I've tried the DIY kit, worked hard but the result was poor. I've spoken with a local shop and they wanted $100 for the headlight to be restored (Northern NJ). Is this a fair price ?

 

Is the issue pitting in the lens or yellowing of the lens? Or both?

 

Yellowing of the lens for sure. I dont know what pitting in the lens means though ?

 

Pitting is the very very small chips for lack of a better word.

$100 for refinishing the lights is about fair market if they sand them down and compound and polish them with a buffer. Keep in mind that the yellowing is caused by a breakdown of the UV finish on top of the lens. Once they start to yellow that coating is gone. Even after you refinish them it will not take as long for them to yellow again the next time as it did from the time when they were new.

 

I see, no pitting from what I can tell. The shop said they will do a 9 step process and can also clear coat it to finish off. I suppose this will keep it from yellowing again for quite some time?

 

A good clear coat should give you at least 2 years before you see any yellowing again.

 

9-step process? sounds like their trying to sell you something rediculous.. Honestly if they have a good rotary most likely they can polish the yellowing out. If they need to wet sand than a good polish and top off the good polishing with a plastic wax (clear or white)

 

Will regular car wax or paint sealant work to put over the headlights or do you need a plastic specific wax to last long and how long would the it last?

 

I see, thanks for all the info and advice. I'll go with this shop and make sure they do the clear coat.

 

9-step....that's a new one. A simple sanding and a few stages of polishing should do the trick. Protecting the lenses with a sealant or wax will also prolong the againg and yellowing.

 

Harbor Freight has a lens kit for around $15-20 if you are a DIY type person....

-Eli

 

Headlight Protection

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Protect your expensive headlamps, before it's too late. LampGard™ uses a tough 40 mil thick, double-polished urethane material that is optically clear and applies (peel & stick) directly to the surface. This product has built-in ultraviolet inhibitors that help prevent the material from drying, hardening or discolouring. Custom die-cut to fit your specific vehicle for a precise, perfect fit, it comes with easy-to-follow instructions and applies to headlamps, fog lamps, turn indicators and parking lights (when applicable) to protect them from scratching, cracking and pitting. LampGard™

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Maintenance – wash, dry and apply UVR protection (303 Space Protectant)

 

We partnered with Mothers and our logo is on the front of their headlight repair kit box. You can go a step further to protect the lenses and use our headlight protection kits as opposed to a sealant or wax. Our kits will prevent your headlight from fogging/yellowing over time. They are also built to withstand impacts of stones up to 1 inch in diameter at 120mph without causing any damage to the lens that they protect.

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