Headlight yellowing on my sport trac

N

NH73

Joined
Oct 31, 2014
Messages
1,252
Location
Pa, USA
My Sport Trac headlights are yellowing. And I am currently trying to decide what approach to take. They are good compared to the LED headlights in my 17 Toyota RAV4. But about the same or better than the old fashioned sealed beam on my 09 Ford E-Series work van. The bulbs are still original. Is it true that bulbs become less bright as they age?
So I came up with 2 options in what I should do about this:
1. Do a headlight restoration. I appears most headlight restoration kits don't last long. I am interested in constantly maintaining them. If there is a great option, I would consider.
2. Replace the headlight assembly. Again, I want to stick to a good brand. I saw TYC is an OE supplier for certain automotive manufacturers. OEM is not an option, one side have been discontinued.
 
What is the price difference between the two choices? :unsure:

If you elect the restoration, use a coating like Sylvania UV Block or Nyalic
 
NH73 said:
The bulbs are still original. Is it true that bulbs become less bright as they age?

2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Click to expand...

Halogen bulbs still original after 17 years?
Of course all filament bulbs do age, and you'll see why when you remove them.
I'd bet there's a dark shade visible on the inner side of the glass. That's osmium
and tungsten evoporated from the filament and condensed onto the glass. Both
the increase in filament resistance (reducing current) and 'tinting' of the bulb's
glass will reduce light output noticeably.
Get a new pair of bulbs from a renowned brand - Sylvania, Osram, Philips etc.,
either Halogen or LED, but never go cheap when it comes to automotive lighting.

Sylvania Automotive Bulb Replacement Guide

Need to replace a bulb? SYLVANIA's bulb finder will help you find your correct replacement bulb for your vehicle and help determine which product family is right for you.
www.sylvania-automotive.com www.sylvania-automotive.com
 
use hydrogen peroxide paste and apply it over both headlights, and then put clear plastic wrap on it, and then let sit in the sun for 2 hours or more (the more the better) and then wipe it off until it is clear again, use something like nufinish to seal the headlights off.
 
930.engineering said:
Halogen bulbs still original after 17 years?
Of course all filament bulbs do age, and you'll see why when you remove them.
I'd bet there's a dark shade visible on the inner side of the glass. That's osmium
and tungsten evoporated from the filament and condensed onto the glass. Both
the increase in filament resistance (reducing current) and 'tinting' of the bulb's
glass will reduce light output noticeably.
Get a new pair of bulbs from a renowned brand - Sylvania, Osram, Philips etc.,
either Halogen or LED, but never go cheap when it comes to automotive lighting.

Sylvania Automotive Bulb Replacement Guide

Need to replace a bulb? SYLVANIA's bulb finder will help you find your correct replacement bulb for your vehicle and help determine which product family is right for you.
www.sylvania-automotive.com www.sylvania-automotive.com
Click to expand...
Halogen bulbs still original after 17 years?
Yes
This is why I want to consider the age of the bulb. It may be just better replacing the whole assembly including the bulb.
 
NH73 said:
My Sport Trac headlights are yellowing. And I am currently trying to decide what approach to take. They are good compared to the LED headlights in my 17 Toyota RAV4. But about the same or better than the old fashioned sealed beam on my 09 Ford E-Series work van. The bulbs are still original. Is it true that bulbs become less bright as they age?
So I came up with 2 options in what I should do about this:
1. Do a headlight restoration. I appears most headlight restoration kits don't last long. I am interested in constantly maintaining them. If there is a great option, I would consider.
2. Replace the headlight assembly. Again, I want to stick to a good brand. I saw TYC is an OE supplier for certain automotive manufacturers. OEM is not an option, one side have been discontinued.
Click to expand...
I would not get TYC. I bought them to replace the yellowed OEM ones on my '02 Frontier and the protective coating is peeling off after one year. Try for OEM instead.
 
I got 3m clear wrap and did my 2014 Cruze and 2016 Suburban headlights. They are still in great shape and hoping to keep them that way. Got the film off ebay for $70 for both vehicles and it even included the fog lights on the Suburban. Easy to install and you can't even tell it is on there unless you are looking for it. I guess in time we will see how it lasts.
 
boom10ful said:
I would not get TYC. I bought them to replace the yellowed OEM ones on my '02 Frontier and the protective coating is peeling off after one year. Try for OEM instead.
Click to expand...
One side of OEM is discontinued. So buying OEM is not an option.
 
3M polishing compound worked fantastic on mine. Then washed well with windex and when it was dry, applied 2 coats of UV protectant clearcoat.
 
funny how people complain about tyc headlights.. For me never had a problem..I have them on my civic and I think they're actually better than what Honda originally had in there. Installed the first set in 2009, lasted until 2019 when they started to get "cataracts" and fog up.. This set installed in 2019 have been fine, For about $40 each and lasting 10 years I think it's well worth the price.

For the stock headlight, I did try one of those 3m kits that polish the outside of the plastic headlight lens, but without taking it apart, it does fog from the inside of the plastic too! It's the UV absorber in the plastic that eventually goes bad, if you get lucky sometimes it's just the outer edge that needs restoration.. I wasn't that lucky, only took half the haze away and taking the civic's lights apart, to polish the inside of the lens wasn't that easy.. Gave up and tried TYC and was very pleased with the light spread, and for about $40 each, I'm not complaining!

If the restoration doesn't work, try the TYC headlights, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Also I just checked, wow.. for your 04 Sport Trac they're around $24 each!
 
researcher said:
funny how people complain about tyc headlights.. For me never had a problem..I have them on my civic and I think they're actually better than what Honda originally had in there. Installed the first set in 2009, lasted until 2019 when they started to get "cataracts" and fog up.. This set installed in 2019 have been fine, For about $40 each and lasting 10 years I think it's well worth the price.

For the stock headlight, I did try one of those 3m kits that polish the outside of the plastic headlight lens, but without taking it apart, it does fog from the inside of the plastic too! It's the UV absorber in the plastic that eventually goes bad, if you get lucky sometimes it's just the outer edge that needs restoration.. I wasn't that lucky, only took half the haze away and taking the civic's lights apart, to polish the inside of the lens wasn't that easy.. Gave up and tried TYC and was very pleased with the light spread, and for about $40 each, I'm not complaining!

If the restoration doesn't work, try the TYC headlights, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Also I just checked, wow.. for your 04 Sport Trac they're around $24 each!
Click to expand...
All these forums are always trash talking aftermarket. While there may be legitimate reasons to do so, I don’t believe that is the case for everything aftermarket. Too much, go OEM I hear. I like to hear success stories with aftermarket too.
 
Get the CAPA certified ones on RA. Even TYC has them for sometimes just a few dollars more. The difference is night and day with quality/fit and finish.
 
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