Getting grime off headlamps.

[oiprocs]

http://www.mediafire.com/view/?llqb2l862vxy366

I tried toothpaste after a Google search, but that didn't help. The picture is post-toothpaste.

I'd rather not cause any damage by trying something else. Anyone have an idea?

My mechanic said a genuine Toyota headlamp is $312. Labor is $180-$225, depending on whether the bumper needs to come off. So, I would rather not replace them if I can help it.

No, it's not affecting my vision at night, but if there is a simple fix out there, I'm interested.

 

[repoman0]

Can you replace just the lens? OE lenses for my car cost $60 a piece. Steep for a piece of plastic, but way cheaper than new headlights and more permanent than restoration which lasts < 1 year

 

[Black2na]

try the 3m restoration kit they work pretty well. if you have the means to sand and clear coat them is a way to make them look brand new

 

[oiprocs]

Can you replace just the lens? OE lenses for my car cost $60 a piece. Steep for a piece of plastic, but way cheaper than new headlights and more permanent than restoration which lasts < 1 year

I think this is what I wanted...and instead I asked for a new headlamp. Thanks for the help.

 

[jupiter57]

My wife's car had horrible haze on the headlights. Yellowed and you could practically see the crud buildup.
So bad you could not even see the bulbs nor the reflector through them!
I used Fast Orange Hand Cleaner first, rubbed it thoroughly, wiped that off and then used some cheap, off brand "Headlight Restorer" I picked up a few years ago with a 6" buffer.
After that, they looked almost new. They were clear, but still lacked that "shine".
I then used Turtle wax with the buffer and that really bought out the shine, they are good as new now, (probably could have skipped the "Headlight Restorer").
Took about 1 hr. & maybe $0.50 in chemicals.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Use the 3M polishing kit. It worked very well on my girlfriend's car.

 

[CraigRT]

3M kit makes the lights look literally new.
You can't see any evidence of repair unless you look at them from a few inches away, from a few feet away they look as good as new. Love the 3M wetsand kit.

 

[Throckmorton]

Buy Blue Magic. It's a chemical that removes the cloudy plastic.

 

[Ketchup]

Worked perfectly on my Mazda 6. Headlights were worse than yours and now look new.

https://www.sylvania.com/en-us/products/automotive/Pages/headlight-restoration-kit.aspx

 

[NutBucket]

Whatever kit you buy, get one with a sealant. Otherwise its just going to yellow again very quickly.

 

[Howard]

You can polish off the yellow or the haze, but be careful that the housing doesn't have a tint to it. I polished the housings on my CTS and was quite surprised that the housings came out transparent when originally they were tinted gray.

By the way, the "lens" is on the inside.