Car Fule

By staying exposed to the sun and UV rays for too long, your headlights have turned yellow, dull and opaque. In addition to widely aging your car, these optics are less efficient, and can make you fail at the technical control. But buy a pair of headlights is expensive. Fortunately, you can renovate them yourself: the process is relatively easy, but you will have to be patient and thorough for a perfect result. Follow our advice for like-new lighthouses!

Use the right tools and products

In theory, it is possible to sand your headlights by hand, with elbow grease… But in practice, the effort required is very important, and the result will suffer. Prefer a sander / polisher, or at least a drill, preferably angle, for a better grip. Do not go for the cheapest kit on the market either: make sure it is very complete, with at least 4 levels of sandpaper, a renovating product and a protective spray. Count twenty euros.

Start by cleaning the lighthouse well and preparing the area

As always, preparation is important and can save you from inconvenience, such as degrading the surrounding bodywork. So start by cleaning the optics, which are often covered with dirt, insects, and other dust. Mask its outline with the tape normally supplied with the kit.

While sanding, be careful not to mark the headlight

It’s time for sanding, the most important step in the process. Start with the thickest grain disc (normally P800). To avoid melting the plastic of the headlight, the headlight must be constantly wet. Sprinkle it with water regularly.

Proceed in small areas, with amedium but constant pressure, and take your time.

Be patient and thorough

Better to start a step again than to finish the process to realize that your lighthouse is less clear than before starting! Optical renovation is not technically difficult work, but it does require a lot of patience. Allow about 10 minutes per disc, and about 1 hour per lighthouse in total. Stop regularly, inspect your work by eye and by hand: the result should always be homogeneous and without roughness. Otherwise, start your step again.

Gradually increase in grain

Once you are satisfied with one “layer” and have inspected it well, you can move on to the next. Always remember to wash the set well, and to make sure that the headlight is always wet. From completely opaque, the optics go gradually become transparent again.

Don’t forget the polishing

Once all the discs have been passed, you still have to apply the optical renovator. In paste form, it is applied using a foam that attaches directly to your drill. Protect your bodywork and your working environment, splashes are to be expected!

Once the product is applied, clean the assembly and inspect your work. The optics must be perfectly transparent and uniform.

One final finish: protection

Some kits include a protective product to be applied after renovation. Practical, it allows protect the headlight from UV rays, to prevent it from re-yellowing too quickly. Distribute the product over the entire lens with the spray and a cloth, until you obtain a shiny film over the entire headlight.

You can also take the opportunity to wash your entire car!

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