headlight restoration - will the yellow come back?

[dc2_]

ok so i been doing headlight restoration around here for many people.
from my expiriences, they always turn back to yellow within 2-3 months unless you keep on waxing them...that is why my headlights are still nice n clear and i restored them over 7 months ago:xyxthumbs

but today i got a call someone asking for the headlight restoration guy, he asked me whats the guarantee on that they wont turn back to yellow,and i explained to him that i remove all the junk on his headlights, he just has keep them wax/protected.
he asked me if i wetsand them..i said if necessary yes.

he said that doesnt work cuz they turn yellow again,he says his friend has a product or something that cleans them up real good without wetsanding and that they never turn back yellow...i told him there is no such thing.
he saiid yeah he guarantees lifetime or else he will pay the cleint for new headlights if they go back yellow...he said he did his 4 yrs ago and they still remain clear...

so i told him to go to him then lol but yeah whats up with this guy? is he foreal?:dunno

[dc2_]

ps: oh yeah he also said something about that he does something to the inside of the headlight too when hes done with the outside

[CHzo6]

I don't think there is a permanent solution that you can promise will never turn hazy again, if there was, the manufacturers would be using it. You can, however, use several different products that will provide UV protection, which you should do if you wetsand. When you wetsand the headlight, the factory applied UV barrier is removed, which will lead to the yellowish haze coming back. I use Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane with great results.

[Andrew Wilson]

ok so i been doing headlight restoration around here for many people.
from my expiriences, they always turn back to yellow within 2-3 months unless you keep on waxing them...that is why my headlights are still nice n clear and i restored them over 7 months ago:xyxthumbs

but today i got a call someone asking for the headlight restoration guy, he asked me whats the guarantee on that they wont turn back to yellow,and i explained to him that i remove all the junk on his headlights, he just has keep them wax/protected.
he asked me if i wetsand them..i said if necessary yes.

he said that doesnt work cuz they turn yellow again,he says his friend has a product or something that cleans them up real good without wetsanding and that they never turn back yellow...i told him there is no such thing.
he saiid yeah he guarantees lifetime or else he will pay the cleint for new headlights if they go back yellow...he said he did his 4 yrs ago and they still remain clear...

so i told him to go to him then lol but yeah whats up with this guy? is he foreal?:dunno

Depending on how bad the oxidation is and what type polycarbonate makes the headlight determines if sanding is necessary. If the headlight is heavily oxidized then it will have to be sanded. We have never heard of getting rid of oxidation with just some liquid. Maybe the detailer is using a strong acid of some sort.

Also, nothing is guaranteed in our business. Nothing! The individual might put a class coating product or some special sealant, however that headlight is still prone to oxidizing without proper maintenance,especially in Las Vegas because of the weather.

We have not heard of a product that fixes the interior of the headlight.

[dc2_]

yea i think the dude was full of it lol

oh yea i work in a shop n some dude came asking if we carried headlight restoration kits cuz he bought the meguiars one and it doesnt work :bat1

he obviously dont know what hes doing:laughing

[mycophiles]

Regarding the post commenting on putting a 'glass coating' over the lenses.

I've also done the sanding/polishing several times on my lenses and I heard a comment at a paint shop about putting a clear-coat covering over the lenses.

Has anyone here done this? I've been thinking about doing this. Not clear coat from a spray bottle but good 2 part clear that I cleared my car with.

Thks.

[Michael Stoops]

As has been pointed out, any protective layer that may have come from the factory is essentially gone once the headlights are yellowed and rough in texture. Anything you do to remove that oxidation (brought about, incidentally, from UV exposure, impact from fine particulates being kicked up from the road surface, etc) is going to pretty effectively remove any factory coating and leave the bare polycarbonate exposed. It will, under identical circumstances, probably yellow more quickly the second time around.

Solutions to this vary. Our HD Headlight Restoration Kit includes a protectant that has been shown in lab testing to withstand prolonged exposure to UV. That's great, but it in all honesty it doesn't address fine particulates impacting the lens, and that can lead to degradation as well. How the vehicle is used, how many miles it sees, what the weather is like, how the lenses are cared for, all of these variables ultimately determine how soon the lenses degrade in the first place, and after an initial correction. From personal experience, I know that my own headlights have held up much, much better than others I know with the same make, year and model car. Why? Well, first off, I'm a bit overboard with how I take care of my own cars (it's the whole Car Crazy thing running rampant around our offices!) so they're regularly washed, clayed, waxed, even a light going over with PlastX, kept in a garage at night, etc. That preventive maintenance goes a long way toward keeping things looking good and not having to be "fixed" in the first place. At the very least, it extends the time before correction needs to be done.

But most people don't want to go through that - they want to run the car through the car wash and be done with it. So what can they do? Well, we've known people to actually clear coat the lenses after a full correction using pretty standard clear coat paint. They will then buff that out to a high gloss and call it a day. Odds are that's going to last quite a while - the clear on your front bumpers isn't totally shot even when the headlights are yellow, right? Clear protective films are another alternative; essentially the same material as a clear bra for the paint, these can often be purchased online pre cut to the shape of your lens. Some lenses are very easy to work with when applying these films, while others present much more complex curves that can make installation tedious at best, difficult and frustrating for the novice at worst. These tend to last several years at least and, again, we've seen people buff out fine scratches in the film using anything from PlastX to M105. While most manufactures of these films caution against doing this, those who decided to proceed at their own risk have reported excellent results. Of course, they usually do this when they figure it's time to buy a new set of protective films anyway, so they feel they have nothing to lose. Best case they clean things up and go on their merry way; worst case they replace the film, which is what they intended to do anyway.

[TOGWT]

Providing protection from ultra violet radiation (UV-B) is very important to avoid photo synthesis (colour fading / yellowing) There is no such thing as a permanent UV stabilizer, it a matter of physics, not chemistry. Ultra violet protection is a sacrificial and therefore a renewable protection; this is due to the UV protection layer being degraded by exposure to the elements (sun, sand, road or sea salt, and etc) so it is imperative that you renew it and it needs to be re-applied on a regular 45 to 60 day basis (dependent upon location climatic condition)

[weavers]

for longer lasting results try spraying clear coat.

or spend some money on opti coat 2.0. it will last years instead of 2-3months.

[Paul S]

I have been using the spar urethane cut 50/50 with mineral spirits as CHz06 has mentioned with great results so far. Have read on other forums of a clear coat spray with hardener that a few of the high end pro's say is the way to go but I don't have a call for high volume application. Haven't seen Opti-coat or other permanent coating used but I would think that is the direction the industry is headed.

[Mr Miyagi]

for longer lasting results try spraying clear coat.

or spend some money on opti coat 2.0. it will last years instead of 2-3months.

Or clear bra for headlights. My car is 5yrs old with clear bra..still nice and clear headlights...and if they bra yellows..just have it replaced..plus gives 'some' stone/breakage protection..but not much..every little bit helps when you price a new light out!

[Paul S]

I like the clear bra idea. Wonder how much UV protection it could give ? Wonder if a slight tint would help and still not effect the head lamp performance.