Cloudy headlamps

15 year old Renault Trafic with misty-looking headlamp “lenses” seeks a clear way forward.

All remedies – homemade or retail – considered.

TIA

I’ve used a couple of different kits and they’ve both worked. One from turtle wax and one from Meguiars.

It’s pretty easy. It’ll look a lot worse during the process but don’t panic just keep following the instructions

Those kits on ABD and other places work ok.  Some other folk might suggest toothpaste… but the key is UV protection after to slow down the time the cloudiness again.

I used a kit I bought from Eurocarparts,

this one I think: https://www.google.com/search?q=holts+car+headlight+restoration+kit&rlz=1CAUBRP_enGB1040&oq=holts+headlight+c&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgCEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMggIAhAAGBYYHjIKCAMQABiABBiiBDIKCAQQABiABBiiBDIKCAUQABiABBiiBDIKCAYQABiABBiiBDIKCAcQABiABBiiBNIBCTE1ODAwajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

worked pretty well and my 20 year old car, also french passed its Mot.

Wear some old trousers when using it as you’ll end up looking like that thread where the tubeless tyre let go under pressure!

T cut and a cloth always sorted our old cmax headlights out.

Good old t-cut and time works well. Also Autoglym super resin. It’s not a fast fix but give it a go and it works. Sorted my car’s 22 year old lights out and I just go over them a couple of times a year with aytoglym.

I used this Holts one rather than the turtle wax I thought I did. It’s only a fiver more than a bottle of tcut and you get a lot more and it’s far easier than doing it by hand

Holts Headlight Restoration Kit, Award Winning Headlamp Restoration Kit, Professional Quality Car Headlight Cleaner To Restore Clarity, Reliable & Easy To Use To Help Pass MOT, Complete Car Kit https://amzn.eu/d/0ie7HOIk

My car obsessed cousin recommended the 3M kit, but then followed up with the Holts spray lacquer he gave me 1/2 a tin of. I’d probably just go for the full Holts kit next time.

Thought this was going to be a lesser known Tina Turner track.

Holts kit it is then. I’ll report back with results.

T-Cut, followed by some Dura-Glit or Brasso wadding for the final finish, then a protective coating to help keep the UV from degrading the plastic.

My old Octavia had plastic lenses over the headlights, but they remained perfectly clear with no cloudiness or crazing after nearly twenty years, so I don’t know what the difference is between the types of plastic used.

I did the cloudy headlights on my £500 Cayenne project.  Thankfully the headlight assembly removes really easily so I could do them on a workbench. I used a drill and mop but looked like I’d attended a bukkake party so bear that in mind.

The kit was okay (can’t remember what brand) but wasn’t abrasive enough, I used some additional sandpaper to cut a bit deeper. The end result was good (photo isn’t brilliant). Didn’t bother with lacquer.

If you want a quick fix, tyre shine works temporarily until it washes off.

For a more permanent solution, I use the autoglym kit. The problem is it deteriorate a lot quicker because the original protective coating is removed in the process.

Might be worth spraying the top coat on afterwards as per suggestions above.

The kit was okay (can’t remember what brand) but wasn’t abrasive enough, I used some additional sandpaper to cut a bit deeper.

Actually ,  this is a good point I discovered too. The roughest paper in the kit worked on some rough bits but sort of skated over areas that were just cloudy. I had to go up one grade and sand it manually first.

Still didn’t take too long, whole job about 2 hrs.