Headlights going yellow.

[quake]

Any recommendations for polishing the yellow off the 

head lights in pattaya area and cost, on a Honda City

Thanks Quake.

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, quake said:

Any recommendations for polishing the yellow off the 

head lights in pattaya area and cost, on a Honda City

Thanks Quake.

Is the yellowing inside or outside the glass. Toothpaste could do the trick. Mildly abrasive. Or WD40 can fix most things!

Edited October 12, 2023 by KannikaP

[quake]

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Is the yellowing inside or outside the glass. Toothpaste could do the trick. Mildly abrasive. Or WD40 can fix most things!

It's outside, and would prefer a shop to do it.

thanks anyway. 

 

 

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by quake

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, quake said:

It's outside, and would prefer a shop to do it.

thanks anyway. 

 

 

 

WHY, do you think Somchai will do a better 10 minute job than you?

[CanadaSam]

Many places will charge you 500 to 1000 baht.

 

There is a car wash at a petrol station on Sukhumvit Road near Thepprasit Road, which does it for under 100 baht.

 

Good job, too!

[quake]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

WHY, do you think Somchai will do a better 10 minute job than you?

Well i can't be bothered to do it myself.

Somchai may well do a bad job or maybe a good one.

small money,  so not a big issue for me.

Thank anyway. 

[quake]

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

Many places will charge you 500 to 1000 baht.

 

There is a car wash at a petrol station on Sukhumvit Road near Thepprasit Road, which does it for under 100 baht.

 

Good job, too!

Will give it a go next month when I'm in Pattaya, if i can find it.

Thank you.

 

 

[quake]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

Just as pathetic.

Come on mate , get the extra Beer Chang down your neck. , 

 

 

[KannikaP]

Just now, quake said:

Come on mate , get the extra Beer Chang down your neck. , 

 

 

Tapper 6.5 actually. Hope you can find Pattaya and get your lights cleaned.

 

[TimeMachine]

Make sure a UV res clear coat over the top or it will yellow quickly again 

[metisdead]

Some unhelpful troll posts and replies contravening our Community Standards have been removed:

• Please post accurate and helpful information
• Please be polite and respectful to others
• Do not flame, troll or stalk other members

[quake]

2 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

Make sure a UV res clear coat over the top or it will yellow quickly again 

Yes, that would be good if I can find a place to do it.

to that standard. 

Anyone ?

[BKKBike09]

Does the WD40 tip work on teeth? Because I've been using toothpaste on them for 50 years and they still look the colour of pilau rice.

[KannikaP]

Just now, BKKBike09 said:

Does the WD40 tip work on teeth? Because I've been using toothpaste on them for 50 years and they still look the colour of pilau rice.

Try it. 555

[KannikaP]

26 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

Make sure a UV res clear coat over the top or it will yellow quickly again 

Why are the lamps on my 11 year old Vigo still perfectly clear, after 220,000 kms.?

[Denim]

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Or WD40 can fix most things!

 

Yup.

 

Unfortunately, this is not one of them. I tried very hard but it made no difference.  Tried lots of other common recommendations  but none worked so I temporarily gave up.

 

Then, a little while later , I was washing the car with my favorite shampoo/polish combination and when I had a lot of suds on the sponge I gave the headlights a vigorous washing. 

 

Bingo ! Totally unexpected result. Not perfect but better than everything else by a mile so that except for a close examination  they look normal again.

 

Apart from this I can really recommend  waxy wash and polish as it really works well .

[sirineou]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

WHY, do you think Somchai will do a better 10 minute job than you?

Because the solutions you mentioned do not really fix the problem

These quick fixes are posted on YouTube and the only one who has any positive results from these how to videos is the person posting the videos and gets' a high click count. 

WD40 simply fills the pits on the surface and it looks nice but as soon as the WD40 washes out the pitying is back and so is the yellow.  

Toothpaste if abrasive will remove some of the damage, if the yellowing is a result  of chemicals deposits or caked on dust, but if the damage is from abrasion  a cleaning , a removal of some of the abrasion and a sealing is the only way for a long term solution. 

IMO A professional shop has the equipment, nessacery material, and experience to do a better job than a " "me " at home with no equipment, no experience and some toothpaste. 

 

If so inclined an individual can buy a kit and try to do it themselves but you probably spend buying the kit as much as  you would spend to have it professionally done. 

 

"If you want a quick fix for cleaning foggy headlights or how to clean oxidized headlights, then the WD-40 product is a great option. However, it might not prove to be a suitable long-lasting solution for headlight restoration. "

https://cleantools.net/blogs/news/the-best-ways-to-clean-oxidized-headlights#:~:text=If you want a quick,lasting solution for headlight restoration.

 

"If your dirty headlights are physically damaged, toothpaste won’t do much to restore them to their former glory. But if they’re covered with chemicals and dust from the road, toothpaste could actually provide a potent polish. "

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/cleaning-headlights-with-toothpaste/

 

By the way, I am no Holier than thou , I have tried both of the above solutions on my 10 year old Suzuki Carry with mixed results at best . Replacement lenses are only 1300 each on Shoppe and one of these days I might just do that, but I only drive it from home to my play farm 10 minutes away so I am in no hurry .  

 

 

[CanadaSam]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

To clean the 5hit off your headlamps?

Well, they actually lower your visibility at night, and some look like scratches.

 

It's a good idea to get them cleaned.

 

 

[quake]

4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Because the solutions you mentioned do not really fix the problem

These quick fixes are posted on YouTube and the only one who has any positive results from these how to videos is the person posting the videos and gets' a high click count. 

WD40 simply fills the pits on the surface and it looks nice but as soon as the WD40 washes out the pitying is back and so is the yellow.  

Toothpaste if abrasive will remove some of the damage, if the yellowing is a result  of chemicals deposits or caked on dust, but if the damage is from abrasion  a cleaning , a removal of some of the abrasion and a sealing is the only way for a long term solution. 

IMO A professional shop has the equipment, nessacery material, and experience to do a better job than a " "me " at home with no equipment, no experience and some toothpaste. 

 

If so inclined an individual can buy a kit and try to do it themselves but you probably spend buying the kit as much as  you would spend to have it professionally done. 

 

"If you want a quick fix for cleaning foggy headlights or how to clean oxidized headlights, then the WD-40 product is a great option. However, it might not prove to be a suitable long-lasting solution for headlight restoration. "

https://cleantools.net/blogs/news/the-best-ways-to-clean-oxidized-headlights#:~:text=If you want a quick,lasting solution for headlight restoration.

 

"If your dirty headlights are physically damaged, toothpaste won’t do much to restore them to their former glory. But if they’re covered with chemicals and dust from the road, toothpaste could actually provide a potent polish. "

https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/cleaning-headlights-with-toothpaste/

 

By the way, I am no Holier than thou , I have tried both of the above solutions on my 10 year old Suzuki Carry with mixed results at best . Replacement lenses are only 1300 each on Shoppe and one of these days I might just do that, but I only drive it from home to my play farm 10 minutes away so I am in no hurry .  

 

 

[metisdead]

Some more posts contravening our Community Standards have been removed.

[stubuzz]

Rubbing them with polish or cutting compound will improve them.

[Jeff the Chef]

I prefer taking the light off the car, 1200/1500 wet and dry, then a good polish followed by a spray of clear coat lacquer.

If taking lights off car is a pain, mask up round the light and machine polish with a cutting compound , followed by a good polish and clear lacquer to seal.

[TimeMachine]

11 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Why are the lamps on my 11 year old Vigo still perfectly clear, after 220,000 kms.?

They are glass, have a UV coating, or you don't get as much yellowing UV. Or UV resistant plastic.

[KannikaP]

45 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

They are glass, have a UV coating, or you don't get as much yellowing UV. Or UV resistant plastic.

Glass.

If, as you suggest, it is the actual plastic which is yellowing, replacement would be the only solution. Forget my toothpaste suggestion.

Edited October 13, 2023 by KannikaP

[quake]

Polycarbonate. 

[TimeMachine]

19 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Glass.

If, as you suggest, it is the actual plastic which is yellowing, replacement would be the only solution. Forget my toothpaste suggestion.

It's no fake video when you see people sanding away the yellow surface. They are then left with a cloudy result. After buffing with cutting compound used for polishing paintwork then they become clear again. Finally spray a clear coat to protect. How do I know. I've done it. Not fake in this instance. But don't trust me. Do a spot test yourself. Yes just rubbing toothpaste won't work. Wd40 appears to work but that lasts only as long as the oil film stays. Next day will be yellow again.

 

Just takes a fine range of sandpaper, water, cutting compound and buffing pad. A lot of rubbing. Oh yeah baby!

Edited October 13, 2023 by TimeMachine

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, TimeMachine said:

It's no fake video when you see people sanding away the yellow surface. They are then left with a cloudy result. After buffing with cutting compound used for polishing paintwork then they become clear again. Finally spray a clear coat to protect. How do I know. I've done it. Not fake in this instance. Yes just rubbing toothpaste won't work. Wd40 appears to work but that lasts only as long as the oil film stays. Next day will be yellow again.

 

Just takes a fine range of sandpaper, water, cutting compound and buffing pad. A lot of rubbing. Oh yeah baby!

So is a yellow coating accumulating on the headlight as opposed to the plastic discolouring? Where does the yellowing come from?

[KannikaP]

11 hours ago, Jeff the Chef said:

I prefer taking the light off the car, 1200/1500 wet and dry, then a good polish followed by a spray of clear coat lacquer.

If taking lights off car is a pain, mask up round the light and machine polish with a cutting compound , followed by a good polish and clear lacquer to seal.

But if it is dirt & chemicals from the atmosphere through which the vehicle is driven, surely the clear lacquer will soon be yellow again.

[TimeMachine]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

So is a yellow coating accumulating on the headlight as opposed to the plastic discolouring? Where does the yellowing come from?

Just starts on surface. Catch it early and less rubbing.

[TimeMachine]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

But if it is dirt & chemicals from the atmosphere through which the vehicle is driven, surely the clear lacquer will soon be yellow again.

Yes. The clear lacquer can be chipped away. If it's UV resistant clear it won't yellow itself . Reapply spray every year.

 

Btw. When sanding back you are looking to get that milky white cloudiness before buffing . Start with rough paper then finer and finer.

 

500 baht would be a fair price. Or even 1000 if you would have to buy cutting compound yourself. For those who have all the stuff already. Would take couple hours to do everything I reckon 

Edited October 13, 2023 by TimeMachine