Darkened headlights

[duffthebluff]

Hello fellow members,

Good day! I need your help, one of our customer has a darkened headlight. The headlight is clear but is really darkened, like a clear plastic roasted inside. How can this be fixed?

37148

[duffthebluff]

37149

[oldmodman]

If the inside of the plastic cover (lens) is actually heat damaged it will require replacement of the entire assembly.

I know someone that was attempting to fix the headlights he damaged by stuffing a 100 watt bulb in a housing. He put the housing in the oven to soften the glue holding the plastic lens on the housing and was actually able to get it off.
He tried everything from polishes to sanding the inside of the lens and nothing improved it.
He finally had a friend in Germany send him a pair of complete HID housings with all the electronics that came from a dismantler. That solved the problem.

[duffthebluff]

I really can't say if it is indeed inside the lens. Is there a way to test if it's inside the lens? I tried to wet sand with 800 grit a small portion of the headlight but it didn't help.

[Detailing by M]

if it don't polish out then it's dust and needs to be replaced.
I've only had this happen once to me.

[Setec Astronomy]

My guess would be that something burned up inside there, and that's "smoke" that's on the inside of the lens...kind of like when an automotive bulb burns out and the inside of the bulb is black.

It may be that a headlight bulb ruptured or something when it failed. Bulbs don't seem to be what they used to be. I'd doubt it's worth trying to fix if it's inside.

[duffthebluff]

Thanks for all the inputs, yeah i agree its something within the lens and i really dont open the headlights because of the risks involved. My guess is that the bulb burnt the plastic inside that's why there's darkening present, and it's a common problem in my area probably due to forfeited bulbs being used on these cars.