Headlight Restoration

[beermoney]

Well, as the title says, it was time to restore the headlights on my 2005 Base with 134,000 miles on it. They started getting cloudy a couple of years ago and just kept getting worse. I had tried a few of those liquids (Detail Doctor) that you rub on and then rub it back off. They were work decent, but only last for about a month or two before you gotta do it again. But that is just to much freaking work. I want something that is going to last for a while....6 months to a year would be nice.

So, I decided to try out Meguiar's G3000 Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit. It has 4.5/5 stars on Amazon. So I figured, what the hell.....lets give it a shot. Got it the other day and worked on it today......it worked AWESOME! My headlights are once again nice and clear like it was they day I bought it.

Here are a bunch of pictures.


Meguiar's G3000 Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit (purchased from Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HCOE72
3M 03435 48 mm x 32 m Automotive Performance Masking Tape (purchased from Amazon): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MEBBWG
Invisible Glass Cleaner (purchased from Dollar General): http://www.invisibleglass.com/Products/ ... sibleglass - Best Glass Cleaner ever made....it truely does leave no streaks behind, unlike most other products out there.


Getting ready to start, just taped everything off. The headlights are untouched at this point, except for using Invisible Glass to clean them off.


The before shot of the drivers side headlight, really cloudy on the top and in the middle.



I didn't get any pics after I had sanded it, so this picture is after buffing out half of the drivers side headlight. As you can see, the left side of the headlight is nice and clear after buffing it, and the right side is still cloudy from sanding it.


The finished product, after sanding, buffing, and applying the protectant, its nice and crystal clear again.




The before image of the passenger side, just like the drivers side, the top and middle of the lens are super cloudy.



After sanding the the passenger side.



That after shot, again just like the drivers side, nice and clear again.



The finished results. Its kinda hard to tell how clear they really are, because of the glare. But, if you look at the very first picture, there was no glare, due to how cloudy they were.

[ColonelPanic]

Nice results!

Got a Vibe desperately in need of this. Costco had a similar kit from Meguiar's a while back, really wishing I would have bought it.

[jake75]

For those of us who are not good at such chores (or just lazy, old or both) Sam's Club here has a headlight lens restoration service for I think $30.
Walmart online has the Meguiars Heavy Duty Restoration Kit for $25.

[beermoney]

Walmart online has the Meguiars Heavy Duty Restoration Kit for $25.

That is what I paid for it as well from Amazon. I added a link to it on Amazon under the first picture, for anyone interested in getting it from Amazon.

[tpollauf]

Hey. Got a good one for you. Just got this in the mail the other day. Talk about a rip-off But seeing how many cars out there are now starting to have their headlight lenses fade, they'll probably get a ton of customers!



Sorry about the rotation of the image. One of Picasa's weak features that I hate!

[KITT222]

I'll need a kit like this for the Corolla in our family. Those lights are super cloudy. Look like the car has cataracts.

[09vGT]

My passenger side light is showing significant hazing now. I've been trying to decide which brand I want to go with. Looks good!

[Mark]

I used the Sylvania kit, also from Amazon, also with amazing results. The lenses on my 04 with 140k now look better than the lenses on the 08 with 79k.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00429 ... UTF8&psc=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jake75]

So - if you save your receipt (better photocopy it as many receipts fade quick), and the carton, and ever have to redo it, assuming that company is still in business they will send you a new kit for $20 postage and handling? I suspect that the distributor of that product merely licenses the Sylvania trademark so don't put much faith that it is from the somewhat famous "Sylvania".

[Mark]

Or, I could just buy another kit for $21 and do it over, rather than peeing and moaning about who makes the kit and how well it's backed up or by whom. You should stick with the Meguiar kit I guess, if that's within your comfort zone.

[lannvouivre]

I have used both the Meguiar's and the Sylvania kits, and both are fine. I think Sylvania's sealant is more effective, but the sanding stuff in the Meg's is easier on the hands by far.

[jolt]

That looks fantastic beermoney. Looks like a great product and a great job, with great results. Thanks for the pictures and the info.

[jake75]

Or, I could just buy another kit for $21 and do it over, rather than peeing and moaning about who makes the kit and how well it's backed up or by whom. You should stick with the Meguiar kit I guess, if that's within your comfort zone.

Sorry - that wasn't directed at you personally - just expressing my reservations about lifetime guarantee claims that were not worth the ink they were printed with based on prior experiences. I wouldn't use either - the Sam's Club deal where they do the work is more appealing, and if I am not satisfied I am sure they will refund my money or make it right.

[Mark]

No need to apologize, I didn't take it personally, I didn't buy the kit for the "lifetime warranty", which I doubt is worth the ink they wasted printing it on the carton. But I'm pretty pleased and impressed with the results.

But the only reason I didn't bother with the Meguiar's kit instead is that I bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Headligh ... ration+kit a few years ago and it was a complete waste of time and effort, and I kinda felt ripped off. So I honestly didn't even consider them again, and when I saw the Sylvania kit on Amazon and read the reviews I decided to give it a try. I had the Sylvania kit for almost 6 months before I bothered trying it, partly because I was expecting to be disappointed again.

[Caretaker]

I noticed that the Maguire's kit is available at my local Costco this week for around $25. It has the PlastX in the kit which is what I used anyway on all three of my cars. Unless the damage is severe, skip the kit and just go buy a bottle of PlastX and use your muscles. I did redo one of my car's lenses because the helmsman spar urethane sealant I used last year was peeling badly after this harsh winter, so I bought some Blue Magic headlight sealant from Manny, Moe, and Curly

[ColonelPanic]

I'm going back for the Costco kit while they still have them. It looks to be the same as the Amazon one, though I think the buffer thingy for the drill might be different.

I've Plast-X'ed the heck out of the headlights and they still look like dump. Time to bring out the big guns. I can't see squat out of this car at night anymore, not sure if it is yellowed headlights, 12 year old bulbs, or if I'm spoiled by the lights on the Sonic. Whatever the cause, it sucks.

[gidget24]

Thank you so much for this. The pictures truly help.

[beermoney]

Thank you so much for this. The pictures truly help.

No problem, I know for other threads where I needed help and others had pictures were a big help for me. So I wanted to do the same with mine.

As an update, so far so good. The headlights are still looking good almost 2 months later.

[lannvouivre]

A few months after using the Meguiar's, my final verdict is that their UV protectant is nowhere near as effective as the Sylvania's was. I may be getting another Sylvania's in the future as its sealant didn't need biweekly maintenance.

[cptnsolo77]

I used the sylvania kit & the UV protectant lasted about a year, mind you I live in South Florida & the sun can be blistering in the summertime. Results may vary on geographic location They still look better than before I used the kit & it has been the best kit I have used as far as restoration results & longevity.

[plusforce]

After restoration it needs a permanent sealant.

I tried different products and I searched so much.
The best permanent protector is Opti Coat 2.0 or Opti-Lens
It is a thin ceramic layer.

http://www.opti-coat.com/coatings.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is little bit expensive but it will be the same as factory protector layer.