenance without sanding, Mother's "Power Plastic 4 Lights" (08808) is a polish/sealant combination that works surprisingly well for the effort and is vastly superior to PlastX. 3M's "Headlight Renewal" (39162) has a heavier cut than 08808 and is also effective.
Interesting video from PF. The Sylvania results were encouraging.
Another option is the Cerakote (aka Griot's Garage) kit, which I plan to try on my next round...

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

^^^^Something we didn't have to worry about back in the day when headlight lenses were real glass. Of course the light output with sealed beams was worse than crap