Many of today’s modern vehicles have a sealed composite headlight assembly. With time, the lenses on these headlight assemblies will get faded and tarnished. This will have a great effect on the ability of the headlight to project light. A common misconception is that there is something wrong with the electrical system in the vehicle causing the headlights not to shine as bright as they should.
Before spending money on an electrical system diagnosis, take a look at the condition of the headlight lenses condition. Do they appear oxidized or faded? Do they have a yellow tint? These conditions are from age and may be worse if the vehicle is subjected to more sunlight. The UV rays from the sun will fade the headlight lenses just as it will exterior paint.
There is a simple inexpensive do it yourself procedure that can save you some of your hard earned cash. First of all don’t let anyone convince you that your headlight assemblies need to be replaced. The only reason for replacement is if there are major cracks in the lenses that would allow moisture to get inside the assembly. Also, don’t be fooled by the products on the market that claim to be restoration kits for headlights. There is a very inexpensive alternative which with a little elbow grease, will produce very nice headlight lenses.
As simple as it may sound, go to your local auto parts store and purchase some everyday normal rubbing compound. You can buy a small tub of it for under $5.00 at most stores. While you are there, buy the equivalent amount of polishing compound. If you need to purchase rags, I recommend terry cloth.
The procedure is very simple. Using the terry cloth rag, or something similar, dap the rag in the tub of rubbing compound and apply directly to the headlight lenses. Rub in a circular motion until all of the compound have wiped off. Repeat this step several times over the entire surface of the lenses. You should see a very noticeable difference. Now use the polishing compound to remove the fine scratches left from the rubbing compound.
And there you have it, headlight lenses that not only look better but are able to do what they are intended to do, provide light at night for safe driving. Just a word regarding this procedure, it will need to be done on regular bases depending on the climate.
If your headlight lenses have cracks or small holes, these can be repaired using clear RTV silicon. You may want to remove the assembly from the vehicle and make sure to dry any moisture before sealing cracks or holes. Crakes and holes headlight assemblies allow moisture inside the assemblie and are the number one cause of headlight failure.