headlight maintenance after restoration

[expat2006]

Hi all,
A while back I used a kit to restore my headlights (sylvania probably) wet sanded and then a clear coat, now a couple years later the lens is clouded again. Before I go through this again what could I have done to maintain the lens? some sort of regular maintenance process? Can you use plastic polish on a restored headlight with a clear coat?

Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

[OMGClayAiken]

If it were me I would do a light polish followed by coating with something like Carpro dlux on a yearly basis.

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[evo77]

Hi all,
A while back I used a kit to restore my headlights (sylvania probably) wet sanded and then a clear coat, now a couple years later the lens is clouded again. Before I go through this again what could I have done to maintain the lens? some sort of regular maintenance process? Can you use plastic polish on a restored headlight with a clear coat?

Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

There is nothing you could have done to prevent the deterioration from happening again. That's because most headlight restoration kits are just temporary fixes. The "coatings" that these kits provide to protect the polycarbonate is simply not durable enough.

New factory OEM headlamps have a specialized UV hardcoat applied. This is an industrial strength hardcoat that is specifically designed to withstand weatherability, abrasion, chemical resistance and UV light. It has to meet the Headlamp Physical Test requirements found in the federal lighting regulations (DOT). Lamp suppliers also follow SAE standards for lens durability. The hardcoat is applied in a clean room environment and then cured under UV lighting. This application method ensures maximum bonding to the PC.

Once this hardcoat has failed and then fully removed by means of sanding it off there is NO way to achieve the same level of durability unless you somehow source the factory hardcoat manufacturer and apply it to the lens in the same manner and method (clean room, UV curing).

There are a few clear coats on the market that some claim do a much better job than the restoration kits (such as THIS (https://www.spraymax.com/en-us/products/product/clear-coats-and-spot-blender/2k-2in1-headlight-restoration-clear/) one) but again, it really comes down to how well the prep and application is done and the environment in which it is applied. Those not skilled in spray painting will end up with a cracked or very rough finish.

Ceramic coatings are NOT durable enough. We are talking a thickness of 1-2 microns for a ceramic coating vs a factory hardcoat which is 8-18 microns. Remember, the coating doesn't just need to resist UV rays, its needs to also protect the PC from getting easily scratched, pitted and stained (chemically) which would interfere with its optical clarity. That lens needs to be optically clear for as long as possible in order to allow the full beam to shine thru.

Unfortunately, restoring lenses every 1-2 years is going to be the norm. :( You could buy new genuine factory headlamps and enjoy a solid 5-7 years of clear lenses (assuming you aren't in a high sun exposure state). Not aftermarkets though (TYC, DEPO, etc.) since these do not have the same high level hardcoat.