One of the many things that people forget in maintaining the overall appearance and value of their vehicle is to make sure their headlights remain crisp and clear. I see it so many times every day, a car or a truck with foggy, dingy, nasty looking headlight lenses. Even at shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, cars seem to be everywhere that needs a headlight cleaning or better known as a headlight restoration. Better yet, safety will be improved as the headlight can increase visibility by up to 90 percent!
Why do headlights become foggy? Nearly all headlights are made from a plastic/polycarbonate material from the factory. After a while, the clear coating will fade and dull which causes oxidation to occur through normal everyday use. This oxidation is only accelerated by the strong UV light from the sun if your vehicle is outdoors for long periods of time, tiny bits of dirt, debris, and grime that contacts your headlights while in motion, and any chemicals that range from acid rain to chemicals used to melt snow. Ultraviolet light, especially in the lower states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California, can cause havoc to the factory protective coating.
Headlight Restoration is a process of removing what is left of the old worn out coating from the factory and installing a new protective coating. This process includes a few steps. The first step is to remove the old coating and to do this, it needs to be sanded off using a few different grades of sandpaper. We start with 600 grit sandpaper and finally finish with 3000 grit. Once that is completed it is time to polish the newly sanded headlight.
We use a product called Meguiars M105. Combine that with a foam pad on the Porter-Cable DA Polisher. Once the headlights have been polished, it’s time to add a liquid headlight restorer that actually turns the headlight clear again and adds a new protective coating. It’s amazing the difference within seconds how clear the headlights become. It takes a couple of minutes for the product to cure. We usually add a few extra coats for good measure. The final product will last a few years depending on the treatment it receives from the outdoor elements.
Our headlight restoration service sure adds a new wow factor and it sure beats having to drive at night with the bright lights on. Not only does it add to the value of the car but also the safety. Remember, sometimes it helps visibility by up to 90 percent! Headlight restoration is a popular service at Auto Detail Doctor, and we really enjoy seeing the before and after results!
-Clint Allerton
