Headlight assemblies clouded up.. any repairs? or replace? (1 Viewer)

[Duane]

Just bought an 03 Sequoia..these and the Tundras seem to have the headlight lenses start clouding up or becoming less translucent.
Is there a chemical or I heard of some buffing compound on a powerball idea to try making them clear to look through again.
Anyone had any success and what has anyone tried without success?

 

[Brake Weight]

Years ago I would use a sponge(with the hard 'scratchy' side and a regular side-for dishes/maybe 1" thick), my cordless drill, a hole saw(like for making door knob holes), and some polishing compound. It works to a degree, then doesn't have enough grit to complete the polish.

Now, I think, 3M and Mothers make a kit including a 'powerball' and some sand paper. These are good. I've got the Mothers Headlight Restoration Kit, or something like that. It works real good on the car and the Tacoma. Although the Tacoma had 3 little nipples on the lens cover. I took my Dremel and carefully cut these off leaving a slick cover. I then polished it out to a 'new' finish.

Only issue I have is that I have to repeat the final polish every 3-4 months. Kinda like the plastic bumper on the Tacoma always needing some attention. I haven't come across a way to seal in the polish.

 

[bikerjosh]

you didn't say, but I'm guessing the lenses are plastic right? Lot's kits for plastic lenses, don't know anything about glass.
josh

 

[Duane]

yes plastic...what are some of the lots of kits?

 

[bikerjosh]

Sorry, like these:
Headlight Restoration | Headlight Cleaner

Headlight Lens Restorer | AutoZone.com

3M Headlight Restoration Kit Customer Ratings & Reviews - Top & Best Rated Products - Walmart

If you search for headlight restoration, you will get lots of hits.
thanks

 

[Michael Hanson]

I like 3M plastic polish, it cleaned my Yamaha Big Bear and made it look new. MIke

 

[SC T100]

I used the 8$ Turtle Wax kit from the parts store. Worked great.

 

[sseaman]

I have used the 3m and it worked good

 

[Jacket]

In my experience those kits give you a short term refresh, but the lenses seem to revert to cloudy/yellow pretty quickly. But for $20 it's a nice improvement.

 

[SC T100]

In my experience those kits give you a short term refresh, but the lenses seem to revert to cloudy/yellow pretty quickly. But for $20 it's a nice improvement.

Definitely true...did mine about a year ago and they are due again (though still not as bad as they had been originally). It's a bit of work, but for me it's better than buying new lenses.

 

[Duane]

I wonder if there is some kind of a sealer that would preserve them again?

Well I'm thinking buying new is going to be a short term refresh of a hand full of years as well.
I know maybe I can get a big hole saw and countersink some retro glass beams in there.

Any idea if the 07's are still doing this same thing?

For the price of 2 new headlight assemblies I think I'll put it towards a bull bar and mount up some more wattage that way.

 

[SC T100]

I looked at an '05 or '06 tacoma a few years ago and its headlights were clouded pretty badly. It was a Florida truck, and the paint was in bad shape (how it got that bad in just 4 years still stumps me...must've been parked outside and never washed or waxed), but I am sure the Tacomas and other Tayota trucks will still be dealing with clouded lights for a while. My guess is the 07s will as well, unless they have switched to glass (which I doubt).

On the sealer, if you put some UV resistant wax on the headlights (or any wax probably) it will help keep the cloud away for a while, but you have to keep re-applying it.

 

[Brake Weight]

I've hoot a '99 TRD Taco and it has plastic lenses. Now, my uncle has a '98 Taco Ltd and his son has an '03 TRD. One has glass lenses and one plastic, but I can't remember which one.

 

[snowskinc]

simple solution

brasso. i have been using it for years on iPods that i service. i tried it on my 99 tacoma and it worked perfectly. i did it by hand but it would be easier with a buffer.

 

[MoCoNative]

On my T-100 I buffed the headlights with a little kit that had polish and some discs you put in a drill that I got at NAPA or Walmart. Careful buffing with a drill, overheating the plastic can promote more clouding and cracking. A T-100 has pretty much flat headlights, so it was pretty easy, but I got real nice shine on them. Took my time and really worked on buffing them down.

Then I added a product like this over them:Bulk Sheets and Rolls - StickerCity.com

I bought some bulk stuff, it was extra haevy, I can't seem to find it now. But even the regular mil stuff would work. I had to cut it to fit the headlights, made nice templates first. I'm sure there are kits out there for newer vehicles. This 3M Clear Bra stuff is pretty easy to put on and holds up very well. It seems to be protecting my headlights from the elements very well, absolutely no clouding coming back, nor any rock chips or damage.

Did the whole front end of my truck and the rockers and the flare on the front of the rear fenders with the clear bra stuff, really helps protect the paint.