Is headlight restoration worth it?
Usually, yes. Done properly, wet-sanded, polished and sealed with a UV coating, cloudy headlights come back clear and stay that way one to three years. It isn't worth it when there's moisture inside the lens, deep cracks, or a lens so far gone you can barely see the bulb: replace those. I'm Mikey, of Mikey's Mobile Detailing in Snohomish, WA. Send me a photo and I'll tell you which yours is.
Your headlights are cloudy and yellow, and someone told you about restoration. The fair question is whether it works or just looks good for a week. Done properly it works, and in most cases it's worth it. In a few cases it isn't, and I'd rather tell you that up front.
Why headlights fog
Headlight lenses are polycarbonate plastic with a UV coating on the outside. Over a few years that coating breaks down from sun, road grit and chemicals. Once it's gone, the plastic itself starts to oxidize, and that's the yellow haze. It's the same thing that happens to paint's clear coat, just easier to see through a clear lens.
What restoring them involves
It's paint correction on plastic. The lens gets wet-sanded with finer and finer grits to take the oxidized layer off, then compounded and polished back to clear. Then it gets a UV sealant, so the fresh plastic doesn't start yellowing straight away.
The sanding is the difference between real restoration and the spray kits at the auto parts store. A spray puts a film over the haze for a couple of weeks. It doesn't take the oxidized layer off.
Most headlights come back clear. Not always factory new, because the plastic has aged and some haze can be on the inside where nothing on the outside reaches it, but a big step up in how they look and how much light they put on the road.
How long it lasts
With a UV sealant, usually one to three years before haze starts creeping back. Without one, it can come back within months, because the fresh plastic is facing the same sun that did the damage. The sealant is the part that matters most.
When to replace them instead
- Moisture or haze inside the lens. If there's condensation in the housing, the seal has failed, and nothing on the outside will fix it.
- Deep cracks or chips. Sanding takes off oxidation. It can't take out physical damage.
- Almost opaque. If you can barely see the bulb, price a replacement assembly for your car first. For a lot of cars it costs less than people expect.
It's a safety thing too
Foggy headlights cut how far you can see at night, and plenty of the roads around Snohomish County are dark, wet and shared with deer. You notice the difference the first night after.
Send me a photo of your headlights and I'll tell you whether restoring them is worth it, and quote it. If replacing them makes more sense, I'll tell you that instead.
← All posts