Headlight haze fix help?

Anyone know what is the best product to use to fix the common 2nd gen headlight haze other than taking them apart again, I was thinking about the meguiars kit for the moderate haze it says it's good for a year but im not for sure I should have had them cleaned good whenever I had them apart to paint them. Mine aren't really bad just a light haze that triggers my ocd

 

I have done many none of these kits will work if you do not wet sand them first all you need is headlight polish,some 1000 grit and maybe some 1500 grit paper and a spray bottle and some type of buffer. I have gone as low as 600 grit if they are really bad and as high as 3000 grit for super shiney.

 

Spray Deep Woods OFF on a cloth the rub vigourusly. Will not stop the problem but will clean it up some. Have done it for years now.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-VdwI7VHiw

 

And once you're done, apply UV clear coat and headlight protection film or you'll be back at it in 6 months.

I install HPF any time I get a new vehicle and have never had hazing problems. #CaptHindsight

 

I bought one of these kits from Harbor Freight several years ago.... It says for use with an air polisher, but I use it with my drill. It works great on headlights using something like Plast-X. If they're really bad you may need to wetsand first, I had to on my mothers Grand Marquis.

 

thanks so much guys ive been using the rainx kit but it hasnt worked to well usually the first few days are good then once it rains or so its back to haze i plan on following the video and topping it off with the meguairs kit and polishes

 

kinda sucks when you have a shiny red truck you can see your reflection in with hazy headlight

 

Is it haze due to oxidation on the outside, or is it due to condensation on the inside?

 

Are you talking about oxidation or condensation?

You need to prevent oxidation. Fixing it is much harder.
The best product depends on the level of damage to the headlamp. Not all products are built abrasive enough to buff off all haze. Also serious haze requires wet sanding which will be a multi product type job.
Post a picture for the best answer.

Also, when you do restore the headlight, I recommend buying either a sealer or a product specifically for UV protection on lights. A paint sealer (ie a synthetic wax) will last 6-12 months (provided you take care of the finish) and prevent further oxidation.
Once you buff off the outer layer of plastic, the original UV protective coating is taken off so it will oxidize much faster the second time around. Youll need to keep a good product on the headlight to prevent further hazing.

I do a complete detail on my truck twice a year and I use Chemical Guys Jet Seal for my paint and lights. Great sealer. It beads water for months and helps prevent any UV damage to those surfaces. Now, the catch all is you cannot run the truck through autowashes or use non-pH balanced soaps (ie wax and sealer safe car soaps) or it will strip the sealer off. So if you don't want to commit to hand washes then keep a wax handy and apply on the lights between washes to protect them.

 

its really just like a light haze like they look dull ill have to post a pic tomorrow when i get off work its pouring the rain here as usual lol gotta love west virginia in the summer

 

Just finished up last night using 2000 grit sandpaper and a pad sander with lots of water.
Before

After

 

there was a tsb out on these headlights (that burn spot in your turn signal, if thats what that is, was the reason). I have a 2010 and the dealer replaced them both free like 1-2 years ago. Might be worth checking. free new ones are way less work.

 

i didnt read through this to see if its still valid:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/09-melting-dtrl-lens-recall-petition-urgent.243643/

 

I've recently tackled my headlights. They were depo projectors that I did about 7 years ago. The inside paint flaked off the chrome. Water got inside and calcified or salted up ( chicago winter snow ) the screws rusted, the clear coat peeled. Basically looked like @ss. But the projectors were perfectly fine and positioned perfectly. It was so bad I had to wetsand it with 320 grit, then 600, then 1k, 1500k, 2k. Here is a photo of the lenses before and after. I also did the inside with heavy coated plastidip. I was going to clear coat the outside but the cans of good 2k/car quality clear coat are like $40 and they need to be used within 24 hours. So I took them to a good body shop that will clear coat them and buff them for $ 100 . A little on the steeper side but I know they do really good quality. And after a month of curing I will throw some 3m plastic on them for long term protection so I wont have to worry about them for another easy 10 years. Alot cheaper then dropping 500-$1k for brand new projector lights....

 

I used Turtle Wax headlight kit which was about $12 on my son's old Subaru. It came with the abrasive, foam polish pad for drill, and protectant. It worked well and was easy to use. The fix lasted about a year and since the kit contained enough abrasive and coating to reapply I did it again. It is not a perfect solution, but it is easy to do and cheap.

 

50% DEET with an old rough sock make mine shine

 

When you sand/buff lights, you take off the UV coated layer in the plastic lens, this has to be replaced with another coating or the lens just hazes up again.

If you apply these coatings regularly they won't rehaze. Just FYI for the future.

 

^ This. Thats why you need to coat it with a uv resistant clear. Im gonna do that and the 3m bra material after cure. Then itll be solid. If you use non body shop 1k clear it wont last long. The body shop stuff will last a while as they use a hardener and bake it on.

 

I had a clear bra on a previous truck of mine.

The clear bra material oxidizes just like the plastic lens and I imagine, it's softer than the plastic lens so is more likely to incur scratching over time which will only add to the hazed look (especially if you have to scrub bug guts off when you wash). At least that's what happened to my clear bra. It looked faded, scratched, and nasty after 10 years.

I think it's easier just to keep a coating on the lens and prevent any oxidation to begin with. There are many different kinds of semi-permanent coatings out there that will last quite a while.

The key is to take care of what you have and not let it go bad to begin with