I try this out to see if it really works or is a waist of time. You be the judge! Link to this product: amzn.to/2y7H2Cj Link to a better buffing wheel product: amzn.to/30HCsqP more buffing wheels: amzn.to/3flWXgE or amzn.to/2UFhqVO
That is super Jack! It really depends on the plastic and what caused the damage. For most, it is a cheap fix. If it gets bad in another year… another 5 or 10 minutes and they are new again!
not really a fail.. looks like it worked and probably a lot easier than sanding. maybe not as good a job as SPC did, but he did what he could do using what he had available at the time.
He never said he came up with this idea himself. He said at the beginning of the video that he seen some other people on UA-cam using this method so he wanted to see if it works.
It does work. I it is an abrasive polish. For lightly hazed headlights I would do it this way but for the ones that are really bad and yellow, I would wet sand.
J Coz I just used this method on the extremely hazy plastic headlights on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The lights are BEAUTIFUL now. Of course I used a pad that actually stuck to the buffing drill attachment!
adam s, yes I have done a few since and still can’t believe how easy it is to do. And to think all that time we put up with hazy headlights! Never again!
After watching someone using Mothers on their yellowed headlights, I thought I'd try it on my sons 08 Toy Highlander...WOW, I had him hand rub some on ,and let it sit until it dried, than hand remove it....IT WORKED!!!!! After he finished doing them a second time just for practice, I had him apply Mothers Super Glaze... Ok, It's now OCT 17, and we did them back in APRIL 17, and they still look as good as the day he cleaned them... He does polish them when he polishes the truck, and living in the High Desert near Los Angeles, they get a beating from the sun and wind blown sand... VERY CHEAP AND EASY WAY TO MAKE YOUR LIGHTS LIKE NEW!!!!!
So no buffer is needed in order for this to work? I hope not because I don’t have one but us in need of a good cleaning to my lights I’ve tried it all a kit, toothpaste nothing seems to work
I generally don't believe things I watch on y-tube. This product really, really, works. I'd been fretting for ages about my yellowed headlight assembly. I have a 21 yr old car still on the road. I was reluctant to drive at night. I bought this Mother's and used an old facecloth put about a nickel's worth on the surface and let it sit a moment and wiped it off. I was down right shocked. Imaging that. The other thing I learned on-line was to wash your windows with vinegar/water mix. So clean and streak free.
Now that's how to do it, no messing around with fancy cloth's, special drill pads etc, job done ! thanks for your video I will be using your method for sure.
I was not sure if it would work, ColinFomCorby, so i didn't want to "waist cash" on extras and find out it was a waste of time. It worked for me a couple times on different cars!
It works(especially if the headlights aren't yellowed). I've done several cars with this method ( I have a Harbor Freight DA) and after I finish polishing I spray them with 303 UV Protectant which lasts for months,depending on your situation.
I tend to apply it after several weeks(2-3) since my vehicles aren't garage queens😔. The fading process is unavoidable if your cars are constantly parked outside,plus the interior heat of your headlamps contributes to the clouding of the lenses as well. Do not APPLY clear coat to your lens since the polycarbonate doesn't mate well with the clear. I'm going to try the ceramic spray on coating in the future.
I did my headlights by hand using mothers polish and then followed it up with a coat of wax turned out really good. Not brand new but much much better than it was before
Greg, glad it worked! Next time, try using some type of buff pad (nothing expensive) and a drill. Think you will get a better result...possibly. (Results will vary)
I'll be using wax on the lenses on my wife's car, too, after I use Mother's (by hand). Wax is suppose to be good for 6 months, but the author of this video said, his lenses were still looking good after 2 years with no protectant. So it might not be needed, but I'm still doing it. There's very little added effort, or resource needed.
Looks great. I like how you didn’t have the fancy pads. It just worked. I got a old drill and I am going to use a pad wheel attached to my plug in drill. So I will find something to seal it with afterwards.
I just did this on my '06 Outback. Don't know why others say it didn't work. It took me all of 15 minutes to do both headlights, and then finish it off with Blue Magic UV sealer. It works. My wife can attest to it.
Glad you situation only needed buffing by hand. Results do vary. I have had one that didn't look hard to do, but even machine buffing never got it 100%. I was disappointed with the results on that one. Maybe it was the type of plastic it was made of. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Save yourself the headaches in the first place. Hand WAX your lenses at least every 6 months. I did that and mine are just as clear as the day I bought the vehicle over 10 years ago. Now I want to see him put the drill in reverse so I can see him put the haze back ON! LOL Then watch him remove it again. Very good video!
George Myers Thanks George! I just did another car, with proper tools this time. And this time I know this stuff does work in most situations! Will post the video soon.
I use a blue kitchen scotch scratch (blue does not scratch plastic in the kitchen Ex. microwave controls, the green scratch does scratch/scars plastic) and Meguiars Restore & Polish which did an amazing job. I was still not satisfied, so used the blue scratch pad and wet baking soda - which took another layer of the oxidated yellow scum off. I did use Meguiars polish to try and protect it for 6 months. This only lasts 6 months, it must be restored biannually.
I never have tried the baking soda yet. One car this didn't work as i wished, I went straight for the wet sanding! Scary when it takes longer to buff clear and you think you just wrecked the lights! Lol
This car I sold shortly after the video. That is 4 years ago last month! I see the car from time to time, and the lights still look good. I know the new owners have not done anything to them. (Results will vary, LOL) But yes Mt Big, even if you redid them by hand a couple times a year, that is no big problem. Cheaper than new lights!
We have daytime running lights here in the US and have for years. Plenty of dirt roads in the south too. Be sure to put some wax/sealer/protectant on the lens to make the clear last 👍🏻
Kevin Vines nice to hear. I was talking unscripted. Canada has had mandatory DRN since 1989. Seen cars bought from USA around 2008 without that feature.
I have said several times they started to put DRN lights on vehicles and then stopped for some reason I had a 96 vehicle that had them and now to later models without.
Sounds like some manufacturers had them and some didn't. Canada and much of Europe have made it mandatory for manufacturers. Canada since 1989 forced them on every new vehicle sold. It is illegal to disconnect it, or not fix it if it malfunctions.
Little do they know, headlights have an affect on your depth perception, which is why people pull out in front of motorcycles. They literally do not see them, but hey what do I know, more so when these clowns found a gold mine in the word SAFETY.
I used the mothers polish and a white scotch brite pad(the one for windows). I covered lens with polish and srubbed hard by hand. Wiped it clean with microfiber cloth to clean and dry.After I put spray on banana boat spf50 sunscreen on them. Took me less then ten minutes came out great
It works, and you don't need a power tool. I did it with a small polish pad put a nice chunk on it. I rubbed it on until the whole headlight was covered. Let it sit for a few minutes, and wiped it down with a clean cloth. Mine was filthy; I only did it once, and it was good enough. My headlights were bright again. It probably would have looked better if I did it again. Took me 6 minutes. Oh, then I added 303 to coat it so that it won't fog up again.
Probably will happen again sad to say, from either UV damage and/or dirt imbedding into the hot plastic headlight! Either way, probably will last as long as it took to get back in the first place!
Yep! If your housings aren't in bad shape. If you have a clear coat that is checkered or peeling, you will definitely have to sand. Don't let anyone tell you any different. As far as Mother's goes, yeah, it's ok. Does a pretty good job on minor flaws and discoloration. But there are cheaper alternatives out there. Got a bottle of Formula 1 Scratch Out for half the price and it did a better job for me. Bottom line: The severity of the damage always dictates what methods/products should be used. Don't be fooled.
Hope it works well for you RoseRose. I have done a few vehicles and works pretty good on most lights depending on how bad they are. Let us know how it works for you!
Michael, I did another video using this and I did some Jetta rear taillights. They turned out Iike new! You could try a test spot if your worried of some dire outcome. Also did some 2010 Mustang taillights too. Turned out great as well.
Glad it worked. On headlights that are worst, you may need to sand them then buff. Here is a video on that process: ua-cam.com/video/g5SSkkyUnWc/v-deo.html
@@elgallo6626 On my 1999 Mercury Mystique, new headlight assemblies would cost me over $220 per assembly. I haven't used the Mother's, yet, but I know it'll work. I just need to wait for my wife to bring the car home so I can work on it.
Without using anything, you can hose down the foggy headlights and it appears that just water works, but for how long? With any product, you have to ask, 'How long?' They all work at first, but soon, you have the same foggy headlights and this is a manufacturer's defect! We need a recall on ALL vehicles with foggy headlights and let the auto makers pay for the correction!
JOSE 74, I bet it’s all about weight. Plastic weighs less than glass. Plastic also can take stones without cracking better than glass. But car manufactures probably don’t care about that. The less the car weighs, the better fuel economy it will get. So plastic doesn’t last, they want you to buy another car soon anyway.
The early 90s glass headlights with replacement bulbs cracked like mad with stones. Sealed beams before that (1940-1988) meant you got new glass with every bulb. They started with plexi, then went to lexan. They yellow because we don't take care of them from the start. I had a 2000 Taurus for 16 years (I bought only a year old) and the lenses stayed clear because i plastic polished them every three months. Yet I bought a 2001 car ten years used and the lights were yellow cloudy. That owner had probably never handled them correctly. Same with a plastic convertible top window. Soap and water isn't going to clean and polish it.
I absolutely hate plastic headlights. My 2014 civic si headlights are already starting to cloud , but My 1995 prelude vtec that are glass headlights and is parked outside 90% of the time is still crystal clear to this day.
Yes Bb. Some have had issues if plastic is too far gone, even with a drill and buffer pad. So result vary. But this is pretty cheap stuff to use and cleans off easy without harm.
It's not rocket science, folks. Any, and I mean any, polishing compound will improve your fogged and yellowed headlights. Polish is very fine abrasive, which rubs away the high points and oxidation, leaving the surface.... wait for it..... polished! It does not wear off with the next rain, or quickly cloud back up. It takes some time for the surface of the headlight to become oxidized and pitted again. A clear coat of some kind could help, but the clear coat itself may be more easily pitted and oxidized than the plastic of the headlight. A buffer proper is also not necessary. Anything spinning on a drill will suffice. Heck, if you rub enough with just your hands, eventually(like days later) the lights will shine up.
Can I use this product even though I do not have an electric tool to do the final buffing? If so how would I do this? My headlight covers look like then have been scratched and are quite foggy and yellow looking making my headlights less bright. Please I need you help. I am a 70 yo woman and would like to do this myself. I have a very nice 2006 Chrysler 300c with a hemi. I love this car and want to spruce it up. Thank you for any response you can provide ❤️👍
I personally think you need some type of drill with a pad. By hand will take forever, maybe longer! 300c with hemi! Very nice car. You can check around at auto detailing shops. Maybe someone local can buff them for you for a reasonable fee!
I would have preferred to see the worst side buffed and the results. It’s one thing to take your word for the “excellent” job it did, but show and tell is much better! Just my 2 cents.
I use Mother's on my wife's 2011 BMW X5 rims, to clean the haze off of people's car/truck headlights and on client's Technics 1200/1210 turntable to clean and shine the platter. Great product for cheap!
I used it on a set of totally yellowed out headlights of a skoda Fabia, and they do clear up a bit, but for yellowed headlights you do need to sand it down before polishing. IMO its a better polish then any other, but for really bad fogged up and yellow headlights the yellow needs to be sanded of. So its not a miracle product, it just works really well for normally fogged headlights and works a bit better then the usual polish after sanding. But its DEFINITELY NOT a miracle product.
FSX Pilot, very true. If really yellowed lights, a sand will be the way to go! As with everything, everyone wants the easiest and cheapest. Sometimes you have to spend to get results! Thanks for your comments and for watching! Sorry in your case it didn’t work as hoped.
I guess you could burn through the paint if it was thin, or you had a very high speed drill. If no drill needed, and it works, that is all that matters Mr Wizard!
Pass on glass, total Fail on plastic lenses. First run on nieces glass headlights worked near percent with Mother's solo. 5 passes on my trucks' plastic headlight lenses. I'm friggin sore. Still dull. What am I doing wrong?
I never tried this on glass. All the cars I have done were plastic headlights. 1- Are you using a buffer on a drill? 2- some lens will require wet sanding first. (Its a nasty thing to try) Many detail shops can do you lights at a reasonable price. Really depends on the len and age and why the len has changed colour as to why it is not making any difference on you truck.
It works pretty good, usually! I may have to try some other products next time just to see if there is a easier way. If there is, I’m sure it costs more!
Glad it worked. Depending n the headlight, how bad it is, even where you live (different environments for different damage to light) maybe even who works on the headlight. They all seem to have a different outcomes. Glad it worked for you!
I have NOT tried that Randy, and depending on the grade of the lenses, it is hard to know. I would only try it if the glasses are going into the trash anyways. Then you have nothing to lose. Also, not sure how you would be able to use a buffer on them as polishing by hand would take days!
Because they are much harder UV layers from the factory. You need some aggressive sandpaper to fix them as polish will do nothing in terms of fixing the issue correctly (removing the failed coating). This polish is a short lived/temporary fix for softer uv coatings out there with mild oxidized.
This experiment has only been on the car maybe 3 weeks. Done Aug 15th 2017? If polished back to new condition, why wouldn't it last as long as it took for it to fade in the first place. I've done other methods that have lasted years. Guess time will tell!
He's probably asking because most kits use a protective coating after polishing. Chime in if you can when they start to weather again to let us know. Thanks.
NorCal Rider good suggestion. Everyone should remember that UV protectant will have to be reapplied possibly every 6 months (depending on thwart the product suggests). If their is a UV protectant in the original headlight plastic, it will be part of the plastic composition all the way through, not added as a top layer later at the factory.
redbaron2448 so are you saying that the headlight lights have from factory have a clear coat layer and the plastic does not contain uv properties throughout the complete lens?
I did this. No taping, no anything besides the polish and a sponge wheel on my drill. Took about 1 min ea headlight. Thats it. If you have the time and dont have a drill, same could be done by hand and some elbow grease. Before seeing the videos I priced new headlights for my 03 tundra. 240.00 ea! Mothers mag polish - 5.00?
I love Red Green! I wasn't planing on a hack job, but I didn't think this would really work, so I had to make due with not having a proper buffing wheel.
Jeff Jeffrey , I love Red Green but never planned on doing this video without proper equipment. I thought there is no way this will work. Guess I was wrong.
Depends on many things. (So far the few I have done since this video have lasted a couple years) Factors like how bad they were at the start. Your location, like living in a sunny state like CA verses living in Alaska. Type of plastic, how old lights are etc. Either way, only takes couple minutes to redo if needed.
This is not made for striping paint. If it is a painted steel rim, a wire wheel on a drill works wheel. Sand them with sand paper also can work. Is this the answer to your question?
I haven't tried it, yet, but if you don't mind spending more money, there's a Mother's NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit for about $30. I bought the kit today at AutoZone, and I'll try it on a 1999 Mercury Mystique w/ badly rough and foggy lenses. The kit comes with 3 different sandpaper grits, 3" velcro backing plate for drill, foam polishing tool that goes onto the velcro backing plate, and 8 oz. bottle of plastic polish. My lenses are so bad that using elbow grease wasn't good enough. I'll be using a drill w/ a low speed setting next time. I know, your comment is a year old, but I felt like typing.
A local body & fender shop wanted $75 dollars! I watched a video on UA-cam about “Mother’s”. I just purchased yesterday (July 22, 2020). Hmmmm, I should make a video?
Nicholas Santoemma lots of input on that very issue. I would say yes, but since it takes minutes to redo if necessary later on, I’m not going to risk the problems I might have with the clear coat when it comes time to redo.
I have done it on a few cars and so far I have gotten 3 years out of each of them. It depends on how bad they were, and how good you are able to make them. I feel if I have to spend 10 minutes redoing them ever couple years, I could live with that.
Thanks for the comment. This is a old video, I was not even sure this idea would work. The heat from the faster spinning pad helps this work faster. I bet it would take a half hour or more by hand, and most would give up before that because it would be hard to see the results. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Stay safe.
It depends. I have had a couple still look great after 5 years. (I have not see those ones recently) I guess in theory, it should last as long as they did originally.
it probably can. Mothers recommends not to apply it to painted rims. It didnt hurt this 13 year old car's paint. But i would be careful not to get excess amounts on your paint.
This is the second video I've seen suggesting this product. Going to try it soon. Maybe I'll make a video also, so everyone can say I ripped off the idea lol. 😉😅
I try this out to see if it really works or is a waist of time. You be the judge!
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Link to a better buffing wheel product: amzn.to/30HCsqP
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So far I have gotten away with one year with no clear coat on it and it still looks good
You should sticky this
How does it look now after almost 1.5 years (I assume)? Did you use any UV protectant during this time?
How’s the two year look?
Joe Gonzales i would test it first.
Still looking good?
I used Mother's Aluminum Mag Polish and some paper towels, buffed in a circular motion (wax on, wax off). Absolutely clear headlights!
That is super Jack! It really depends on the plastic and what caused the damage. For most, it is a cheap fix. If it gets bad in another year… another 5 or 10 minutes and they are new again!
Did not work for me several applications. The plastic must have deteriorated or something
It does work..have used it couple yrs ago..just used microfiber cloth
Spray some 303 uv protectant on top of that. There are scratches that you can't see and it will start to fade quickly if you don't protect it.
Someone has been watching Sweet Project Cars videos!
Why spend more money just apply more mother's aluminum to it
Someone has been watching Sweet Project Cars videos!
Lol!!! Yes he has. I just got done watching that and noticed the upload dates.
Hahahahahaha right!!!
not really a fail.. looks like it worked and probably a lot easier than sanding. maybe not as good a job as SPC did, but he did what he could do using what he had available at the time.
SPC has since shown us how to ceramic coat them too.
He never said he came up with this idea himself. He said at the beginning of the video that he seen some other people on UA-cam using this method so he wanted to see if it works.
Thanks for the video. I could tell your drivers headlight was hazed over. Glad to know this works. I don't want to sand either!
I used the same stuff on yellowing lenses, turned out great !
It does work. I it is an abrasive polish. For lightly hazed headlights I would do it this way but for the ones that are really bad and yellow, I would wet sand.
J Coz I just used this method on the extremely hazy plastic headlights on a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The lights are BEAUTIFUL now.
Of course I used a pad that actually stuck to the buffing drill attachment!
My headlights on 1997 tbird were yellow as fuck. Not anymore. This shit works miracles. Lol
Just tried it today and it worked amazing and was the easiest headlight restore I've ever done
adam s, yes I have done a few since and still can’t believe how easy it is to do. And to think all that time we put up with hazy headlights! Never again!
Great video. Just did this to my vehicles. Very impressed and recommended to family and friends.
After watching someone using Mothers on their yellowed headlights, I thought I'd try it on my sons 08 Toy Highlander...WOW, I had him hand rub some on ,and let it sit until it dried, than hand remove it....IT WORKED!!!!! After he finished doing them a second time just for practice, I had him apply Mothers Super Glaze... Ok, It's now OCT 17, and we did them back in APRIL 17, and they still look as good as the day he cleaned them... He does polish them when he polishes the truck, and living in the High Desert near Los Angeles, they get a beating from the sun and wind blown sand... VERY CHEAP AND EASY WAY TO MAKE YOUR LIGHTS LIKE NEW!!!!!
Robert O , yes I was surprised too that this stuff works! So easy to use and quick! Thanks for you comments.
So they turned out alright doing it by hand?
So no buffer is needed in order for this to work? I hope not because I don’t have one but us in need of a good cleaning to my lights I’ve tried it all a kit, toothpaste nothing seems to work
i live in the high desert too. how are your lenses looking today?
This is amazing! I bought some mother’s today for 4.99. This worked unbelievably! My headaches are gone! It took me 5 minutes! Save money!
I was just as amazed! I will be doing a couple more vehicle headlights and will do a video on them too
How long does it last until you have to do it again?
@@dabig25 The author of this video said, the lenses were still looking good after 2 years.
I just used this on a 2012 Nissan I picked up. It did a great job, 100% improvement. The right light needs a little more attention but not much!
Diane Glynn, glad it worked! Hope you can get the right side one to look better too!
I generally don't believe things I watch on y-tube. This product really, really, works. I'd been fretting for ages about my yellowed headlight assembly. I have a 21 yr old car still on the road. I was reluctant to drive at night. I bought this Mother's and used an old facecloth put about a nickel's worth on the surface and let it sit a moment and wiped it off. I was down right shocked. Imaging that. The other thing I learned on-line was to wash your windows with vinegar/water mix. So clean and streak free.
I did not believe it when I heard about it too! That is why I had to try for myself! Glad your results were good!
Now that's how to do it, no messing around with fancy cloth's, special drill pads etc, job done ! thanks for your video I will be using your method for sure.
I was not sure if it would work, ColinFomCorby, so i didn't want to "waist cash" on extras and find out it was a waste of time. It worked for me a couple times on different cars!
It works(especially if the headlights aren't yellowed). I've done several cars with this method ( I have a Harbor Freight DA) and after I finish polishing I spray them with 303 UV Protectant which lasts for months,depending on your situation.
How often do you reapply the 303 spray?
I tend to apply it after several weeks(2-3) since my vehicles aren't garage queens😔. The fading process is unavoidable if your cars are constantly parked outside,plus the interior heat of your headlamps contributes to the clouding of the lenses as well. Do not APPLY clear coat to your lens since the polycarbonate doesn't mate well with the clear. I'm going to try the ceramic spray on coating in the future.
I did my headlights by hand using mothers polish and then followed it up with a coat of wax turned out really good. Not brand new but much much better than it was before
Greg, glad it worked! Next time, try using some type of buff pad (nothing expensive) and a drill. Think you will get a better result...possibly. (Results will vary)
I'll be using wax on the lenses on my wife's car, too, after I use Mother's (by hand). Wax is suppose to be good for 6 months, but the author of this video said, his lenses were still looking good after 2 years with no protectant. So it might not be needed, but I'm still doing it. There's very little added effort, or resource needed.
You should have given props to Sweet Project Cars channel.
John Hernandez why? Have they done one of these videos with this polish and on headlights? If so, have not seen it.
UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel lol, yes. not too far ahead from when you posted yours.
John Hernandez just saw the video! “Sweet”
This stuff really does works and makes a difference. I have used it on my Lincoln and Taurus vehicles. Makes it look like new.
I have had mostly great results. Only a couple headlights it would not bring back to clear.
Looks great. I like how you didn’t have the fancy pads. It just worked. I got a old drill and I am going to use a pad wheel attached to my plug in drill. So I will find something to seal it with afterwards.
thurm101 its been about a year since i polished them and i finally have bought some proper pads to buff the next ones
Solvol metal polish also works well on my Toyota ractis, just lift the bonnet /mask off the surrounding painted body panels to protect them! :-)
I just did this on my '06 Outback. Don't know why others say it didn't work. It took me all of 15 minutes to do both headlights, and then finish it off with Blue Magic UV sealer. It works. My wife can attest to it.
I have done a few, and not all have been so easy, and one didn't work like I had hoped.
Great video! We just did a video a lot like this using Mothers! Keep up the good work brother!
Hell you don't even need to use a rotary device cause I don't have one. Just buff it in by hand and it works great
Glad you situation only needed buffing by hand. Results do vary. I have had one that didn't look hard to do, but even machine buffing never got it 100%. I was disappointed with the results on that one. Maybe it was the type of plastic it was made of. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Save yourself the headaches in the first place.
Hand WAX your lenses at least every 6 months.
I did that and mine are just as clear as the day I bought the vehicle over 10 years ago.
Now I want to see him put the drill in reverse so I can see him put the haze back ON! LOL
Then watch him remove it again.
Very good video!
I would have waxed my lenses every 6 months if I knew how poor of quality the headlight lenses were.
Those headlights turned out nice even with using a less than ideal pad in your drill disc.great job
George Myers Thanks George! I just did another car, with proper tools this time. And this time I know this stuff does work in most situations! Will post the video soon.
Just watched another youtuber do the same thing earlier today with the same results
I use a blue kitchen scotch scratch (blue does not scratch plastic in the kitchen Ex. microwave controls, the green scratch does scratch/scars plastic) and Meguiars Restore & Polish which did an amazing job. I was still not satisfied, so used the blue scratch pad and wet baking soda - which took another layer of the oxidated yellow scum off. I did use Meguiars polish to try and protect it for 6 months. This only lasts 6 months, it must be restored biannually.
I never have tried the baking soda yet. One car this didn't work as i wished, I went straight for the wet sanding! Scary when it takes longer to buff clear and you think you just wrecked the lights! Lol
It works. I've done it. Takes a while but if you do this just by hand every car wash 2-3 times and your back to like new.
This car I sold shortly after the video. That is 4 years ago last month! I see the car from time to time, and the lights still look good. I know the new owners have not done anything to them. (Results will vary, LOL) But yes Mt Big, even if you redid them by hand a couple times a year, that is no big problem. Cheaper than new lights!
We have daytime running lights here in the US and have for years. Plenty of dirt roads in the south too. Be sure to put some wax/sealer/protectant on the lens to make the clear last 👍🏻
Kevin Vines nice to hear. I was talking unscripted. Canada has had mandatory DRN since 1989. Seen cars bought from USA around 2008 without that feature.
UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel Yep, you are right. Not all have them. But they should! 👍🏻
I have said several times they started to put DRN lights on vehicles and then stopped for some reason I had a 96 vehicle that had them and now to later models without.
Sounds like some manufacturers had them and some didn't. Canada and much of Europe have made it mandatory for manufacturers. Canada since 1989 forced them on every new vehicle sold. It is illegal to disconnect it, or not fix it if it malfunctions.
Little do they know, headlights have an affect on your depth perception, which is why people pull out in front of motorcycles. They literally do not see them, but hey what do I know, more so when these clowns found a gold mine in the word SAFETY.
My headlights were yellow with oxidation, 15 minutes, a little elbow grease, and Mothers mag and aluminum polish, beautiful headlights.
Glad it worked for you. Sometimes, if they are bad enough, they require a sanding with 1000 & 2000 sand paper, then the polish.
I used the mothers polish and a white scotch brite pad(the one for windows). I covered lens with polish and srubbed hard by hand. Wiped it clean with microfiber cloth to clean and dry.After I put spray on banana boat spf50 sunscreen on them. Took me less then ten minutes came out great
The Scotch Brite pad is a fantastic idea! Will have to try that on the next one.
Been using g this for years. Works great!
It is good stuff for sure Joe!
It works, and you don't need a power tool. I did it with a small polish pad put a nice chunk on it. I rubbed it on until the whole headlight was covered. Let it sit for a few minutes, and wiped it down with a clean cloth. Mine was filthy; I only did it once, and it was good enough. My headlights were bright again. It probably would have looked better if I did it again. Took me 6 minutes. Oh, then I added 303 to coat it so that it won't fog up again.
Probably will happen again sad to say, from either UV damage and/or dirt imbedding into the hot plastic headlight! Either way, probably will last as long as it took to get back in the first place!
I’m definitely trying that this weekend on my Alero
Hope it works well Alerohirl1025! It’s cheap, but best results with some type of buff wheel on a drill!
You made it happen Captain!
sweetprojectcar reference lol right on
Yep! If your housings aren't in bad shape. If you have a clear coat that is checkered or peeling, you will definitely have to sand. Don't let anyone tell you any different. As far as Mother's goes, yeah, it's ok. Does a pretty good job on minor flaws and discoloration. But there are cheaper alternatives out there. Got a bottle of Formula 1 Scratch Out for half the price and it did a better job for me. Bottom line: The severity of the damage always dictates what methods/products should be used. Don't be fooled.
So true Mike! Thanks.
OK, am sold. Going to order this stuff. Thank you for the demo.
Hope it works well for you RoseRose. I have done a few vehicles and works pretty good on most lights depending on how bad they are. Let us know how it works for you!
👌👍@@unclemarksdiyauto
Looks amazing thanks for making this informative video
Wish I could use this product on my taillights.but I use this product on my headlights and I love this product and it works.
Michael, I did another video using this and I did some Jetta rear taillights. They turned out Iike new! You could try a test spot if your worried of some dire outcome. Also did some 2010 Mustang taillights too. Turned out great as well.
Nicccce. I've almost always got some Mother's Mag polish in the garage
Now you have another use for it Caleb!
Did it by hand...works like a charm.....
Nice! Depending on how bad the lights are, some take more work and some take less!
How convenient I happen to have some in my cleaning bucket at home
I have been using that for years on my aluminum, if only I knew.
I used it and very satisfied
Glad it worked. On headlights that are worst, you may need to sand them then buff. Here is a video on that process: ua-cam.com/video/g5SSkkyUnWc/v-deo.html
Man I used that mother’s and it worked..got them looking almost like new!!!
So happy this worked for you! It is a cheap fix when it works! Thanks for watching! What year and make of car did this work on?
@@unclemarksdiyauto a 2007 Toyota Sienna..the replacements were over $150 per headlight.
@@elgallo6626 wow! That for sure was worth trying! Saved you a pile of cash!
@@elgallo6626 On my 1999 Mercury Mystique, new headlight assemblies would cost me over $220 per assembly. I haven't used the Mother's, yet, but I know it'll work. I just need to wait for my wife to bring the car home so I can work on it.
just use a hand cloth . slow movements . dsnt have to be a a power tool
Microfiber?
@@robertwest4299 yes microfiber would be nice . iv used all sorts of cloths and they all work fine
Without using anything, you can hose down the foggy headlights and it appears that just water works, but for how long?
With any product, you have to ask, 'How long?' They all work at first, but soon, you have the same foggy headlights and this is a manufacturer's defect! We need a recall on ALL vehicles with foggy headlights and let the auto makers pay for the correction!
Great job
Thank you sir. Great job.
Thanks for watching Anastasia! How it can help!
Who invented plastic head lights in the first place!😠
JOSE 74, I bet it’s all about weight. Plastic weighs less than glass. Plastic also can take stones without cracking better than glass. But car manufactures probably don’t care about that. The less the car weighs, the better fuel economy it will get. So plastic doesn’t last, they want you to buy another car soon anyway.
The early 90s glass headlights with replacement bulbs cracked like mad with stones. Sealed beams before that (1940-1988) meant you got new glass with every bulb. They started with plexi, then went to lexan. They yellow because we don't take care of them from the start.
I had a 2000 Taurus for 16 years (I bought only a year old) and the lenses stayed clear because i plastic polished them every three months. Yet I bought a 2001 car ten years used and the lights were yellow cloudy. That owner had probably never handled them correctly. Same with a plastic convertible top window. Soap and water isn't going to clean and polish it.
UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel its for safety cost and weight reduction
I absolutely hate plastic headlights. My 2014 civic si headlights are already starting to cloud , but My 1995 prelude vtec that are glass headlights and is parked outside 90% of the time is still crystal clear to this day.
JOSE 74 - I believe it was Ford in the early 80’s with the new L. S. C. Headlights design
Just get some cleans rags. Use 1 rag for applying and then use another for cleaning it off and repeat, it works great 👍
Yes Bb. Some have had issues if plastic is too far gone, even with a drill and buffer pad. So result vary. But this is pretty cheap stuff to use and cleans off easy without harm.
Use cloth, wipe on and wipe off. Easy fast and it works!
What a lot of ppl dont understand is that it's only oxidation...it comes off easy...
It's not rocket science, folks. Any, and I mean any, polishing compound will improve your fogged and yellowed headlights. Polish is very fine abrasive, which rubs away the high points and oxidation, leaving the surface.... wait for it..... polished! It does not wear off with the next rain, or quickly cloud back up. It takes some time for the surface of the headlight to become oxidized and pitted again. A clear coat of some kind could help, but the clear coat itself may be more easily pitted and oxidized than the plastic of the headlight.
A buffer proper is also not necessary. Anything spinning on a drill will suffice. Heck, if you rub enough with just your hands, eventually(like days later) the lights will shine up.
So true John! If it was rocket science, I would not have tried it! LOL! For many people, this will be the cheapest fix.
Can I use this product even though I do not have an electric tool to do the final buffing? If so how would I do this? My headlight covers look like then have been scratched and are quite foggy and yellow looking making my headlights less bright. Please I need you help. I am a 70 yo woman and would like to do this myself. I have a very nice 2006 Chrysler 300c with a hemi. I love this car and want to spruce it up.
Thank you for any response you can provide ❤️👍
I personally think you need some type of drill with a pad. By hand will take forever, maybe longer! 300c with hemi! Very nice car. You can check around at auto detailing shops. Maybe someone local can buff them for you for a reasonable fee!
it's amazing!
I would have preferred to see the worst side buffed and the results. It’s one thing to take your word for the “excellent” job it did, but show and tell is much better! Just my 2 cents.
Thank You UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel from a New Subscriber !
Ron Gamblin , welcome aboard!
In India it's too expensive around $20 small varient, was looking fwd to buy it
I just applied it and took if off quick three times by hand no tools and it looks great
Sounds too easy! Glad it worked!
I use Mother's on my wife's 2011 BMW X5 rims, to clean the haze off of people's car/truck headlights and on client's Technics 1200/1210 turntable to clean and shine the platter. Great product for cheap!
JUKE179r , yes I think there are many other uses for this product!
Mguires has a coating you can spray on afterwards...lasts about 6 months.
I will have to look into that! Any idea what it is called?
Meguires Headlight Coating. Scotty Kilmer likes it.
@@bananapatch9118 Thanks!
Thank you I'm going to use it 👍👍👍
I hope it works well for you Daniel!
Dude! Nice job there! 👍🏾
Glad you liked it iamdjsluggo!
Works great !
Sweeeeeeeeeeet project cars!
I used it on a set of totally yellowed out headlights of a skoda Fabia, and they do clear up a bit, but for yellowed headlights you do need to sand it down before polishing. IMO its a better polish then any other, but for really bad fogged up and yellow headlights the yellow needs to be sanded of. So its not a miracle product, it just works really well for normally fogged headlights and works a bit better then the usual polish after sanding. But its DEFINITELY NOT a miracle product.
FSX Pilot, very true. If really yellowed lights, a sand will be the way to go! As with everything, everyone wants the easiest and cheapest. Sometimes you have to spend to get results! Thanks for your comments and for watching! Sorry in your case it didn’t work as hoped.
Looks very good, but I'll stick to doing it by hand, doesn't take long, and I won't leave an accidental friction burn marks
I guess you could burn through the paint if it was thin, or you had a very high speed drill. If no drill needed, and it works, that is all that matters Mr Wizard!
Pass on glass, total Fail on plastic lenses. First run on nieces glass headlights worked near percent with Mother's solo. 5 passes on my trucks' plastic headlight lenses. I'm friggin sore. Still dull. What am I doing wrong?
I never tried this on glass. All the cars I have done were plastic headlights. 1- Are you using a buffer on a drill? 2- some lens will require wet sanding first. (Its a nasty thing to try) Many detail shops can do you lights at a reasonable price. Really depends on the len and age and why the len has changed colour as to why it is not making any difference on you truck.
Yes it realy work 100% happy. . Am from the philipines. I order it tru LAZADA.
I am so glad it worked for you Rafael!
I just use old cloth to clean it. Since i saw ur video. Thanks very. Much
@@rafaelquintero1918 this works better for some people, others not so good. Depends on how bad the lights are.
THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY
It works pretty good, usually! I may have to try some other products next time just to see if there is a easier way. If there is, I’m sure it costs more!
Amazing👍🏾 Thank you
Glad it worked. Depending n the headlight, how bad it is, even where you live (different environments for different damage to light) maybe even who works on the headlight. They all seem to have a different outcomes. Glad it worked for you!
did it by hand with microfiber turned out amazing
XiferTehPenguin, glad it turned out good without power buffing. It depends on the lens and how bad they are! Thanks for your input!
@@unclemarksdiyauto they were real cloudy and bad. I am gonna upload a slideshow video showing the pics since i couldnt do a video
XiferTehPenguin, apply like car wax, you could try to buff by hand, but a drill with a wheel would usually better
thanks for showing this
Will it work on my plastic lense glasses?
I have NOT tried that Randy, and depending on the grade of the lenses, it is hard to know. I would only try it if the glasses are going into the trash anyways. Then you have nothing to lose. Also, not sure how you would be able to use a buffer on them as polishing by hand would take days!
What grain pad is being used on the drill.
It is just a buffing pad. Nothing special. This was actually made for hand rubbing polish probably for car wax.
just a FYI, a new video on this subject scheduled for Dec 31st. Shows next step if this procedure does not result in a good result.
Looks great. Would this work on a motorcycle windshield?
that's a good question. maybe I will try one in the summer if I can get a hold of an old one somewhere.
Someone said it would. I haven't tried it. Go for it.
I hear it works great on Honda’s and Toyota, but on my Mini Cooper it took like 1.5 hrs. to make it clean but not really clear.
ROD Albano Maybe a different plastic? I didn’t think it would work at all on my car.
Because they are much harder UV layers from the factory. You need some aggressive sandpaper to fix them as polish will do nothing in terms of fixing the issue correctly (removing the failed coating). This polish is a short lived/temporary fix for softer uv coatings out there with mild oxidized.
dcastro5551 I agree. This is the first time I have not wet sanded and polished headlights.
Was thinking must be a harder plastic (or better plastic) on your lights, thus harder to polish?
So how long did it last for before it faded back one week 2 weeks a month?
This experiment has only been on the car maybe 3 weeks. Done Aug 15th 2017? If polished back to new condition, why wouldn't it last as long as it took for it to fade in the first place. I've done other methods that have lasted years. Guess time will tell!
He's probably asking because most kits use a protective coating after polishing. Chime in if you can when they start to weather again to let us know. Thanks.
steven mcalister will do! I really thought this wasn't going to work so had no plan to protect it.
NorCal Rider good suggestion. Everyone should remember that UV protectant will have to be reapplied possibly every 6 months (depending on thwart the product suggests). If their is a UV protectant in the original headlight plastic, it will be part of the plastic composition all the way through, not added as a top layer later at the factory.
redbaron2448 so are you saying that the headlight lights have from factory have a clear coat layer and the plastic does not contain uv properties throughout the complete lens?
Of course it works. It’s a Mother’s product.
KonaMark, they have great products!
awesome this trick real works I just try it
where can I find the attachment to the drill and the pad?
apiitg, check out description. I just added some drill mount pads after you asked! Wish I had them when I did the video!
@@unclemarksdiyauto Great! thank you for the expeditious response.
I did this. No taping, no anything besides the polish and a sponge wheel on my drill. Took about 1 min ea headlight. Thats it. If you have the time and dont have a drill, same could be done by hand and some elbow grease. Before seeing the videos I priced new headlights for my 03 tundra. 240.00 ea! Mothers mag polish - 5.00?
Koogle You, yep possible just by hand, but way easier with the drill! Glad it worked for you too!
Koogle You Wow!! where did you have it priced? A dealership!?
I bet you watch a lot of The Red Green Show lol. Looks great!
I love Red Green! I wasn't planing on a hack job, but I didn't think this would really work, so I had to make due with not having a proper buffing wheel.
Jeff Jeffrey , I love Red Green but never planned on doing this video without proper equipment. I thought there is no way this will work. Guess I was wrong.
How long will it last look looking like that?
Depends on many things. (So far the few I have done since this video have lasted a couple years) Factors like how bad they were at the start. Your location, like living in a sunny state like CA verses living in Alaska. Type of plastic, how old lights are etc. Either way, only takes couple minutes to redo if needed.
Can this strip paint off my rims with a buffing wheel?
This is not made for striping paint. If it is a painted steel rim, a wire wheel on a drill works wheel. Sand them with sand paper also can work. Is this the answer to your question?
Sweet , I like 👍🏻
Can I do this by hand or not? It has to be with drill or something like that?
avefenixml, I would suggest you using a drill and getting a proper buff pad, since it would take too long trying to polish it by hand.
Ok make more sense thanks a lot!
I haven't tried it, yet, but if you don't mind spending more money, there's a Mother's NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit for about $30. I bought the kit today at AutoZone, and I'll try it on a 1999 Mercury Mystique w/ badly rough and foggy lenses. The kit comes with 3 different sandpaper grits, 3" velcro backing plate for drill, foam polishing tool that goes onto the velcro backing plate, and 8 oz. bottle of plastic polish.
My lenses are so bad that using elbow grease wasn't good enough. I'll be using a drill w/ a low speed setting next time.
I know, your comment is a year old, but I felt like typing.
A local body & fender shop wanted $75 dollars! I watched a video on UA-cam about “Mother’s”. I just purchased yesterday (July 22, 2020). Hmmmm, I should make a video?
Why not? See if it works on your lights or not. Results may vary!
Anyone know of the best UK equivalent to this stuff? Wonder if Autosol chrome polish would be the same?
Eddie Edwards, not sure what that product is, but maybe you could try a test spot? Be careful! It "may" work.
Would putting a clear coat of spray paint make it last after doing this?
Nicholas Santoemma lots of input on that very issue. I would say yes, but since it takes minutes to redo if necessary later on, I’m not going to risk the problems I might have with the clear coat when it comes time to redo.
Right it makes it hard as hell to get the clear coat off the next time they fade and you can bet your ass they will in a few years!
@@Crlpope exactly. I spent 2 hours BY HAND with the mothers to get the old clear coat off. Won't do that again.
The truth about this though is that this would only work on light to slightly medium oxidation anything heavier you would have to sand.
Possibly. I had a recent car that I had to sand then go over it with this product. Results may vary...
I’ve been doing this for years , a regular car buffer works better, any good car wax or rubbing compound works !
Mark Butler, yes I need to invest in one.
The question is how long did it last?
I have done it on a few cars and so far I have gotten 3 years out of each of them. It depends on how bad they were, and how good you are able to make them. I feel if I have to spend 10 minutes redoing them ever couple years, I could live with that.
Thank you for your information God bless you 🙏.
@@mhretabtesfamariam1875 you are welcome Mhretab!
It would of have been better if we could have seen you use a hand cloth, because most people don't use a drill machine to clean their headlights.
Thanks for the comment. This is a old video, I was not even sure this idea would work. The heat from the faster spinning pad helps this work faster. I bet it would take a half hour or more by hand, and most would give up before that because it would be hard to see the results. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Stay safe.
how long does it last?
It depends. I have had a couple still look great after 5 years. (I have not see those ones recently) I guess in theory, it should last as long as they did originally.
You get the same results if you use polishing compound.
Well, mother's is a polishing compound
Does the polish damage the paint if you get it on the paint?
it probably can. Mothers recommends not to apply it to painted rims. It didnt hurt this 13 year old car's paint. But i would be careful not to get excess amounts on your paint.
UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel thank yoy
This is the second video I've seen suggesting this product. Going to try it soon. Maybe I'll make a video also, so everyone can say I ripped off the idea lol. 😉😅
drexldog, hey I always say try it for yourself. UA-cam is full of fake stuff too. Claims that are not real. Than's for watching!
Yep. Do it! Who can say who was the first one to try a polish on headlights? Many different polishes work!