Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit $5.12 + FSSS/Prime @ Amazon.com (and Target & Walmart + FS on $35+/Pickup)
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Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit
3.9 out of 5 stars (2,637 reviews)
List Price: $9.81
Price: $5.12 (lowest price ever)
Free shipping with FSSS/PrimeShips from and sold by Amazon
- Kit includes: 3 restoration pads of various grits from 2400 to 8000 grit, Spray Lubricant (4 oz.), Lens Clarifying Compound (4 oz.) and Lens Sealing Wipe (4"x4")
- Can be used on all lenses, plexiglass and plastic surfaces
- Restores dull, yellowed headlights to like new condition in less than 5 minutes per lens
- Lens Clarifying Compound quickly removes surface discoloration and may be all that is needed to restore clarity
- 3 multi-stage wet restoration pads focus on deeper discoloration and scratches to restore the lens to like new condition
- New sealing wipe helps protect from future yellowing and discoloration
ETA: Also available for the same price + free shipping on $35+/free pickup at both Target and Walmart.
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https://www.today.com/home/foggy-headlights-here-s-x-easy-ways-clean-them-t141713
According to Brian Noble, North America marketing manager for Sylvania Automotive, two factors contribute to foggy headlights: road debris and UV rays from the sun. Both wear away at the protective coating on headlights. To fix the situation, the damaged coating needs to be removed and a new protective coating added.
How to clean foggy headlights using a DIY headlight restoration kit:
When choosing a restoration kit, look for one that contains several grades of sandpaper, a plastic cleaner/polish, polishing cloths and a protective coating. One kit usually has enough to clean two headlights.
Noble has the following advice when using a DIY headlight restoration kit:
- Follow the manufacturer’s directions. Don’t improvise.
- Don’t rush through it. Depending on how foggy headlights are, this could take 15-20 minutes per headlight. Remember, you’re rubbing away years of oxidation AND the original protective coating.
- As you sand, run your hands over the wet headlights. If you feel rough spots, sand until smooth.
- Be careful not to scratch the car’s paint while sanding. Some kits recommend taping around the headlights to help. But be careful: The tape itself may lift off the paint on some older cars.
- Keep it wet. Use a spray bottle, a bucket of water or a hose to wet surfaces while sanding.
- Trust the kit. The headlights will look hazy after sanding but they’ll be clear after applying the coating.
- Make sure the headlight is completely dry before applying the protective sealant.
- Allow the sealant to dry for several hours — better yet, overnight — before using the car. You don’t want bugs or dirt sticking to your newly restored headlight.
- Some kits require reapplication of protectant every 1-3 years, depending on weather, temperature extremes and if the car is kept inside a garage or not.
Make sure to exercise caution when using DIY kits; if you’re not too familiar with how to restore headlights, you could run the risk of ruining them completely if you use a kit, according to Alex Murenko, the owner of ONEighty, an automotive shop that offers headlight styling and restoration services in New York City.
“If they don’t put the protective film on there, people can restore their headlights but six months later, they’re going to start yellowing again because the original coating from the manufacturer is already wearing off,” he said. “Once you polish them, there’s no more coating, so now you’re back to exposing the headlights to natural elements like rain, snow, the sun, the dirt.”
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Driving an 18 year old car, I’ve learned this headlight-lens-restoration-biz is a sweet little moneymaker for some garages, especially ones that perform state inspections of cars, and can fail you for clouded headlights. Where they charge you $60 or even more for each lens, holding your car hostage for ransom.
When this happened to me the first time a few years ago, I told them to go ahead and fail it, getting a rejection sticker. I researched it and got a similar kit (possibly even this same one), and did both lenses myself in an hour or so. Then I took it back, got reinspected/approved and got my inspection sticker. Thinking back, I wish I had done this bit of work in their parking lot, lol.
Anyway, I know now to break out this kit and do a little lens de-clouding each year before I go in for a state inspection. Added to the usual pre-inspection checks on stuff like light bulbs and wipers etc.
And there’s tons of stuff on youtube.com about headlight lens restorations too, including an “all-you-need-is-toothpaste” contingent!
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