Cloudy Headlights
The fact that the lenses on headlights become discolored or cloudy over time is a problem that is becoming more prevalent not less. The problem is starting to show up on headlights that are two years and older. Some models are more prone than others to this problem. The cloudiness appears sooner if the car is driven more, washed improperly and or exposed to many hours of sunshine.
The headlights on nearly all new vehicles are made of polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonates are a particular group of thermoplastic polymers. They are easily worked, molded, and thermoformed; as such, these plastics are well suited to the formation of headlight lenses. Their features include temperature resistance, impact resistance and optical properties. Polycarbonate is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than many kinds of glass, perfect for headlight lenses and eyeglasses. Polycarbonate makes headlight lenses that are clear, light, hard and easily shaped to the design of the vehicle.
Although polycarbonate has high impact resistance, it has low scratch resistance and the list of chemicals (many of which are present in car exhaust and cleaning solutions) that will damage polycarbonate is long, it is also damaged by exposure to UV light, so a coating is needed.
When headlight lenses are made in the factory they are coated with an abrasion resistant and UV protecant finish, they are then baked in oven to anneal this coating to the lens before installation.
This coating will degrade over time and exposure to the elements, also it can become scratched when wiped during washing and by dirt and particulate matter from the roads. These scratches are mostly invisible to the human eye but they allow the compounds from exhaust and road chemicals to reach the polycarbonate the coating is protecting.
Removing the Cloudy Coating & Repairing the Lens
The first step to fixing the problem is to remove the degraded coating, then polish out the lens to its original clarity.
What LenzSaver offers that is unique in the market is a patented replacement UV coating that will bond itself to the plastic and protect your lens. It should be applied annually.
Without the reapplication of a UV protective coating the polycarbonate will now degrade faster than before to a point where the lens is compromised and must be replaced. Without the coating the UV rays and chemicals will cause the polycarbonate to craze. This can be seen as small cracks in the plastic. These not only the affect the focusing of the lens but they also affect the strength resistance of the polycarbonate. As crazing spreads through the lens it will become impossible to polish it off and the headlight will become brittle and need to be replaced.
The fine scratches that are causing the headlight lens to cloud are mainly causing a reduction in the light output of the headlight. If in trying to remove the cloudy coating with an abrasive, deeper scratches are created a new problem appears. The V caused by the scratch will cause the light to be emitted at an angle. It is important to remove the coating using products that will not create a whole new problem. LenzSaver uses only the highest quality diamond sanding disk to remove the degraded UV coating.
Removing the coating with high concentrations of either acid or alkali should also be avoided as these are harmful to the polycarbonate. Any residue left behind will continue to degrade the lens.
LenzSaver uses only the highest quality polishing compounds. These patented compounds are safe to use on the lens, they are food grade and environmentally safe. They have been extensively tested and used over the past 25 years on military and commercial airliner windows. They are guaranteed to restore the clarity of the lens to factory brightness.
Once the lens has been polished and thoroughly cleaned, the application of the UV coating will ensure that the lens remains bright and clear, allowing the headlight to function at its intended brightness. It is recommended that the UV coating be reapplied every 12 to 18 month to keep the headlight lens in good condition.
LenzSaver Difference
There are many products out on the market, mostly forms of rubbing compound. Some work better than others. None of these products is able to replace the UV protective coating!
If you have used one of these products and the cloudiness has returned you already know the results do not last. Now turn your headlights on and see if you have crazing in your lenses.
E-mail: alex@lenzsaver.com
Phone: 619-297-3678
