Headlight Restoration Kits

Headlights with an aged, cloudy, or hazy look are becoming increasingly common, as the average age of all cars on the road continues to rise. Plus, most modern vehicles use replaceable bulbs with plastic lenses that are more prone to discoloration, rather than the more-durable glass sealed-beam units. Fortunately, our tests show that for a modest cost, even junkyard-ready lens covers can be made clear again.

More than a cosmetic issue, clouded lenses can pose a serious threat to safety, compromising night vision and reducing the effectiveness of your headlights by up to 80 percent, based on our measurements.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the primary culprit in the headlight aging process, compounded by other environmental factors. The problem tends to be most serious in warmer, sunny climates, but we've seen plenty of evidence of it.

Some makes and models seem to be more susceptible than others, depending on the size, angle, and composition of the lens, and whether the car is garaged or spends its life on the street. The effects can vary from just a slight haze to making lenses virtually opaque.

Headlight Restoration products basically involve sanding away the outer, fogged surface of the headlight lenses using progressively finer abrasives and polishing the lens to a smooth finish. Some also include a sealant. 

An important note is that some lenses have a hard protective coating that must be sanded off in order to refinish the plastic lens beneath. Only the Sylvania product was able to remove the hard coating with the supplied materials, out of the box. The others require the separate purchase of a sheet of 400-grit sandpaper to remove the coating before using. This type of hard coating was only seen on two of the cars we tested.

While it may take an hour complete all the steps for both headlights, remember that this should be a job you only have to do once on your car.