Armor All headlight restoration wipe test (with before/after pics)

[TmanP]

I picked up a pack of Armor All headlight restoration wipes on impulse to try and clear up the lights on my Camry. They were relatively foggy (though not too bad for a ten year old car), and I wanted to see if I could clean them up. I'm not opposed to picking up a new set of headlights if needed but thought I'd try these before doing anything else, and at $10-12 for a set that I used half of (still have enough to do them one more time if needed), including UV sealant wipes, it was a small gamble, though I had low expectations. The pic with the brown on the wipe shows the oxidation being removed (the lights were washed prior to starting the process). This took probably 20 minutes, including time to mask the lights. I'm not sure how long the "fix" will last but I was quite happy for $5 worth of product and 20 minutes of work.

(pic 1 - before; pic 2 - oxidation on wipe; pic 3 - after (that's water from washing the car on the street, not oil))

 

[Zaedock]

Wow, thanks for the test. Where did you get the kit?
I'd like to try and clear up the display on my wife's atv.

 

[TmanP]

I picked them up at Advance for $12 or so, but later saw them at Walmart for $10.
If they're not too fogged, you should be able to get two cars' lights cleared up - you get four cleaning wipes (I used one on each light) and two UV sealer wipes (I used one for both lights); this is per the directions.

 

[benjy]

a nice difference for cheep + eze!! thanks

 

[SatinSilver]

Yes, thank you for the report. Have a '12 Camry with 89k miles. Haven't done anything to the headlights yet but car is mostly garaged. They still look ok. I know the struggle since previous car had cloudy lights, 05 Matrix.

 

[mrsilv04]

I'll just leave this here, from Project Farm.

 

[BISCUT]

Looks great, but for how long is the key question. Please report back in a few months.

 

[paulri]

I agree. Subscribed so I can see the results. I did a DIY restoration on my Sienna and it looked decent for a few months. If this has staying power I'll probably get this and have at it again.

Looks great, but for how long is the key question. Please report back in a few months.

 

[RTexasF]

The difference is remarkable.

Looks great, but for how long is the key question. Please report back in a few months.

Considering the price if you had to do it 3-4 times a year it would be well worth it.

 

[John105]

The sealant is key. I used a different branded product and can say 8 mos later with an ungaraged car, still crystal clear...

 

[TmanP]

Just under a year later (11 months on the dot) - here's an update. They've fogged over again (unsurprisingly) so I'm planning to use the other half of the kit to clean it up later... I'm still happy with how they turned out (and will look at using a more robust sealant this time). I'm not upset at all, considering the price of the kit makes it about $5 per use.

(The car is a bit buggy/dirty as it's in the middle of a 1500 mile road trip, but these pics show the general condition of the lights around a year later.)

 

[paulri]

Thanks for the update.

Do you recall about how long the headlights were in the near-mint condition like they were in the first pic?

 

[TmanP]

Thanks for the update.

Do you recall about how long the headlights were in the near-mint condition like they were in the first pic?

I’d say they looked great for 3-4 months, good for another couple, and about like above for the past few months.

The car’s been garaged probably 2/3 of the time in the past year, if I had to guess, so not a ton of time out baking in the sun.

 

[PimTac]

I wonder if they use the same polishing compound as NuFinish? Same company.

 

[John105]

I checked the date, I did the first car on Veterans Day 2021, so that's a full 8 months outside, and no sign of oxidation. Maybe ceramic is the way to go instead? I have a tip gained from yesterday--the instructions say to go one way horizontally, and overlap 50%. Because of the odd shapes of the headlights (example on my wife's SUV, the headlight actually has a horizontal surface sorta lining up with the fender flush), this is very good advice. Also, it does NOT pay to try to do it more than one coat. Just go horizontally, overlap 50%, and when done, that's it, doesn't matter if excess product. I too am good if needed again, say in 3 years? But the mfg. says if this happens call them and they send you a free kit.

 

[paulri]

What product did you use? I'm curious....

I checked the date, I did the first car on Veterans Day 2021, so that's a full 8 months outside, and no sign of oxidation. Maybe ceramic is the way to go instead? I have a tip gained from yesterday--the instructions say to go one way horizontally, and overlap 50%. Because of the odd shapes of the headlights (example on my wife's SUV, the headlight actually has a horizontal surface sorta lining up with the fender flush), this is very good advice. Also, it does NOT pay to try to do it more than one coat. Just go horizontally, overlap 50%, and when done, that's it, doesn't matter if excess product. I too am good if needed again, say in 3 years? But the mfg. says if this happens call them and they send you a free kit.

 

[John105]

What product did you use? I'm curious....

I used Cerakote. Just did a second car, but the first was 8 months ago and so far no signs of oxidation returning....

https://a.co/d/4RpHZV9

 

[kafka45]

I used Cerakote. Just did a second car, but the first was 8 months ago and so far no signs of oxidation returning....

https://a.co/d/4RpHZV9

I've used the Cerakote TRIM treatment. and that has kept the wifes black Murano trim looking good for 2 months of weather and washes so far.. I'm amazed actually.

 

[BurrWinder]

I used Cerakote. Just did a second car, but the first was 8 months ago and so far no signs of oxidation returning....

https://a.co/d/4RpHZV9

+1 - Plus these guys will give you a free new kit if it reoccurs...
Been a huge improvement in my son's 06 Fusion headlamp lenses.

BurrWinder

 

[gregk24]

It's an improvement. My current go-to is wet sanding in various stages then "buffing" with a compound applied with a dual action polisher, followed by applying whatever protectant I have on hand. That makes them look great, if not close to new at first. From there you can just continue to keep them protected with your favorite product with a periodic hand polish when needed.