Faded headlights

hmc 'mont · 14-07-2006, 01:28 AM

i was just wondering if there was any way to fix this problem of the fading and yellowing on ef/el headlights. I have had some cutting compound on them which works sort of but not good enough. Is there an easier way? or should i just buy new lights???
thanks.

Kenaz · 14-07-2006, 09:27 AM

I tried polishing mine, but they turned out pretty crap so I just bought some new ones.

bailey04 · 14-07-2006, 10:02 AM

There is a tech doc on Ford Mods that tells you how to do it..

Basically you sand the headlight back with about 4 or 5 different grades of sand paper and then polish it..

I did it about two weeks ago and it worked a treat. Made the headlight clear and removed the yellowness..

hmc 'mont · 14-07-2006, 08:54 PM

awsom
cheers for your help

CaRtZ · 14-07-2006, 08:57 PM

a while ago some1 on here said they took the light apart and swished some CLR in the light, dryed it out with a hair dryer and they were brilliant. havent had to worry about it myself.

Jeeepers · 14-07-2006, 09:01 PM

If you do get newies, just polish them every couple of months. They will stay pristine that way.

Whitey-AMG · 14-07-2006, 09:25 PM

Autobarn used to sell a PLASTIC POLISH. It worked awesome. We used it on a friends Lexus/soarer and the lights came up great. Heaps of elbow grease but worth it in the end. We did it 4-5 times to get good results.

I think it may have been a MEGUIARS product ?? $20 off memory

**Sorted** · 14-07-2006, 09:45 PM

Autosol Metal Polish

It has little grains in it that helps with the polishing - eg like sanding

Doesnt matter what you do to them though policsh or sand or both they wont ever be clear again unless you replace them with new ones

Whitey-AMG · 14-07-2006, 09:57 PM

Try this :

http://www.meguiars.com.au/product_2...lastics&show=3

feebs · 15-07-2006, 02:08 AM

If you use a scourer then you bugger the lights, you can use a light acid to clean them up.

Phosphoric acid or similar, wet the paint b4 and after tho, maybe take the lights out.

peterban · 15-07-2006, 01:20 PM

Here is the link to the how to article.
http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=58
I did it to my son's ef fairmont.
When I started you could't see any of the lines in the plastic as they were so yellow.
They came up to about 95% perfect.
I just polish them now with plastic cleaner and have had no more problems with them.
Note that even clean the low beams are still woefull, but I think that is a common complaint

LUXO_8 · 15-07-2006, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterban

Here is the link to the how to article.
http://www.fordmods.com/forums/documents.php?doc=58
I did it to my son's ef fairmont.
When I started you could't see any of the lines in the plastic as they were so yellow.
They came up to about 95% perfect.
I just polish them now with plastic cleaner and have had no more problems with them.
Note that even clean the low beams are still woefull, but I think that is a common complaint

what happens is not only does the lens go off....but often the chrome on the reflector goes off as well.......

my parents EL had new lights in it and i thought the lights were quite good..

the fact that fairmonts have a H4 globe (dual filament) which should be even better again than a falcon (H1 single filament) leads me to believe the reflectors might not be in the best condition in your sons car...

JUZXR8 · 15-07-2006, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MADNC_8

what happens is not only does the lens go off....but often the chrome on the reflector goes off as well.......

my parents EL had new lights in it and i thought the lights were quite good..

the fact that fairmonts have a H4 globe (dual filament) which should be even better again than a falcon (H1 single filament) leads me to believe the reflectors might not be in the best condition in your sons car...

my EA FALCON runs H4 globes as standard..........

i ended up sanding back the ones on dad's monty, then gave em a polish up and they came out a treat

LUXO_8 · 15-07-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juz_Gremlin

my EA FALCON runs H4 globes as standard..........

i ended up sanding back the ones on dad's monty, then gave em a polish up and they came out a treat

yes i know that.... ea-ed have nothing to do with this.....
i was talking about EF and EL...which happen to also only be the ones with PLASTIC LENSES

EF and EL Falcon have H1 and H3 globes, while EF and EL Fairmont/Ghia, Fairlane and LTD have H4 and H3 globes

mons2b · 15-07-2006, 03:21 PM

Better if they went back to glass headlights then. Please Ford. :-)

LUXO_8 · 15-07-2006, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mons2b

Better if they went back to glass headlights then. Please Ford. :-)

will never happen......

plastic doesnt break anywhere near as easily as glass does...it has flex...resulting in less danger in accidents

if they go yellow it can be fixed.....

there are a lot of reasons why plastic lenses are SO much better than glass lenses....

where a glass lens would break...the plastic lens might just scratch....which can then be polished out for a very small cost...

Fairlane · 15-07-2006, 04:00 PM

Man can we make a yellow headlight thread a sticky.

No offence to the people suffering from yellow headlights, but im sick of seeing these threads

private9 · 15-07-2006, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fairlane

Man can we make a yellow headlight thread a sticky.

No offence to the people suffering from yellow headlights, but im sick of seeing these threads

If you're sick of seeing these threads it's pretty simple, just don't read it!

LUXO_8 · 15-07-2006, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by private9

If you're sick of seeing these threads it's pretty simple, just don't read it!

the point was that this topic has been covered numerous times and if people could be bothered searching, or if there was a sticky thread, there wouldnt be multiple threads on the same topic

private9 · 15-07-2006, 07:36 PM

Fair call

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