Why do headlights become cloudy?

Headlights are made of polycarbonate plastic, which is durable but prone to oxidation. Exposure to UV rays, harsh weather conditions, and road debris causes the outer layer of the headlights to degrade over time. This results in a hazy or yellowed appearance that diminishes light output.

What is headlight restoration?

Headlight restoration involves cleaning, sanding, and polishing the headlights to remove the oxidized layer and restore clarity. The process may also include applying a protective coating to prevent future oxidation. Professional restoration services ensure thorough and lasting results, significantly improving headlight performance.

Benefits of headlight restoration

1. Enhanced Visibility

Clear headlights provide better illumination, making it easier to see the road ahead and identify potential hazards. Improved visibility is crucial for safe driving, especially in low-light conditions or during inclement weather.

2. Increased Safety

Restored headlights ensure that the light beams are properly aligned and bright, reducing the risk of accidents caused by poor visibility. This enhancement benefits not only the driver but also other road users, contributing to overall road safety.

3. Cost-Effective Solution

Headlight restoration is a cost-effective alternative to replacing the entire headlight assembly. Professional restoration services are typically affordable and can extend the lifespan of the headlights, delaying the need for expensive replacements.

4. Improved Aesthetic Appeal

Clear, well-maintained headlights enhance the overall appearance of the vehicle. Restored headlights can make a car look newer and better maintained, potentially increasing its resale value.

How to maintain restored headlights

To keep headlights in optimal condition, regular maintenance is essential. Cleaning the headlights periodically with mild soap and water can prevent the buildup of dirt and grime. Applying a UV protectant can also help preserve the clarity achieved through restoration.

Headlight restoration is a practical measure that significantly improves driving safety and vehicle aesthetics. By investing in professional restoration services, drivers can ensure clear visibility on the road, enhancing both their safety and that of others. Regular maintenance following restoration can help maintain the benefits and prolong the life of the headlights. Contact AGD today to restore your headlights to their former glory and enjoy a better view while driving!

Headlights are the unsung heroes of nighttime driving, ensuring visibility and safety on the road. Over time, however, factors like UV exposure, oxidation, and general wear can cause headlights to lose their clarity, compromising their performance. That’s where headlight restoration comes into play.

Assess the Condition:

Before diving into restoration, evaluate the condition of your headlights. Cloudiness, yellowing, and small scratches are common issues that can be addressed with the right restoration techniques.

Begin with Cleaning:

Start the restoration process by thoroughly cleaning the headlights. Use a mild detergent or a specialized headlight cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth to remove dirt, grime, and any surface contaminants.

Sand Away Imperfections:

For more severe cases of oxidation or scratches, sanding may be necessary. Start with a low-grit sandpaper to remove the damaged layer, gradually progressing to finer grits. Wet sanding is preferred to minimize heat and prevent further damage.

Apply a Quality Restorer:

Choose a high-quality headlight restoration kit or a professional-grade polishing compound. Apply the restorer using a clean, soft cloth, following the product’s instructions. This step will help eliminate fine scratches and restore optical clarity.

Protect with Sealant:

To prolong the effects of the restoration, consider applying a UV-resistant sealant or clear coat. This will provide a protective barrier against future oxidation and maintain the clarity of your headlights for an extended period.

Regular headlight maintenance is crucial for ensuring optimal visibility and safety on the road. By following these ABCs of headlight restoration, you can keep your headlights in top condition, promoting safer driving and a more enjoyable nighttime driving experience.

Have you noticed that your car’s headlights are not shining as brightly as they used to? Are you finding it difficult to see the road while driving at night? If so, it might be time to consider getting your car’s headlights restored. Many people don’t even realize that headlight restoration is an option and that it will dramatically improve the effectiveness of your headlights as well as the appearance of your car. 

3 Signs You Need Headlight Restoration

• Foggy or Dirty Headlights
  • Foggy or dirty headlights can be a big safety hazard and you may not realize it but they limit your visibility while driving, especially when driving at night or in poor weather conditions. Dirt, debris, and moisture can accumulate on the headlight lenses over time, causing them to appear cloudy or yellowed. By getting your car’s headlights restored, you can remove this build-up and improve your visibility on the road, making it safer for you and other drivers.
• Scratched or Scuffed Headlights
  • Another sign that you need headlight restoration is if your headlights appear scratched, scuffed, or otherwise damaged. Over time, your headlights can become scratched or scuffed due to exposure to debris, rocks, or other hazards on the road. Even relatively minor damage adds up over time and can affect the clarity and brightness of your headlights, making it difficult to see while driving at night. By getting your car’s headlights restored, you can remove these imperfections and restore the clarity and brightness of your headlights.
• Low Visibility While Driving at Night
  • If you are finding it difficult to see the road while driving at night, even with your headlights on, it might be time to consider getting your car’s headlights restored. Dim headlights can significantly reduce your visibility and make it dangerous to drive in low-light conditions. Professional headlight restoration improves headlight brightness and effectiveness, making it safer for you to drive at night.

Many car owners drive around with damaged or dirty headlights and just assume that they have to live with it as is. Or, they may not even realize that their headlight quality has diminished. But, while drivers may not always be familiar with headlight restoration but there are many benefits to restoring your headlights their original working condition. Still not sure whether you actually need headlight restoration? Below, we explain the two primary reasons you need headlight restoration!

2 Reasons You Need Headlight Restoration

1. Headlight Restoration Improves Your Safety When Driving

• Your headlights are one of your most important safety features on your vehicle so it is important they work well and can provide enough light so that you can see your surroundings and so that others can see you. Severe weather conditions can happen anytime and when they do you want headlights that work well. If your headlights are cloudy or not producing enough light but restoration will provide you long-lasting results that will improve you and your passengers safety, as wells as the safety of others on the road.

2. Headlight Restoration Improves Your Car’s Appearance

• Professional restoration of your headlights will greatly improve the outer appearance of your car. Headlights get scratches and yellow overtime, diminishing their look. But restoration can make your headlights look new again!

Signs that headlights need to be replaced

It is easy to overlook the significance of headlights. But, they serve a crucial purpose in any vehicle and prevents majority of road accidents. Similar to other parts, these headlights are also susceptible to wear and electrical failures. In such cases, vehicle owners must deploy necessary counters measures by taking their car to a local auto shop and get the headlights fixed.

Dimming

There are two possible reasons for a dim headlight. First, a thin of grime will develop over time when the headlight covers are not cleaned properly. This problem is common around cars with poor maintenance. The grime buildup affects the overall effectiveness of a component, causing dimness. If the problem persists even after through cleaning, then the build may be near its service life end.

Flickering

When vehicles lights flickering while on road, it puts the drivers under serious trouble. Hence, they should address flickering as quickly as possible. This issue is caused by damaged bulb filament. Similarly, flickering also indicates that headlights have a faulty connection. Either way, performing replacement will fix the problem.

Single light out

Noticing a single burned out light can be challenging. But, it is a significant warning sign that a car’s bulbs are nearing the end of their service life. Technicians will replace both of the bulbs since headlights are installed in pairs. So, when one goes burned out, the other will start to dim as well.

Haziness

It is common for headlights to common yellow or hazy when they are damaged. Additionally, it could also indicate connection failure at some parts. Regular inspections are necessary to fix this problem.

Steps in replacing headlights

If their headlights are starting to get yellowish or dim, car owners should replace them as quickly as possible. One viable way of doing this is by taking vehicles to a local auto shop. Technicians will follow a specific set of steps to replace damaged bulbs with a new one.

Buy materials

Owners should start by buying all the supplies they need for this process. The simplest solution is to buy a replacement kit which comes with all the necessary items. They can also opt for other popular kits available with polishing compound, UV sealant, and microfiber towels.

Cleaning

As cited above, headlight covers will develop a buildup of grime when not maintained properly. It is essential to clean this grime sediment so that tape and adhesives will stick without any problem. If needed, they can also wash the area around a component.

Sanding

The most pivotal step in this process is sanding. People should start with the most abrasive sandpapers to sand the lens in horizontal strokes. Most importantly, make sure the surface is wet while working on it. Then, repeat the process with less abrasive sandpapers for a finer grit each time.

Polish

Next, use polishing compound and rub the surface in a circular motion for few minutes. People can use microfiber cloth for this step. Technicians at the auto shop will use orbital buffer to get this process completed quicker. This step is essential to clean and polish the headlight.

Restoring your Headlights…there’s no one other factor that can and will have a bigger influence on the Physical appearance and safety of your vehicle. AGD Auto Glass & Tint Co. now offers additional services. We can provide professional headlight restoration as soon as today, so that you can have new car headlights once again. This is certainly much more than just a simple headlight cleaning; it’s a complete as well as long lasting headlight restoration.

Over time the sun’s harmful UV rays, halogen bulb heating, road debris and weather will degrade not just the way your headlights look but also the functioning of your headlight lenses. These factors can result in headlights that look not attractive, while losing their most important feature; the capability to illuminate. AGD Auto Glass & Tint Co has the system that will restore your headlights to their original factory condition but at a way less expensive cost than actually replacing them. With headlight restoration, you can save 85% off the cost of replacement headlights that may range between $400 to $1,500.

APPEARANCE

The covers on your headlights tend to age rapidly. There is nothing more notable than headlights that make a car look older & in bad condition maintained than a pair of fuzzy, yellow headlights. This is your chance to provide your car with a pretty solid facelift to allow it to appear youthful again and with restored headlights that are clear as crystal. To dramatically improve your car’s resale value and appearance, headlight restoration will take years off of your vehicle’s age.

Our system completely resurfaces the lenses; mechanically wet-sand stripping them of all oxidation, professionally polishing them, and coating them with extremely protective and long lasting sealant…restoring them to their original factory like condition for years to come. Don’t put it off any longer, give your headlights a facelift and they’ll pay you back in spades.

SAFETY

Original Clarity, the outcome of headlight restoration, will most definitely improve your car’s overall appearance. Most importantly, headlight restoration provides safety for the passengers in your car by improving their ability to project light properly. The oxidized plastic refracts and disperses sunlight that’s passing in the cover of the lens, and will reduce the amount of light illuminating the road by up to 75%. When you choose AGD Auto Glass & Tint Co’s professional headlight restoration, your vehicle’s headlights will once again let all of the light through, allowing your headlights to work correctly and efficiently.

Don’t take your headlights for granted..

They won’t tell you they need assistance, but hopefully now you should just know they do!

AGD Auto Glass & Tint Co.  

3414 S Mill Ave | Tempe, AZ 85282 | 602-759-5900 | Website

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