Anyone got any ideas how I could make my headlights clear again, if at all? They are pretty yellow!

 

Thanks!

maybe a little more info would help?

 

what model subaru do you have? year?

 

 

 

Jamie

A 96' Outback.

I believe there was a thread on polishing the pitted,yellow plastic - don't recall the outcome. maybe a search?

I found the post! Thanks for the help guys!

I used a polishing compound that came in a yellow bottle with a buffing pad for a drill on my daughter's 93 Legacy. Made alot of difference in the brightness of her headlights. Do not use a rubbing compound as it would scratch the lense, the polishing compound is white and has no grit to it. Glenn Taylor.

link to the thread?

Novus plastic polish system:

 

http://www.noscratch.com/novus/

 

For a fogged or yellowed polycarbonate lense, start with #2, then finish with #1.

you can try my method

 

http://www.bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=739&highlight=yellow+head%2A

Dealers are getting about $100 for taking some Subaru brake fluid and using a clean cloth, polishing the lenses.

It works! Better than using the polishing compound!!

 

Emily

http://www.ccrengines.com

We used some aluminum polish on a '93 yellowed headlights. What a difference! Cheap too! Good Luck.

the motorcycle dealer sell a stuff that they use to clean and deyellow the windsheild and face sheilds

Brake fluid???? Anyone tried this?

Dealers are getting about $100 for taking some Subaru brake fluid and using a clean cloth, polishing the lenses.

It works! Better than using the polishing compound!!

 

Emily

http://www.ccrengines.com

Could you by any chance explain the physics or chemistry of it?

Cohen quote, nice one frag!

Cohen quote, nice one frag!

Glad you like it. Cohen's songs are about the only ones (+ a couple of french singers maybe) I really listen to the words of.

I did not have good luck using polishing compound. What I did was to use a razor blade and with moderate pressure scrape the yellow plastic off the lens. You can see the shavings are yellow. When done I buffed the lens and saw noticable improvement.

If you do not want to pay for polishing compound, you can go to a discount store and buy some cheap toothpaste (the paste type, not the gel type) and apply with a soft cloth and elbow grease. Essentially the same stuff as the compound, and cheaper too! (This also leaves your headlights smelling minty fresh )

I read this thread today and tried it on my tired, '90 Legacy lights...It WORKED GREAT!!!!! File this under why the fuq did I just learn about this now? I cleaned the dirt off them first then rubbed brake fluid on them and dried them. It took maybe 5 min for both and they really look brand new I'm shocked.

finally someone has found a use for it!

I read this thread today and tried it on my tired, '90 Legacy lights...It WORKED GREAT!!!!! File this under why the fuq did I just learn about this now? I cleaned the dirt off them first then rubbed brake fluid on them and dried them. It took maybe 5 min for both and they really look brand new I'm shocked.

So, this may be a stupid question, but did you all do the inside surface as well as the outside? I tried prying a clip off my headlight to get to the inside and the plastic clip just shattered. I stopped there. If it's not necessary I won't even try it.

stop there. By the way brake fluid can damage paint so be careful with it.

Any old brake fluid??? I can't believe it could be that cheap and easy!!! They wanted to charge me $250 EACH for new headlights!

So, this may be a stupid question, but did you all do the inside surface as well as the outside? I tried prying a clip off my headlight to get to the inside and the plastic clip just shattered. I stopped there. If it's not necessary I won't even try it.

No, that's a great question...I only did the outside.

Any old brake fluid??? I can't believe it could be that cheap and easy!!! They wanted to charge me $250 EACH for new headlights!

I just used some fluid I had sitting on the shelf.