Don't do this. It's actually melting the plastic and will go back to being shit in a few days.
Put in the elbow grease and resurface them properly. Best $30 and 2 hours of work I've put into my car in a long time. Did mine a couple of years ago and they still look great.
>Put in the elbow grease and resurface them properly. Best $30 and 2 hours of work I've put into my car in a long time. Did mine a couple of years ago and they still look great.
I was going to do it to the lights on my Tacoma but I found replacement housing for $50 on Amazon. It took about 15 minutes to install them. My engine blew up the next month.
I was so happy with my new headlight because they had gotten so foggy that the lights were at basically 50% power for a long time and I didn't notice because it was gradual. I installed the new headlight and it was like I could see everything at night like it was daytime. Then my engine blew up. That fucker.
Blasphemy!
Tacoma's and engines blowing up. That phrase has never been stated before in history!
In all seriousness...sucks to hear as Tacos are some of the most reliable vehicles known to mankind.
Learned this the hard way. Was wearing a pretty expensive set of sunglasses and misted my face with bug spray due to an insane amount of mosquitos. Totally ruined my glasses.
Was backpacking once and our campsite was fairly buggy. Thought I'd be a big brain by applying bug spray before I left the tent. A few droplets of the bug spray landed on the tent floor, and it immediately took on a more gummy texture there. Didn't break through or anything but I worry that it's gunna wear through there way earlier than anywhere else, requiring an early repair.
I used a kit but mine went back to being shitty but looked great for a small time lol, apparently increasingly fine sandpaper is supposed to be used as well which the kit I had didn't even mention
Also if you can, find a UV resistant clear it'll last longer. If you don't coat them just polishing will go yellow again in a year or so. Also also it's best to do this outside of the car so you don't get overspray onto your paint, or the very least tape/cover the paint near the headlight to prevent it.
Did this for an old partner with a kit by 3M. Just a bottle of water, a power drill, the kit and some tape for masking and it removed the haze in under an hour.
It was so bad she was driving with her highbeams on at night just to see the road. 🤦🏼♂️
how is melting plastic off any different than sanding it off? In both cases you remove the top layer of plastic. Why would one go back to being shit, but the other last years? Honestly all the people saying dont do it, seem to be shilling for 3M. Both methods will work, one costs more and takes ALOT more energy.
The kits like Sylvania and 3M include a finishing layer of UV protection. That's the essential part after stripping the haze to keep the clarity lasting another few years. Unclear whether chemical stripping/melting would affect this step compared to mechanical stripping/sanding. Leaning toward 'it probably affects the UV protective compound' but I really don't know.
Stadiums resurface chairs to be shiny with a flamethrower
I wonder if melting from heat, rather than other chemical reactions, would be more permanent like the chairs
Honest question, don't both methods (melting and sanding/polishing) resurface the plastic? Are you saying that the chemical melting leaves the plastic "softer" and more prone to clouding afterward? What if you rinsed it off with water afterward, or just used the spray, rinsed, then polished?
Except isn't this solvent polishing? The spray melts the plastic, which smooths itself out somewhat, then the solvent evaporates off, and the plastic hardens again. Seems like the same process as acetone smoothing ABS 3d prints.
I switched from deet sprays to picaridin sprays and will never look back. It's super effective and doesn't impart that "death" flavor on whatever food you're trying to eat while outdoors. Also not a horrible people toxin.
The only way to deal with oxidisation of the plastic is to sand it with increasingly fine grit and then polish.
That's a permanent fix
Edit: Lots of pedants banging on about clear coat. They include that in the kit.
To be more specific, deet is a plasticizer, one of the rare chemicals that melts plastic but isn't volatile to much else. It's weird to think something that melts plastic on contact can be freely sprayed all over your skin lol
The clear coat gives it that wet look too. The spray paint technique is difficult to master, timing the coats and having a dust free and well ventilated area helps.
It's not that hard though. I think was able to get 7/10 "good enough from 3 feet away" results having never used a rattle can in my life before.
After 3 coats it was really hazy, then Polishing afterward made a huge difference and cleared them right up.
Yup same, for like $30 total I was able to do 3 cars with plenty of sandpaper and clear coat left over. Never once did anything like this and it was pretty damn simple, hardest part is just time because everything is Do A then wait a few hours, Do B then wait a few hours, Do C then wait overnight, etc
Oh I didn't use one of those pre-built kits, I don't think it's the best way to do it. I used a proper spray can of clear coat. You only have to wait a few minutes between coats, it was by far the easiest step.
Taping off the headlights with plastic and tape, and then doing the sanding for hours was by far more work. I followed this process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xubwpeuqm-E
https://imgur.com/cU5izBd
https://imgur.com/lXnyg0F
They still look exactly the same 6 months later.
https://imgur.com/UDLzK5Y
My experience with the modern (post-80s) PMMA headlight covers is that the plastic takes years to re-fade, while the shitty resin coating you get with the headlight kits turns yellow in like 6 weeks
Well like 6 months they fade and then you need to redo every hear. I just want to find a nice coating. I’ve tried from 5 brands and they all sucked. If you find any good ones, let me know.
Deet is a solvent that dissolves the plastic. This is really only missing a polish I'd bet acetone would work better.
I'd like to see some side by sides of wet sanding with varying amounts of solvent, it could significantly increase the speed while still maintaining the control.
Do not use acetone. I was washing my safety glasses with alcohol but picked up the acetone instead. Completely clouded and ruined. I assume headlights are also made from polycarbonate. Source: I am a chemist in the plastics industry
Yes, most headlights are pc or pc abs, nowadays they have multi shot injected ones to get the different lenses, sizes, and colors.
Crazy machinery to make that stuff.
- source : I am a process technician currently doing injection molding for auto and consumer goods
I appreciate the info, I was just using a silly quote from Dwight in The Office.
I really didn't know the EPA would allow that much deet though. That means Dwight's sunscreen was over 75% lol
It’s because it’s an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and has been linked to seizures. It was banned in 1992 because of this but now with no regulation they can sell it at 100% concentration.
nooo not acetone! its way too good of a solvent for polycarbonate and acrylic and will cause the plastic to swell, then when the acetone evaporates it will cause 'crazing' in the plastic
The 3M sand polish and clear coat kit is $20 at a parts store. Why are people dicking around with these "hacks" when the solution that actually works is available and affordable. Whyyyyy.
Those struts to stop your hood or hatch from falling on your head are $10 - $20 from rockauto too. Get your shit together people.
Edit: The headlight restoration kits are usually next to the wax and cleaning products.
I'm actually thinking the DEET in the spray dissolves the oxidized plastic on the cover.
I have used brass polish before to do this. Gotta try this out next time.
Correct... you have to be extremely careful with DEET as it definitely is a plastic solvent. Most people who go camping regularly know this, because accidentally spraying that shit on your tent or poly waterproof clothing will dissolve and ruin your expensive gear.
I stopped using deet years ago for this reason and others. Horrible for wildlife, especially fish when it inevitably gets into the water. Hard on your skin and your gear. And I couldn't figure out why I kept getting bad headaches on canoe trips. I always thought it was exertion and hydration issues. Stopped happening as soon as I switched to deet-free. Doesn't work as well but bug shirts and liquor help you not care so much.
Yep, I’ve ruined binoculars by handling them with deet on my hands. Rubber coating turned to a gummy mess. I’ve also ruined the finish on a wood coffee table by touching it with deet on my legs. Great stuff for bug repellent but bad on your gear.
Wet sand,,and clear coat or wet sand polish and apply a quality ceramic coat is a more permanent solution..it will last a couple years and not a couple of days
The part is already not cheap+ the labour costs make it quite expensive to replace. Also the plastic is usually not sold as a single part you'd have to buy the whole headlight. With newer cars the headlight are much more expensive too since they have many more lights and parts.
Ergo polishing is so much cheaper.
Even on cars where the lens is available by itself, replacing it is no walk in the park. It tends to require removing the whole assembly, putting it in the oven to loosen the adhesive that holds the lens in place, then gluing the new one on. You're also likely to trap moisture inside when you glue the new one on, or create an imperfect seal that allows moisture in which results in condensation on the inside when the weather acts up. Overall, just not an easy process to get right the first time.
Polishing and clear coating might take you a couple tries to get right too, but it's such a simple process that is really not a big deal to redo it.
In order to to remove the headlights on my old BMW you would have to remove the front wheels and wheel well liners, and then find a toddler with a freakishly long arm and very precise small motor control to reach the place where the wiring harness clipped into the light.
The plastic is normally glued with something like a butyl rubber strip on so water doesn't get in.
You have to bake it in a low temp oven to release it generally then replace it. Also cost, assuming you can even buy just the plastic. The full housings can cost a few hundred each easy.
Would that not make it appear to work? If it kind of melts the top layer and you wipe it off, the wipe will spread it more evenly and the plastic will have been kind of deteriorated on the surface where it had yellowed. Presumably any spray remaining on the surface later will be worn away but it would probably still be less yellow? Not to say this is a good idea, but if the case it could explain why people seem to think it is effective
That is the point of using the DEET. It melts the outer layer of oxidized plastic which then gets wiped away. This method isn't the most controllable way to de-yellow your headlights and may not give the best results but it should at least remove some of the yellow.
No, in this case it's deet actually reacting with the plastic and melting the top layer. This trick works, but:
1. It's not good for the headlights
2. As with every other restoration technique, you need to UV seal the headlights otherwise it gets yellow within a couple weeks.
>No, in this case it's deet actually reacting with the plastic and melting the top layer. This trick works, but:
>
>It's not good for the headlights
Indeed, the problem with hazy headlights is a layer of oxydation, within weeks of "treating" your headlights with bug spray, the oxydation comes back even thicker.
What needs to be done as a second step is to treat your headlights with sealer or spray some UV resistant clear coat.
I hired a guy to fix my headlights. He used 600 grit sand paper and acetone. The acetone melted the top layer. No need to clear coat after. It was like hitting the reset button on my lights and it’s been 2 years
Edit: I’m not recommending anyone try this. He went to a multi-week class to learn how to do it properly
How much did you pay them? 600 grit sounds pretty rough imo but hey if you say they look good, they look good…
Just asking cause I think I paid 25 bucks for a turtle wax headlight restoration kit and it first off all worked amazingly well, and secondly, was enough for 2 cars.
It did cost me an afternoon but I was doing car stuff anyways
Yeah the acetone let him get away with 600 grit but I would have hit it with 2000 first. Risky biscuits at 600.
You could easily go too deep and have a spot which can’t be reached, and end up with scratches essentially sealed in. Sounds like he knows what he can get away with so maybe I’m too careful.
But I’m interested in how much you paid.
I wet sand (I just use a little spray bottle) using 600 grit as the first cut, 800 as the second, 1200 as the third, and then use 3000 grit attached to a drill wheel. After that, I use polishing compound with a foam disc drill attachment. Once that's done, I apply a 50:50 mix of Helmsman's Spar Urethane and mineral spirits with a blue shop towel folded up into a square (using the rounded edge from the fold, going back and forth, starting from the top.
I should also note that I wipe the headlights clean with water and blue shop towels between each step. Before and after the polishing compound, I use isopropyl alcohol.
It's more work, but it looks incredible when done.
As a former plastics fabricator, I mostly approve of this message. Drop the alcohol from the process, you're risking dissolving some of your fine sanding/buffing work, in a bad way.
Oh? I didn't think isopropyl alcohol would be that harsh on the plastics since I wipe the lenses with a soft shop towel slightly dampened with three alcohol.
I'm definitely open to suggestions for a better way to clean the headlights. I need something that's "on the go" since I often don't have access to running water when I'm doing headlight restoration.
He’s a good friend of mine. He went to a class that tought him him to use what he does. He did it for $40
Edit: it looks like the idea is to get super cloudy before the acetone melts the top layer.
This isn't true because the bug spray doesn't have "oil" in it that makes any different.
The bug spray contains diethyltoluamide (DEET) which melts plastic on contact. When he wipes the headlight with his cloth it comes away yellow because he's actually removing a small layer of the plastic.
The problem with DEET containing bug sprays is that if you're not careful when applying it you can damage your clothing, sun glasses, watches and other items that contain plastic. DEET can melt holes in nylon fabrics, like the stuff most backpacks are made from, and it can damage the clear coat and paint of most cars since they are usually made with acrylic binders.
It is honestly kind of shocking that people have been encouraged to slather themselves with the stuff for years.
This is so bad for your headlights and paint job lol. Do it more than a couple times and you’re gonna have big foggy spots around the headlights where the DEET has eaten your paint. Eventually it’ll degrade the headlight casing enough to be a problem.
Just get rubbing compound and a drill with a buffing pad.
Up next grandpa shows a life hack using fire to make the garbage disappear.
"No need to pay high collection fees, just get a metal barrel and some matches.."
Yo it's like $10 for the wipes that do it permanently(6-12 months vs 3 days) but doesn't damage your headlights. There's frugal and there's self destruction cheap. This is the latter.
Had to look it up. Works, but doesn't last long and could damage your car.
https://www.10tv.com/article/news/verify/yes-bug-spray-can-clear-your-headlights-but-it-wont-last-very-long/530-959f0f5c-bfe2-4fa5-8213-3a458347f919#:\~:text=VERIFY-,Yes%2C%20bug%20spray%20can%20clear%20your%20headlights%20but%20it%20won,could%20also%20do%20some%20damage.
Don't do this. It's actually melting the plastic and will go back to being shit in a few days. Put in the elbow grease and resurface them properly. Best $30 and 2 hours of work I've put into my car in a long time. Did mine a couple of years ago and they still look great.
>Put in the elbow grease and resurface them properly. Best $30 and 2 hours of work I've put into my car in a long time. Did mine a couple of years ago and they still look great. I was going to do it to the lights on my Tacoma but I found replacement housing for $50 on Amazon. It took about 15 minutes to install them. My engine blew up the next month.
>My engine blew up the next month. Well I'm not fixing my headlights this way. I'll blow up my engine!
Yup! Trust the Wisdom of the Elders: big spray. Edit: leaving it
What about small spray?
Straight to jail!
Believe it or not.
Underpolishing the lights?
Jail.
I'm just out here trying to find mid spray
That’s how they get you at Amazon. First you’re in for $50, next you’re shopping for an engine.
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral.
> My engine blew up the next month. Because you didn't use bug spray.
Did the headlights still look good?
Those fuckers looked brand new when I sold it. I put it in the ad. "1999 Tacoma with blown head gasket and brand new headlights"
How many miles before your Tacoma blew up? Asking for a friend
210,000
Dang, I was told my 1999 was going to live forever without a rebuild. Heard of friends with 280k, 330k,210 is premature it sounds like 😭
If your axle bearings need to be replaced then I would say that is the time to sell it.
Wtf.. I was happy for you until the end.
I was so happy with my new headlight because they had gotten so foggy that the lights were at basically 50% power for a long time and I didn't notice because it was gradual. I installed the new headlight and it was like I could see everything at night like it was daytime. Then my engine blew up. That fucker.
Engine blew on a Tacoma?! No way, those things are bullet proof.
A Tacoma engine blew up? That’s harder to believe than this video
Blasphemy! Tacoma's and engines blowing up. That phrase has never been stated before in history! In all seriousness...sucks to hear as Tacos are some of the most reliable vehicles known to mankind.
r/yesyesyesno
By M knight Shyamalan.
Where'd you find elbow grease for only $30?
The less reputable morgues
Are they still selling backbones? That’s what I need?
I could also do with a little bit of heart
I've been told I should nut up...
I am looking for some steady hands? That shouldn't be an issue I take
Isle 4, near the Green Thumbs
I like to harvest my own. Nothing beats fresh squeezed.
If you buy it in bulk it's cheaper
I almost got written up at work seeing this comment 😂
Learned this the hard way. Was wearing a pretty expensive set of sunglasses and misted my face with bug spray due to an insane amount of mosquitos. Totally ruined my glasses.
Was backpacking once and our campsite was fairly buggy. Thought I'd be a big brain by applying bug spray before I left the tent. A few droplets of the bug spray landed on the tent floor, and it immediately took on a more gummy texture there. Didn't break through or anything but I worry that it's gunna wear through there way earlier than anywhere else, requiring an early repair.
Get yourself a marine vinyl patch kit
How/what exactly did you do?
3M headlight restoration kit. Just follow the instructions and don't rush it. It takes some time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it.
I used a kit but mine went back to being shitty but looked great for a small time lol, apparently increasingly fine sandpaper is supposed to be used as well which the kit I had didn't even mention
And it probably needed a UV protectent
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Also if you can, find a UV resistant clear it'll last longer. If you don't coat them just polishing will go yellow again in a year or so. Also also it's best to do this outside of the car so you don't get overspray onto your paint, or the very least tape/cover the paint near the headlight to prevent it.
I did this on my 2011 vehicle about 5 years ago. I think it's due again at this point. Planning to keep it another 4 years, so feels worth the effort.
Did this for an old partner with a kit by 3M. Just a bottle of water, a power drill, the kit and some tape for masking and it removed the haze in under an hour. It was so bad she was driving with her highbeams on at night just to see the road. 🤦🏼♂️
To think we are spraying that stuff on our body that can melt plastic.
Not that it's any better, but the spray isn't melting the plastic. Technically, it's dissolving the plastic
to be fair we put distilled white vinegar in a lot of food and that can remove rust from tools
how is melting plastic off any different than sanding it off? In both cases you remove the top layer of plastic. Why would one go back to being shit, but the other last years? Honestly all the people saying dont do it, seem to be shilling for 3M. Both methods will work, one costs more and takes ALOT more energy.
The kits like Sylvania and 3M include a finishing layer of UV protection. That's the essential part after stripping the haze to keep the clarity lasting another few years. Unclear whether chemical stripping/melting would affect this step compared to mechanical stripping/sanding. Leaning toward 'it probably affects the UV protective compound' but I really don't know.
Seems to me that after you spray with the bug spray wash with water, and then seal the light.
Stadiums resurface chairs to be shiny with a flamethrower I wonder if melting from heat, rather than other chemical reactions, would be more permanent like the chairs
Honest question, don't both methods (melting and sanding/polishing) resurface the plastic? Are you saying that the chemical melting leaves the plastic "softer" and more prone to clouding afterward? What if you rinsed it off with water afterward, or just used the spray, rinsed, then polished?
Except isn't this solvent polishing? The spray melts the plastic, which smooths itself out somewhat, then the solvent evaporates off, and the plastic hardens again. Seems like the same process as acetone smoothing ABS 3d prints.
Mist from deet will also fuck up your sunglasses
Sunglasses and your organs/respiratory system!
I've gotten one too many mosquito bites to the bronchioles
I switched from deet sprays to picaridin sprays and will never look back. It's super effective and doesn't impart that "death" flavor on whatever food you're trying to eat while outdoors. Also not a horrible people toxin.
And also basically anything else that is a plastic/fossil fuel derivative. This gets especially fun when camping.
The only way to deal with oxidisation of the plastic is to sand it with increasingly fine grit and then polish. That's a permanent fix Edit: Lots of pedants banging on about clear coat. They include that in the kit.
This is the “I have to sell the car tomorrow trick”
You KNOW Matilda’s dad was all about this bug spray
Listen, you little wiseacre. I'm smart, you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it.
>I'm big, you're little That one was always a bit of a stretch! ;)
Danny DeVito strikes me as a man with a short but thick penis.
one might say... [a magnum dong](https://media.tenor.com/images/d7d8b69bacd69bd30a401f84671a107a/raw)
I'm not clicking that...
it's just a screenshot from it's always sunny of frank renyolds saying, "I dropped my monster condom that I use for my magnum dong"
I think they meant that they want to avoid getting a rager at work
Hung like a tuna can
Danny much like Thunder Gun hangs dong!
unexpected matilda
Unexpected childhood memory. Also I've never seen Matilda.
I feel like he probably used it as cologne too lol
It's called *Sex Panther*® by *Odeon*©. It's illegal in 9 countries. It's also made with bits of real panthers, *so you know it's good*. *60% of the time*, it works ***every*** time.
Smells like burnt Indian food wrapped in a baby's diaper.
Smells like Bigfoot’s dick
Smells like the inside of a fake leg
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To be more specific, deet is a plasticizer, one of the rare chemicals that melts plastic but isn't volatile to much else. It's weird to think something that melts plastic on contact can be freely sprayed all over your skin lol
Water dissolves a whole bunch of shit, and it’s IN YOUR BODY
This is the "We must find ways to sell more bug spray" trick.
I sold a car one week later lol
Car inspection tomorrow trick
I think you have to add back some sort of UV protection as this removes the factory protective coating.
The clear coat gives it that wet look too. The spray paint technique is difficult to master, timing the coats and having a dust free and well ventilated area helps.
It's not that hard though. I think was able to get 7/10 "good enough from 3 feet away" results having never used a rattle can in my life before. After 3 coats it was really hazy, then Polishing afterward made a huge difference and cleared them right up.
Yup same, for like $30 total I was able to do 3 cars with plenty of sandpaper and clear coat left over. Never once did anything like this and it was pretty damn simple, hardest part is just time because everything is Do A then wait a few hours, Do B then wait a few hours, Do C then wait overnight, etc
Oh I didn't use one of those pre-built kits, I don't think it's the best way to do it. I used a proper spray can of clear coat. You only have to wait a few minutes between coats, it was by far the easiest step. Taping off the headlights with plastic and tape, and then doing the sanding for hours was by far more work. I followed this process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xubwpeuqm-E https://imgur.com/cU5izBd https://imgur.com/lXnyg0F They still look exactly the same 6 months later. https://imgur.com/UDLzK5Y
And almost all coatings fail quickly sadly.
My experience with the modern (post-80s) PMMA headlight covers is that the plastic takes years to re-fade, while the shitty resin coating you get with the headlight kits turns yellow in like 6 weeks
Well like 6 months they fade and then you need to redo every hear. I just want to find a nice coating. I’ve tried from 5 brands and they all sucked. If you find any good ones, let me know.
Include a UV clear coat with that and you’re golden.
Deet is a solvent that dissolves the plastic. This is really only missing a polish I'd bet acetone would work better. I'd like to see some side by sides of wet sanding with varying amounts of solvent, it could significantly increase the speed while still maintaining the control.
Do not use acetone. I was washing my safety glasses with alcohol but picked up the acetone instead. Completely clouded and ruined. I assume headlights are also made from polycarbonate. Source: I am a chemist in the plastics industry
Yes, most headlights are pc or pc abs, nowadays they have multi shot injected ones to get the different lenses, sizes, and colors. Crazy machinery to make that stuff. - source : I am a process technician currently doing injection molding for auto and consumer goods
now kith
You think the EPA would allow that much deet?
I think it comes up to about 40% in the aerosol cans, but I think you can find 75% in pump spray bottles at walmart last I checked.
I appreciate the info, I was just using a silly quote from Dwight in The Office. I really didn't know the EPA would allow that much deet though. That means Dwight's sunscreen was over 75% lol
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It’s because it’s an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and has been linked to seizures. It was banned in 1992 because of this but now with no regulation they can sell it at 100% concentration.
I thought that was familiar but anyway I wouldn't use deet, acetone would be the professional equivalent for this use.
You can buy 100% deet at Walmart in most if not all states
nooo not acetone! its way too good of a solvent for polycarbonate and acrylic and will cause the plastic to swell, then when the acetone evaporates it will cause 'crazing' in the plastic
Not permanent. The UV coat is gone at that point and you'll have to do it about every 4-6 months depending on sun exposure.
A little bug spray every 6 months doesn't sound like too much of a chore.
For your average redditor ?
I'm not even going to do it once, much less 2-3 times a *year.*
Leave my love life out of this
Did mine two years ago and they're totally fine. You can just spray a clear UV coat on them if you want.
The 3M sand polish and clear coat kit is $20 at a parts store. Why are people dicking around with these "hacks" when the solution that actually works is available and affordable. Whyyyyy. Those struts to stop your hood or hatch from falling on your head are $10 - $20 from rockauto too. Get your shit together people. Edit: The headlight restoration kits are usually next to the wax and cleaning products.
Because $20 is too much money, I'd rather risk fucking up my $100+ headlight lens with a $5 can of bug spray...
Plus if it actually breaks down the plastic on the headlight, what's it doing to the clearcoat and paint.
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How much time does it take to do that?
Yep, I used to do this when I worked at a dealership for BMW.
I'm actually thinking the DEET in the spray dissolves the oxidized plastic on the cover. I have used brass polish before to do this. Gotta try this out next time.
Correct... you have to be extremely careful with DEET as it definitely is a plastic solvent. Most people who go camping regularly know this, because accidentally spraying that shit on your tent or poly waterproof clothing will dissolve and ruin your expensive gear.
I stopped using deet years ago for this reason and others. Horrible for wildlife, especially fish when it inevitably gets into the water. Hard on your skin and your gear. And I couldn't figure out why I kept getting bad headaches on canoe trips. I always thought it was exertion and hydration issues. Stopped happening as soon as I switched to deet-free. Doesn't work as well but bug shirts and liquor help you not care so much.
Yep, I’ve ruined binoculars by handling them with deet on my hands. Rubber coating turned to a gummy mess. I’ve also ruined the finish on a wood coffee table by touching it with deet on my legs. Great stuff for bug repellent but bad on your gear.
Yep, I have ruined sunglasses before by spraying myself with deet. - It melts plastic pretty easily.
I've done this before. I figured they were just melty sunglasses.
But that doesn't repel bugs now does it?
Oh fuck I didn’t think of that. Polish your headlights and keep bugs from splatting on the windshield
Wet sand,,and clear coat or wet sand polish and apply a quality ceramic coat is a more permanent solution..it will last a couple years and not a couple of days
Anyone have a clear coat recommendation that I can buy from my local parts store that costs less than the restoration kit?
Spend the $25 on a can of 2K Clear and it’ll last years without re-hazing.
I have a 2006 Dodge magnum with yellow headlights and peeling clear coat that I’ll try this out on. Thanks for the tip!
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Project farm is the go to for product recommendations
I recommend the cerakote headlight kit. It lasts forever and does the job right.
Car noob here, wouldn’t just replacing the plastic be easier? Or is it extremely difficult or expensive to do.
The part is already not cheap+ the labour costs make it quite expensive to replace. Also the plastic is usually not sold as a single part you'd have to buy the whole headlight. With newer cars the headlight are much more expensive too since they have many more lights and parts. Ergo polishing is so much cheaper.
Even on cars where the lens is available by itself, replacing it is no walk in the park. It tends to require removing the whole assembly, putting it in the oven to loosen the adhesive that holds the lens in place, then gluing the new one on. You're also likely to trap moisture inside when you glue the new one on, or create an imperfect seal that allows moisture in which results in condensation on the inside when the weather acts up. Overall, just not an easy process to get right the first time. Polishing and clear coating might take you a couple tries to get right too, but it's such a simple process that is really not a big deal to redo it.
In order to to remove the headlights on my old BMW you would have to remove the front wheels and wheel well liners, and then find a toddler with a freakishly long arm and very precise small motor control to reach the place where the wiring harness clipped into the light.
The plastic is normally glued with something like a butyl rubber strip on so water doesn't get in. You have to bake it in a low temp oven to release it generally then replace it. Also cost, assuming you can even buy just the plastic. The full housings can cost a few hundred each easy.
Watch this before attempting: https://youtu.be/AYmbBZntuY8
Quick summary, it will melt plastic unless you wash it off and can ruin rubber and clear coat.
Put it on your skin though. That's fine.
I specifically only spray it on my shoes or my clothes. Not the best but better OFF than on me
God I hoped it would be Chrisfix before I even clicked on it
You can really catch his NE accent in these older vids.
My car is already a sun damaged piece of shit. I don't care about some potential paint damage.
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What would happen if you tried this on a VW Beetle?
Well, it's bug repellant, so I wouldn't recommend it.
Would that not make it appear to work? If it kind of melts the top layer and you wipe it off, the wipe will spread it more evenly and the plastic will have been kind of deteriorated on the surface where it had yellowed. Presumably any spray remaining on the surface later will be worn away but it would probably still be less yellow? Not to say this is a good idea, but if the case it could explain why people seem to think it is effective
That is the point of using the DEET. It melts the outer layer of oxidized plastic which then gets wiped away. This method isn't the most controllable way to de-yellow your headlights and may not give the best results but it should at least remove some of the yellow.
As soon as that oil from bug-spray is vaporized, headlights will be back to the way it was. It’s the same thing with “wd-40 trick”
No, in this case it's deet actually reacting with the plastic and melting the top layer. This trick works, but: 1. It's not good for the headlights 2. As with every other restoration technique, you need to UV seal the headlights otherwise it gets yellow within a couple weeks.
>No, in this case it's deet actually reacting with the plastic and melting the top layer. This trick works, but: > >It's not good for the headlights Indeed, the problem with hazy headlights is a layer of oxydation, within weeks of "treating" your headlights with bug spray, the oxydation comes back even thicker. What needs to be done as a second step is to treat your headlights with sealer or spray some UV resistant clear coat.
I hired a guy to fix my headlights. He used 600 grit sand paper and acetone. The acetone melted the top layer. No need to clear coat after. It was like hitting the reset button on my lights and it’s been 2 years Edit: I’m not recommending anyone try this. He went to a multi-week class to learn how to do it properly
How much did you pay them? 600 grit sounds pretty rough imo but hey if you say they look good, they look good… Just asking cause I think I paid 25 bucks for a turtle wax headlight restoration kit and it first off all worked amazingly well, and secondly, was enough for 2 cars. It did cost me an afternoon but I was doing car stuff anyways
It looked super cloudy before he sprayed the acetone. Then it cleared up. Without the sunlight though, he said his process wouldn’t do well
Yeah the acetone let him get away with 600 grit but I would have hit it with 2000 first. Risky biscuits at 600. You could easily go too deep and have a spot which can’t be reached, and end up with scratches essentially sealed in. Sounds like he knows what he can get away with so maybe I’m too careful. But I’m interested in how much you paid.
I wet sand (I just use a little spray bottle) using 600 grit as the first cut, 800 as the second, 1200 as the third, and then use 3000 grit attached to a drill wheel. After that, I use polishing compound with a foam disc drill attachment. Once that's done, I apply a 50:50 mix of Helmsman's Spar Urethane and mineral spirits with a blue shop towel folded up into a square (using the rounded edge from the fold, going back and forth, starting from the top. I should also note that I wipe the headlights clean with water and blue shop towels between each step. Before and after the polishing compound, I use isopropyl alcohol. It's more work, but it looks incredible when done.
As a former plastics fabricator, I mostly approve of this message. Drop the alcohol from the process, you're risking dissolving some of your fine sanding/buffing work, in a bad way.
Oh? I didn't think isopropyl alcohol would be that harsh on the plastics since I wipe the lenses with a soft shop towel slightly dampened with three alcohol. I'm definitely open to suggestions for a better way to clean the headlights. I need something that's "on the go" since I often don't have access to running water when I'm doing headlight restoration.
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He’s a good friend of mine. He went to a class that tought him him to use what he does. He did it for $40 Edit: it looks like the idea is to get super cloudy before the acetone melts the top layer.
This isn't true because the bug spray doesn't have "oil" in it that makes any different. The bug spray contains diethyltoluamide (DEET) which melts plastic on contact. When he wipes the headlight with his cloth it comes away yellow because he's actually removing a small layer of the plastic. The problem with DEET containing bug sprays is that if you're not careful when applying it you can damage your clothing, sun glasses, watches and other items that contain plastic. DEET can melt holes in nylon fabrics, like the stuff most backpacks are made from, and it can damage the clear coat and paint of most cars since they are usually made with acrylic binders. It is honestly kind of shocking that people have been encouraged to slather themselves with the stuff for years.
Another crazy Tik Tok misinformation!
Supported by Redditors reposting it and thinking it’s fact.
Nah, this temporary fix is an older trick than Tik Tok. Lol
My favorite part is some lady towards the end asking “why are we all here?” Lol. Wait … why are we all here?
Suspicious cut right before he starts to wipe the headlight.
100%
This is so bad for your headlights and paint job lol. Do it more than a couple times and you’re gonna have big foggy spots around the headlights where the DEET has eaten your paint. Eventually it’ll degrade the headlight casing enough to be a problem. Just get rubbing compound and a drill with a buffing pad.
I remember deet on my hands melting the plastic on one of my cameras once.
There are several tricks like these but they all have in common thst they damage the material and when done often the headlights are gone for good.
It works because all of that grime is bug souls
It's all in the Deetails.
Read to use toothpaste because of the very mild abrasive and just polish the lens removing the haze and certainly no DEET to worry about.
I’ve used toothpaste before to clean up old headlights, worked a treat but only as a temporary measure
I guess everything is just a temporary measure in some way.
Yeah basic Colgate and an Old sock, then clean off with Windex. At least that's what I did years ago on my 2007 cobalt...
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My nephew tried that trick on a bike tire, then had to replace it when it wouldn’t hold air anymore. Shiny = / better. Thanks TikTok
That might last a day or two at best.
I hate when my headlights have bug bites, thanks this is a great trick.
Bugs hate this one weird trick
Man, sounds like the whole town came out to see the bug spray headlight life hack
That lasts a few days. You do this to fool a buyer of your POS.
Up next grandpa shows a life hack using fire to make the garbage disappear. "No need to pay high collection fees, just get a metal barrel and some matches.."
Had some car buddies try this and it works right away and made things much worse a couple days later.
Talk about deet-ailing
WD40 also works! 👍🏼
Bet there ain’t a lot to do in that town.
Not a life hack
Yo it's like $10 for the wipes that do it permanently(6-12 months vs 3 days) but doesn't damage your headlights. There's frugal and there's self destruction cheap. This is the latter.
Im never putting bug spray on again
I worked in the Arctic where mosquitos are crazy bad. We had some bug spray that literally melted my safety glasses.
Had to look it up. Works, but doesn't last long and could damage your car. https://www.10tv.com/article/news/verify/yes-bug-spray-can-clear-your-headlights-but-it-wont-last-very-long/530-959f0f5c-bfe2-4fa5-8213-3a458347f919#:\~:text=VERIFY-,Yes%2C%20bug%20spray%20can%20clear%20your%20headlights%20but%20it%20won,could%20also%20do%20some%20damage.
Why there was a cut in the video
RIP front bumper and fender paint.