What preventitive measures to keep new lens clear

[Cressida]

I just replaced my headlights on a 10 year old Chevy Venture. The old lights were yellow and glazed and now I have clear plastic again. I'd tried to polish them and it helped but still they looked old so I just picked up some aftermarket headlights for less than $80

I have some of the clear protective paint film that is sometimes used on the front bumpers and hood. Would installing a piece of film on each headlight lens keep it from aging as fast?

Are there any other methods to keep the lens clear and looking more like new?

 

[Old Mustang Guy]

I just use car wax whenever I wax my car. On my 01 Escape the lenses still look new.

 

[G-MAN]

Wipe the headlights down with Pledge once a week. Pledge has UV protectors in it and it's UV that oxidizes plastic headlight lenses and makes them haze over.

 

[demarpaint]

I use Rejex on mine, so far so good.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: Cressida

I have some of the clear protective paint film that is sometimes used on the front bumpers and hood. Would installing a piece of film on each headlight lens keep it from aging as fast?
It may melt on the lens and that would make a big mess.

 

[fdcg27]

I doubt that it would melt on the lens, since the plastic lenses never get that hot.
They don't even get warm enough to melt off snow and ice in cold weather.
Now, good lenses are made of glass, as with my '86 Civics.
Only problem was that they would sometimes develop bullseyes after taking a rock hit.
This happened with one of the cars when it was only seven months old.
You then got to buy a new eighty dollar headlamp assembly, although it was pretty easy to R&R.

 

[Smokescreen]

The protective film/plastic that is on bumpers may have a different melting point than the lenses.

The clouding is most likely a result of the UV protection breaking down and attacking the plastic. A great deal of cheaper made housings do this, even OEM. My advise would be to park it out of direct sunlight if you can, and keep them waxed and clean.

 

[The_Jeff]

Someone here on BITOG got genuine euro lenses for this van. My 97 silhouette had dreadful lights and the 9004 bulbs are bad to begin with. Insult to injury, mine fogged up sometimes.

I can spot other ventures on the road at night, as bright as a jack o lantern; they're so terrible they should get recalled as a lesson to everybody.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Someone here on BITOG got genuine euro lenses for this van. My 97 silhouette had dreadful lights and the 9004 bulbs are bad to begin with.


That was me. I got a set for my Silhouette. The Venture/Silhouette was sold as the Opel Sintra in Europe and the Opel H4 headlights will fit if you can find them. I ordered them off the German ebay site. Not the best H4 headlights I've ever seen but 100% better than the US spec junk that the van came with.

 

[The Critic]

15 years and 150k on the headlight lenses of my Saturn. Not a single bit of a maintenance and they are still crystal clear. Still the original headlight bulbs too. So, I think the yellowing issue is truly YMMV.

 

[Spazdog]

I'm going to get flamed for this, but I swear it works;


Turtle Wax ICE liquid polish.

It smells like a petrochemical plant, makes huge amounts of static electricity, feels like mineral oil, and leaves streaks on my paint, but it really works well on my lenses. Headlight, tailight, HM stop, and sidemarkers...all still look relatively new.

I won't use it on my paint. Like I said, it streaks. Maybe I have too much wax on my car...if there is such a thing. But on the lenses and the unpainted black plastic, it works well.

 

[nyr197]

I use 303 Aerospace Protectant, you can find this at most boating/marine stores.

UV protection.

I try to apply once a month, so far so good.

 

[RacerE7773]

GM recall a vehicle for sensible concerns? That's not going to happen. There are several sites that offer the computer cut headlight film. I'd search for those.