Dirty Headlights? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Komete · 03-19-2005, 07:59 PM

Hello all, My front lights have a greenish/yellowish look to them. Can I remove them and soak them in anything to get them clear again?

Anything besides buying new headlamps unless there ares ome cheapo ones

***Tercel GTS*** · 03-19-2005, 08:13 PM

Look on ebay, there are a few.

CrawlingEye · 03-19-2005, 08:51 PM

try going to autozone and picking up some eagle one chrome cleaner. it's petroleum based and actually is intended to 'eat away' a small (dirty) portion of chrome. you just rub the cotton-like piece on and wait until a milky film develops and just wipe it off (I usually wipe then take a wet paper towel and clean it off with that).

Works wonderfully.

dna59 · 03-20-2005, 04:26 AM

I don't know if this is somehting good to do or not. But i could swear that after i wiped my headlights with paint thinner they weren't as yellow.

JetspeedCamry · 03-20-2005, 04:30 AM

I used a cutting compound and clotch..rubbed em down and then used a non scratch steel wool to finish it off..oh and then some polish. Looked brand new....

***DAMON*** · 03-20-2005, 11:44 AM

Im not trying to jack the thread, just a quick question...

My headlights were very yellow on my 94, beyond cleaning, so i bought new ones. The passenger side light was for some reason more yellow.

Its been a good 4 months and the passenger side headlight is already visibly yellow, wheras the drivers side looks like new. Is there a seal or weatherstrip that I should replace? How do I know if the yellow film is on the inside or outside? I need to try the chrome polish trick.

99camryLE · 03-20-2005, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Komete

Can I remove them and soak them in anything to get them clear again?

There was a DIY thread somewhere on here that showed step by step directions on how to remove the headlight lens. If u do a search, I'm sure it'll pop up.

Komete · 03-20-2005, 01:12 PM

THnks for the suggestions fellas.. I'll try and Clean the outside first and see if that makes a difference and if that doesn't workI'll look for the DIY thread and see about taking the whole thing apart..

mescalito · 03-20-2005, 07:47 PM

you can also use toothpaste! and meguiar's makes a plastic cleaner that I have used on my lights and has worked well

CrawlingEye · 03-20-2005, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mescalito

you can also use toothpaste! and meguiar's makes a plastic cleaner that I have used on my lights and has worked well

the chrome cleaner is likely better than toothpaste. toothpaste is more for polishing (very light abrasive), where-as the chrome cleaner is intended to clean and is a bit stronger.

mescalito · 03-20-2005, 09:06 PM

^ yeah no doubt - just tossing out options

Racer_Rodney · 03-20-2005, 09:45 PM

NeverDull will also clean them up but you will have to re-do it once every other week

Komete · 03-21-2005, 09:21 PM

Gunna have to try the toothpaste just to see how well it does. I thought fosure it was all on the inside of light but hopfully it's only teh outside.

I have some engine woes that just poped up and I need to look into first.. But after and if that can be fixed the lights are next.

reddog69 · 08-07-2005, 03:06 PM

I found a more complex method, but i think this method would last longer than rubbing some type of compound + polishing/waxing in the long run

http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/sho...7&page=1&pp=15

It involves using high grit wetsand paper
but the before and after pics look remarkable

CrawlingEye · 08-07-2005, 04:47 PM

red-dog, using rubbing compound is the equivlent of wet-sanding with 1500 grit sandpaper.