Hi, yes, they recover to brand new condition. I had a local mechanic do mine after my previous mechanic had always told me I needed new lights. Rubbish. Mind are done a year now, kept outdoors in Irish weather (not much damaging sun this year!) and they're as good as new. 2006 i-cdti on 225k miles.

 

Yup, the SprayMax 2k clear coat paints are good too, (they even do a special pack for headlights).

Same stuff they use on bowling pins apparently! Did mine years ago and they are still as good as new, arguably better than new durability wise

 

Did mine years ago and they are still as good as new, arguably better than new durability wise

The headlamps or the bowling pins?

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

I used Cerakote Ceramic Headlight Restoration Kit from eBay for $18 and change. Just followed directions and my headlights turned our like new on my '05 that I purchased early this year!

 

I’m about to use this one myself, it has great reviews. I bought it on Amazon for about the same price, I will make sure to take before and after photos. Any tips? Did you use the little yellow handheld sander or did you go in deeper with a different sander?

 

Can those that bought from Amazon list them so others might be able to find those cleaning kits?

 

I too can vouch for 3M. Our 2004 headlights look brand new again. However, this will last here in Virginia for 18 months before needing a touch up. I did not apply anything after so that is probably why ours don't last as long.

 

Yes, even the best kit like 3M only last 1-2 years then it looks the same again.

 

Kit I used was,
3M 39073 Headlight Lens Restoration Kit to Restore Dull/Faded/Discoloured Headlights For Car, 1 Pack

 

Anyone ever use a combination of a headlight restoration products like Cerakote or 3M, in combination with a headlight protective film cover like Lamin-X, WeatherTech, 3m, etc. to provide a longer term (theoretically) level of lens protection? I'm considering doing just that for my son's CRV with it's badly faded headlights since the car is not garaged.

 

I, along with many others, have used the 3m kit with great results. Mine looked as good as my wife’s brand new car parked alongside. If you don’t get great results from the kit, you are doing something wrong.

As for the protection coating afterwards, I didn’t do it, but have heard from others that it helps keep the lens looking good for longer.

I’ve read reports from people who claim the kit they used didn’t give great results, stating that their headlights were cloudy on the INSIDE. I have no idea if that could be true?

 

I have tried a couple different kits........nothing worked for me.
One thing I did notice- the more you pay for a kit...the more disappointed you are.

The wife had hers done at a shop that did wash and wax- it costs about $60 extra....and wound up about $140.
It was clean and shinny.....and the lights were clear. But that is a lot of moolah

 

I've used both 3M and Cerakote on various cars through the years. The 3M involves a lot of work sanding, then clear coating; and would last 1-2 years. A Porsche owner enlightened me about Cerakote, which is a one step wipe on product. The simplicity is beyond compare, and it's been 3 years on my CRV and the lights are still crystal clear.

 

Thanks guys, but I've already spent more time surfing the internet and watching YouTube videos trying to figure out which is the supposedly best headlight restoration product to use than I will ever spend actually doing the job. I've never used one of those products before, so this will be another learning experience that I am honestly looking forward to. However, I have applied Lamin-x protective headlight film on 2 other cars with very satisfactory results ... basically so I would not have to "restore" those lights later on.

My concern on this job quite honestly centers on how long to wait after the headlights are restored so the new clear coat/ceramic protectant (whatever it happens to be) is cured enough to withstand the installation process and especially the adhesive of the addon protective film. I'll give it a day or two, to full cure, so hopefully I'm worring about nothing. Just thought I'd ask incase anyone had some experience doing this.

Just to close the loop on the dual approach I am contemplating, I emailed both the Lamin-x and Cerakote companies whose products I plan to use asking the same questions & concerns I posted here. Both companies essentially recommended that I not use a protective film on top of fresh ceramic clear coat on a headlight lens ... but for the same opposite reason. I think its hilarious. Lamin-x said they are aware of people successfully doing what I want to do, but do not recommend it. They are concerned that if one has to pull up the film to reposition it during the installation process (which you do), the film's adhesive might pull up the clear coating from the lens if it is not truly cured. Cerakote on the other hand simply claimed that the ceramic finish on the headlights will be so chemically resistant and hydrophobic after one hour of cure time that the film I use may not adher to it at all.

I've decided that when my son brings his car home for Christmas I'm going to find out who is right, Lamin-x or Cerakote.

 

Well, we finally did the deed. Below are the before and after photos of the headlights on my son's 2012 CRV.

I thought the Cerakote did a fine job on the outside lens, but unfortunately one can now see all the fading on inside of the headlight that wasn't visible previously. Still it was a nice improvement. Also put the Lamin-x film on a day later. It went on just fine. Cerakot's claim that it would not stick to their fancy ceramic finish was simply wrong. I'm very happy with the results.

 

Awesome, think I’ll try the Cerakote on mine!