What causes cloudy headlights?
Headlight lenses are plastic, not glass. They leave the factory with a thin UV coating. That coating wears out after years of sun. Then the plastic yellows and goes cloudy. It is not dirt, it is not inside the lens, and it will not wash off.
What kind of repair does it need?
Restoration. The yellowed surface is sanded back, polished clear, then given a new UV clear coat. The last step matters most. Without it the lens goes cloudy again much sooner.
The yellowed surface is sanded off and a new UV clear coat is sprayed on. It only lasts if that clear coat goes on, so ask what they use.
What to do next
Worth doing for safety as well as looks. Cloudy lenses cut the light you see by at night. Ask if they spray a UV clear coat at the end. Skip kits without one. Only consider replacement if the lens is cracked or has moisture inside, because new headlights can be expensive.
Sources
- Wikipediaencyclopedia
the polycarbonate lens will eventually discolor through the thickness of the lens…
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