Yellowed headlights

[Path2000]

Hi, folks. I searched and didn't find this topic, so I hope it is not a repeat.

For some reason my headlights have become yellow. And I mean, yellow. It is outside kept, 10 years old. The guy at the bodyshop where the car is getting fixed right now says that he can't do anything with it and that he has never seen something like this. It really impacts the look of the car and I don't want to pay $800 something to get two new complete headlight units just for this problem.

I tried the usual plastic headlight cleaners/polishers.

Anybody else have this problem? Advice?

Thanks.

[Ron Burgundy]

Its fairly normal for headlights to gain a yellow appearance over time due to exposure from the suns rays, flying debris, bugs, salt, etc. Your headlights become scratched, pitted, and oxidized.

You can try this first if you'd like:
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/how-to ... ights.html

....or if worse comes to worst it's nowhere close to $800.00. In fact its even under $100
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=2000+nis ... a7faad07f1

Hell it might even be cheaper to replace if you dont have the materials required to restore. It also serves as a nice excuse to look at some aftermarket options (if you were interested that is!).

Good luck!

[CanuckQx4]

Mequirs Plastix



Works amazing on scratches, oxidation and yellowing and you dont need to buff or polish afterwards and its as easy as applying with a terry cloth or a buffer wheel if you have access would make it alot faster. The product is only about $9

[Path2000]

Its fairly normal for headlights to gain a yellow appearance over time due to exposure from the suns rays, flying debris, bugs, salt, etc. Your headlights become scratched, pitted, and oxidized.

You can try this first if you'd like:
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/how-to ... ights.html

....or if worse comes to worst it's nowhere close to $800.00. In fact its even under $100
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=2000+nis ... a7faad07f1

Hell it might even be cheaper to replace if you dont have the materials required to restore. It also serves as a nice excuse to look at some aftermarket options (if you were interested that is!).

Good luck!

Hey, thanks so much for the links. I hadn't tried the sanding route, a bit afraid to do so. I had no idea I could get the head lights for that cheap (a bit embarrassed I didn't think to google and just listened to the shop guy).

Thanks again for the help!

[Path2000]

Mequirs Plastix



Works amazing on scratches, oxidation and yellowing and you dont need to buff or polish afterwards and its as easy as applying with a terry cloth or a buffer wheel if you have access would make it alot faster. The product is only about $9

Thanks, Canuck. That is actually the first product I tried and it really hardly touched it. The body shop guy said he had never seen a pair so bad, so who knows what the deal is. I think I will go with buying a new set since they are so cheap.

[Innovazn]

for 200 bux or so you can get a new set of headlights off ebay i believe..

[01silvapathy]

Or for 10 dollars you can take them off, wetsand them down then spray them with a few good coats of high gloss clear coat and buff them back to brand new

[donald]

Hey, thanks so much for the links. I hadn't tried the sanding route, a bit afraid to do so. I had no idea I could get the head lights for that cheap (a bit embarrassed I didn't think to google and just listened to the shop guy).

Thanks again for the help!

I'm planning to attempt the wet-sanding and rubbing compound this weekend... I have "flakey/crusty" lights (aka "oxidation"?) so I think this should help.

I hope the clear-coat will provide a nice coat of protection against debris and junk.

Let's share your results in your thread if you're really going to do this!

I need to go find my angle-grinder and see if I can fit a buffer attachement on it