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10-20-2011, 03:02 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Toquerville Utah
Posts: 22
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Headlight lenses restoration
The clear headlight lenses on a couple of our cars have been slowly degrading and turning yellowish, almost to the point you think one light must be out due to the deminished birghtness. I've noticed offers around town to restore the lenses from $79.00 to $125.00. My brother told me to use toothpaste with whitening on them. Just now gave it a try on my sons car, none of my own cars are around due to the other sons borrowing them. Gotta tell you guys, it worked amazingly. After wetting a rag and squeezing about an 1 1/2" of toothpaste on the rag then rubbed the lenses for about a minute each, rinsed with a hose and wow, the lenses look almost new. Don't know how long they will last this way but they sure look 1000 times better than they were. Now I just need to get my own cars back from the other boys to do my own lenses.
Of course, I'm probably the last one to know this little secret.
Stacey
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10-20-2011, 03:45 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Bolivia, NC
Posts: 1,401
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At $3 a tube, not a bad deal. I have done my headlights on a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have wet sanded, buffed & had my daughters exboy friend do them professionally. All on the same vehicle. I have found nothing that lasts more than a few months. So if you can do them with toothpaste, you are far ahead of the game. I'll have to try that the next time. Thanks for the tip.
__________________
Dan Sees, , 2013 Winnebago Journey 42e, 2014 Featherlite Car Hauler 3110 17.5', 2008 Mazda MX5,
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser,2018 mercedes Benz GLA 250
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10-20-2011, 03:48 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Nor'easters Club Mid Atlantic Campers KZ RV Club
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Southeast Pa.
Posts: 277
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I too used toothpaste and it works great!
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Thane & Sharon
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10-20-2011, 04:00 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,083
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Good info for my, saved for future use, file . Thanks
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Kathy & George Zimm
Mickleton, NJ
2006 Coachman Epic & 2013 Chevy Equinox Toad
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10-20-2011, 04:05 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Oklahoma Boomers Club Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,801
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I accidentally spilled some DOT 3 brake fluid on my sons lens when topping it off and when I wiped it off it was clear again. Did both headlight lens and rears. Looks great!
__________________
Ron & Wendy-Kansas
94 Pace Arrow 34 ft
25 yr Army retired 2006
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10-20-2011, 04:28 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4Knights
I accidentally spilled some DOT 3 brake fluid on my sons lens when topping it off and when I wiped it off it was clear again. Did both headlight lens and rears. Looks great!
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I hate to be a wet blanket, but if the headlight lenses are polycarbonate (most are), you will likely be seeing crazing within a short period of time.
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10-20-2011, 04:48 PM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,607
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Any polishing compound will do the job, and as you say, toothpaste is cheaper than most. The brake fluid just filled in the minute cracks and deterioration. when it washes out or finally evaporates you'll still have the problem. Just keep polishing. I'd like to hear from someone who polished them out and applied something to them to protect them like 404, paste wax, silicon spray??? Anybody?
Pigman
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10-20-2011, 04:58 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Tehachapi, Ca
Posts: 560
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You can buy complete, new headlight assemblies on ebay motors for $60-$70, for the pair. If for a car, you know what to look for, in the case of a MH, you need to determine what car headlights were used. Now, some will say these are cheap, imitations, maybe true, but a lot better than a lens restore that will not last very long. In some cases, they are the same as the original manufacturer used.
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PKMesser
2005 KSCA 3778 on 04 W22 with Koni FSD
Banks Headers, 503 CID
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10-20-2011, 05:21 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Federal Way, Wa.
Posts: 2,901
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The toothpaste idea has other applications---if any furniture has those white rings from a heated coffee cup---you can buff it out w/toothpaste. It is basically a rubbing compound---and of course the side benefit is---headlight lenses w/o cavaties.
__________________
I do all my own stunts
03 Dolphin LX 6355, Workhorse W22, 8.1 vortec, 04 CR-V, Blue Ox, Brake Pro----Norm, Barb and
Doc(He's a PhD)
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10-20-2011, 05:30 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Oklahoma Boomers Club Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,801
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paz
I hate to be a wet blanket, but if the headlight lenses are polycarbonate (most are), you will likely be seeing crazing within a short period of time.
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Not a wet blanket at all, they did start to haze over about 3 months after, but I just redid the DOT 3 rub and they are back to new. It's an older stratus so not worried if I need to keep doing it every couple months. Cheaper than new lens.
__________________
Ron & Wendy-Kansas
94 Pace Arrow 34 ft
25 yr Army retired 2006
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10-20-2011, 05:35 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Toquerville Utah
Posts: 22
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For me, it is not a big deal to repolish the lenses every few months. I would think one tube of toothpaste would last the life of a car.
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10-21-2011, 07:40 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pigman1
Any polishing compound will do the job, and as you say, toothpaste is cheaper than most. The brake fluid just filled in the minute cracks and deterioration. when it washes out or finally evaporates you'll still have the problem. Just keep polishing. I'd like to hear from someone who polished them out and applied something to them to protect them like 404, paste wax, silicon spray??? Anybody?
Pigman
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Be careful what you put on plastic headlight lenses. The plastic material is probably polycarbonate, which does not like most solvents and petroleum products. Solvents are used as carriers for many lubricants, and exposure to most solvents will cause polycarbonate to craze and even crack and fall apart completely.
That being said, 303 or paste wax would probably be OK.
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10-21-2011, 07:46 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 136
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Check this out.....
Turtle Wax
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