In the past, automakers developed glass-made headlamps, so they were limited in size and shape that they could produce. Since then, automakers have begun to develop cars with plastic or polycarbonate headlights. This modification was mainly due to a change in car design --- cars became lighter and more aerodynamic, plus plastic was much cheaper to produce than glass. Today, this plastic material is a chosen choice, because it is very light and can be turned into unlimited sizes and shapes to suit new car models.
Polycarbonate has its advantages, but also has its drawbacks - oxidation / discoloration. To the naked eye, one cannot say that these plastic lenses are in fact a porous material that so quickly consumes when it heats up. Over time, the lens is degraded. The presence of headlights or light for a day causes the pores to open, preventing debris from entering the road. Debris, coupled with a combination of environmental factors such as the sun (UV rays), smog, acid rain, car exhaust and harsh chemicals used to wash a car, can lead to oxidation of plastic headlights.
Plastic oxidation leads to discoloration of the lenses, which makes a new, transparent, bright, shiny plastic in a dull yellow tint that seems hazy, hazy or cloudy. This process (oxidation), as described above, not only becomes a thorn, but also unsafe. Due to the deterioration of the plastic lens, less light passed, which led to a decrease in visibility during night driving. The car owner either dealt with these cloudy yellow, oxidized lenses representing a serious safety problem, or bought expensive replacement headlights that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
We feel that it is necessary to inform the public so that they can learn and learn how to repair, clean, polish and clean these cloud lenses with yellow plastic headlights on their own, without investing more money in the manufacturer’s pocket. You can return the headlights to a new state by removing the top layer of oxidized plastic. This can be achieved by polishing, wet grinding or the use of chemicals. Car manufacturers would prefer that you go to them for repairing headlights (charging up to $ 150) or replacing headlights ($ 100-1000). The top layer of plastic on the headlights contains an ultraviolet polymer that slows or retards the aging of the plastic lens. Therefore, it is important to use polishing (containing UV polymers) or a UV coating to slow down the oxidation or discoloration of the lens. When parking your car in the shade or garage, as well as maintaining the lens when washing, waxing and polishing at least every three months, damage to the lens can be avoided.
There are many companies that specialize in headlamp rebuilding, and they can be easily found by simply adding a key phrase, such as “cloud fog lights,” to any of the popular search engines such as google, yahoo or msn. There are two types of headlamp / headlamp cleaning kits:
1. Basic headlamp repair kit (for easy bleaching)
2. Advanced Headlight Repair Kit (for more intense bleaching)
Most headlight repair kits work very well. The choice of kit depends on the severity of the lenses of your car. Most kits available on the Internet are very easy to use and do not require the use of special tools or training. Beware of kits that offer base plates and drill bits. Although they can save time, they can cause irreversible damage due to different drilling speeds that cause burning or turbulence in a plastic lens. Initial users should avoid these kits because it takes skill and practice to control the exercise from making these mistakes and possibly slip away and ruin the perfectly fine paint job.
In some kits, such as the Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit, they can even supply a small roll of blue painters to disguise your spotlight to protect paint work during the restoration process. Along with both sets, you should get a step-by-step brochure on how to properly clean the headlights in order to get bright shiny headlights when restoring the optical clarity of the lenses. Both sets must be guaranteed satisfaction. It is also an excellent resource if the company has technical support for those who have questions when rebuilding their headlights, so trained professionals can guide you through the quick and easy headlight rebuilding process.
