Hey does the diy kit come with any sort of clear coat? It's got the discs and tape and what looks to be rubbing compound but idk if it comes with the final protective layer
I am a Mechanical Engineer with a minor in Materials Science. I used to work for a manufacturer of vehicle lighting, including headlights. Polycarbonate (PC) requires a top coat that provides both hardness and UV protection. PC is used for headlights because of its high impact resistance, but it is relatively soft so it will abrade easily as the car drives through dust, mud, etc. PC will also turn yellow over time if it does not have UV protection. If you polish the headlights, you are removing the top coat and it must be replaced. I don't know what the latest OEM headlight top coat formulations are, but in the late 1990's when I worked with them they all used a "siloxane" hard coat with a UV inhibitor mixed in. Just an FYI, all of the other plastic lenses on the vehicle that don't face forward are made from "acrylic" (PMMA, or polymethyl methacrylate), not PC. Acrylic, compared to PC, is a harder, brittle plastic, but it is cheaper than PC and is naturally UV-resistant (doesn't require additional UV protection). The reason that the headlights get foggy over time is that the top coat develops microscopic cracks. Those micro-cracks scatter the light (they look hazy). The headlights can also take on a yellow color because those micro-cracks fill with fine dust particles. I'm too lazy to polish and re-coat my headlights, but I'm not too lazy to wash and wax my car. Every time I wash and wax my car I wash and wax the headlights. Washing gets rid of the yellowing and the wax fills in the micro-cracks and makes the lenses clear again. They will fog up again, of course, as the wax wears away but if you wash and wax your car regularly then you'll be able to keep those headlights clear enough to function correctly. All headlight reflector/lens are designed to function correctly with a specific light source that produces a specific amount of light. The desired legal beam pattern minimizes the amount of light that is directed at the eyes of oncoming drivers. If you change to a brighter bulb (more lumens than the OEM light source) but keep the same reflector/lens, then you will throw too much light into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
@@cardboardboxification All new vehicles sold in the U.S. have to meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). After those new vehicles leave the dealership lots, it is up to local (state, county, municipal) legislators and police forces to ensure that those vehicles meet those Federal and local laws. Law enforcement requires spending money. Often the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If you don't have communities complaining about what appear to be illegal headlights, then enforcing headlight laws tend to become a low priority for the police. Similarly, if you live in a community with a high rate of violent crime, fighting violent crime takes precedence over monitoring conformance to headlight laws.
So what would you recommend. I can't find fuckall. The best thing I have found yet is the Meguiar's coating but that only lasts one year at most. Guess I would have to make it a yearly thing to re-coat with the protecting product every year.
@ Lance Kaz - It's nice to once in a while see someone intelligent enough to take the time to post a very useful and informative bit of info as you have here on the subject at hand! I too was in the Automotive Industry for many years, from the late 60's thru 1999' (which is when I severely injured my back, which eventually sent me into an early retirement) in several different facets of that Industry, from body and paint, repairing vehicles and even owning my own Automotive Parts & Repair Shop/Store, which then led me into the NASCAR owners realm in the then called "Bush Division" in the 80's. And my knowledge of Automotive chemicals, etc., got me in trouble with the NASCAR officials more than once, lol. It almost got to be a joke when we rolled my car to the Inspection Area, as all of the guys would come see what kind of (we'll just call it a treatment for now, lol) that I was trying to get away with yet once again! But eventually one of the Head Nascar officials came to my pit area and told me that if he ever caught me trying to "slick-up" my car one more time that I was outta there for good! But they never could figure out what I was doing? Somehow they did not believe me that that slickness was actually embedded into the actual paint? Oh well. You can't fix stupid, uneducated and uninformed NASCAR Inspection officials, as they're just doing things that the BIG DAWGS have set in place, and there's NO room for anything outside of that realm. That is unless you just happened to be one of the more well known drivers of that day - that is! Ok, I'll get off that Bandwagon. But we had a lot of fun in the process. And I spent more $$$$ doing that over a 5-yr period than I ever care to mention again. And as back-in-the-day, and even nowadays, when I need help on my own, personal vehicle's care care products I just call on MOTHERS. ;-) ;-)
I love how Hannah and Marie jump in and do their part. You're a great teacher for them and make it fun. The only problem I have with this video is the distinct lack of brake clean
Eric, I've watched about twenty videos and you seem to have a lot of integrity. And I don't see any click-bait. You do what you say you're going to do. That's rare in today's world of a quick buck. Thanks for the quality content.
Hey Eric and those that care. 4 yrs ago I did the same refinish method on my Volvo S60, using the same materials. Except I removed the headlamps and put them in a plastic tub to capture the soapy water for lubrication. I did it that way because I replaced all the non accessable bulbs with the headlamps in the car. And it made it easier because there was no bending over and no taping up the paint. After refinishing, I applied Weathertech Lamp Guards. They are a protective film and the cost is ~ 50$ These things are worth every penny. They are still crystal clear and they also protect the lamps from getting sand blasted and road debris.
I don't think you can handle that video yet... it is for the semi-pro level diy'er. A long multi-step process, but the good news is it cost less that a nickle!
I feel a "A Few Good Men" court scene parody comming on. SouthMainAutoRepairLCC: So, you're a novice. TheDisgruntledMechanic: I want the video! SouthMainAutoRepairLCC: You cant handle the video!
First time I had fogged over headlights was in the late 90s on a 1987 Taurus and I ended up just replacing the enclosures. Huge difference in being able to see at night especially in rain and fog, plus not blinding oncoming cars with the light going in every direction. 2nd time was 5 years ago with a 96 Ranger and that time I got Blue Magic headlight compound which I applied/buffed etc with those blue Scott shop towels. That worked pretty well but for $30 I totally would have gotten the 3M DiY kit! I'll know for next time! I 100% agree about the SilverStar Ultra bulbs; I've used them in a couple different cars and loved the improved light output! Eric extra respect to you for taking the time to teach Hannah and Marie, and mad respect to them for wanting to learn! I'm catching up on the older videos and just watched the ones where the ladies replaced Hannah's lower control arm and the oil change video. I remember being impressed in the late 80s seeing women out driving big rigs and over the years since seeing women doing a lot of former "guys only" stuff like fixing and customizing cars, doing construction and lots of other stuff!! As for Scotty Kilmer.... I lived in Houston a long time and maybe 20 years ago he had a weekend morning call in show on one of the Houston TV stations and he gave good advice and I liked him. Found his TH-cam channel a few years ago and my opinion of him started going downhill and the last straw with me respecting his advice was when he did a video saying compression fittings were fine for a brake line. Sorry Scotty, that is just bad advice in my opinion. IMO that will get somebody killed when that compression fitting blows apart under heavy braking.
Yeah watching Scotty is amusing due to his waving his arms all over the place. Occasionally I agree with him and occasionally I don't because he says something stupid that makes me think he flunked physics 101.
Instead of buying the $500 kit, i went to harbor freight and bought a small air sander and polisher for around $40. I then pieced together the rest of the kit for around $120~ on Amazon. Ive done 5 jobs so far and the safe T clear really works! Everytime i start the process i always refrence this video because i forget when to start wet sanding haha. Thanks Eric O!!!! You da man!!!
Great job Mr. O clearing out the drama going on and by not getting yourself caught up in it . Like always just your personal an honest opinion and experience on repairs that most of us like to do . Thank you
A few years back I used that 3M DIY kit on my Dodge mini van. It did an outstanding job. I also use the headlight lens clear coat. 5 years later I scrapped the van and the lights still looked as good as new. In fact I was out at his yard a couple of weeks later and noticed the headlights were gone. A customer bought them because they looked new. He told them he thought I may have replaced them. I almost fell over laughing. I told him I had restored them 5 years earlier. Now he restores headlights from the yard before he sells them using a commercial 3M kit. 3M makes a lot of awesome products. Awesome video and a good refresher.
My son in law has used 303 on their '02 Explorer since it was new and the headlights still look like the day they were installed. The interior is like new also. @@zarbon700
@@allyoop8879 303 is great stuff. Tell your son-in-law to also use it on his tire sidewalls. It will prevent them from dry rot. Just make sure to gently wash the tires before applying it on the tires.
Bought new headlight units (4 pieces) for my 2001 Silverado for about $100 total from rock auto. I was skeptical on the quality but not a big loss if they didn’t hold up. They fit and look perfect after a year, makes the truck look much better. They come with all new bulbs installed which is about $50 worth. I wasted $25 on a 3m kit that worked great for about 6 months, then they actually looked worse. Yes I followed the instructions 100%
Sorry Eric, but your shop towels look hot pink out here. We're not judging you, you seem secure enough to sport pink shop towels if you please. I love the brightness the girls bring to your face, when your teaching them. Mrs O, has raised you well. I'm sure Mee Maw had a hand in it also.
In the 1920s and earlier, pink was for boys ... and hot pink is a damn fine color. Better than shit brown, puke green, and bile yellow imo. Can you tell I knew some alcoholics in my youth?
I think alot of people saw Scotty for who he really is after the way he treated Chris about what you mentioned. Everyone has their own way and alot of what Scotty says is nonsense these days. Chris is out there doing charity events and donations while being an overall awesome guy in every single one of his vids. Eric O and Chrisfix, 2 best repair channels out!
I'm my experience the vast majority of Scotty Kilmers repair videos are correct. Now every mechanic makes mistakes and has wrong opinions. With the don't use clear coat video, it's most likely because of the multiple products scotty is sent for clearcoating headlights and aftermarket headlights that turn yellow quickly after. Or the countless headlight restoring products that have very short term effects. I don't fault Scotty for his opinion on that. It's very possible both SMA ans Scotty kilmer are correct, just different products used. Seen so many mechanics make hard and fast opinions based on only their own personal experiences in the autimotive repair field and not the large sample size the world truly has.
I used the 3M kit a few years ago, the non-drill kit. It worked well and now I need to purchase a new kit. I can do multiple headlights with one kit. 👍🏻 3M supplies clear coat in a packet. On Amazon the kit is $11 and change. Not a sponsor!! 😎 Another great video, Eric O. Hannah and Marie are a great team. 😁
I have the 3M professional kit at my detail shop and have also used the over counter 3M kit. Both work great and last longer than other kits. I always use a good clear coat afterwards and never had a problem with it peeling or yellowing. I love the use the small 3000 trizac pad on small paint scratches.followed by the 3M polishing compound for quick permanent paint correction.
We use the 3M 39165 kit from Amazon. Best $35.00 kit out there. Enough supplies to do several cars. Had a customer with a Cadillac that the dealer wanted almost 2 grand to replace the headlights. The lights were really bad, I didn't have high hopes. This kit made them look brand new in under 2 hours. Most cars take under an hour. Over 2 years later & they still look brand new. Highly recommended.
Just did mine at the weekend using the Autoglym kit, £24 from Amazon, excellent results. I used all the discs wet, and they will be good for many more headlights. Finished off with the Autoglym Super Resin polish. No I am not affilliated to Autoglym, I just like their products.
Michael Rania It worked great for me too on an ‘03 Mercedes. 3M is good stuff, I work at a body shop and it’s all we use for abrasives. The only issue I had was after a year the haze started to come back, didn’t know I needed to clear coat the lights after polishing. Will try the 3M kit with the clear coat on my ‘02 Jeep WJ... Eric has yet to steer me wrong.
Both of my vehicles still have the good old actual glass headlamps, I think when you clean up those plastic ones, it makes the car look so much nicer, and newer, Hanna is really styling now. The Mack Vision I used to drive had the plastic lenses, they got so bad, night driving wasnt fun, they always preached safety, but when I would bring this up in a safety meeting nothing ever got done. Talk is cheap. I found you can buy those whole assembly off E-Bay for like 30 bucks each. OEM is way high. I replaced my brothers drivers side when he kissed the car ahead of him, 1999 Galant, OEM was 268.00, E-Bay was 33.00, fit great worked for years.
I've used the Sylvania headlight restoration kit with great results. It give you all the sand paper, plastic polish and a little bottle of clear coat that you wipe on. I have to say the results where like in your video crystal clear...but after a year the clear coat is starting to yellow...I might have to try the SafeTclear that you've shown in the video. Great video Eric as usual.
I’m glad you put this clear coat debate to rest lol I wonder if Scotty would try to pull that 50 Years of Knowledge over you if he see’s this video, he’s known to get a bit sassy in comments when someone isn’t siding with him great videos Btw showing you support from Orange County NY wish your shop was local.
I did my daughters headlamps. I sanded I polished I cleaned them off with water and they looked great but then when they dried the got foggy again. After about 2 or 3 hours of repeating 1 and 2 step I'm thinking I must be missing a step. I went to the store and got a can of clear coat and bam 24 hours later they looked brand new. I got my inspection sticker. So it does work. It will wear off and haze up again but it works.
Always glad to see you take good care of Hannah and Marie. And great that you have taught them lots. Always good when "The Youth" learn how to take care of their vehicles. And especially when the Young Females learn
Glad to see you showed the girls how to do it. Now the whole town will be showing up. You can sit back and just supervise. Need another bay just for them.
I did basically the same thing on both our cars. I used some extra steps of wet dry paper and the kit from turtle wax. Went from about like the video, to nearly new. What a dramatic increase in night visibility.
My daily driver is 2002 VW GTI 1.8 Tubro Stage 1 chipped, Cold Air Intake, Beefed up Exhaust Manifold, Tuned Exhaust, with 272,000 miles. I've used the same 3 M method and rather than applying a clear coat I went with the 3M wax protectant. For follow up maintenance I went back in with the same 3M system recently discovered on youtube using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish and I now use that for my maintenance works great and does Nor remove any more of the Plastic. Cheers from San Francisco.
I retired from teaching Collision Repair/Refinishing. Here's a little trick to speed up the process. Before doing anything, wet the area around the headlights. Spray the headlights with "purple power" or a similiar product. It will immediately dissolve the layer of oxidized softened plastic on top. Rinse well with a water hose. Sand with 2000, follow with 3000 and buff. 😁
Eric.... you're really good to the girls....! I've used a product by Meguiars that is an aerosol spray clearcoat that works... and I also love the Silverstar Ultra headlight bulbs... used them since 2003 and only had to replace them once! Luckily my truck stays indoors for the most part... and my headlights are just like new. 3M kit is a good one though, I've used it before.
I've used the Meguiars product too and it works very well. I can't compare it to your product because I've never tried it. A video showed using Mothers Mag and Aluminum wheel polish to polish the plastic and this worked very well and was very fast. It's been some time and it's holding up well. Just don't get any isopropyl alcohol on the Meguiars, it reacts with it and you will have to repeat the job. I had to replace the bug shield on my wife's car and one step was to wipe the surface with alcohol, that's how I learned about that.
I used the Meguiars this past weekend and surprised how good the result, for 5 min scrubbing on each light. Package says it is good for a year, but I’d be surprised if my hooptie makes it that long.
Meguiars is good stuff, the platix polish works really well for being a one step polish, haven't tried their spray uv coat yet, still use the wipe on stuff, but I've done a couple dozen sets and it has held up real well.
I used the 3M DIY kit on my grandparents CRV. It worked great. I followed it up with PlastiDip clear w/ UV repellant. That was winter of ‘16 and I’m just now about peal and replace the Dip coat. Not because it’s hazing over but it’s starting to show a few permanent pit marks from all the bugs over the years.
I used the 3M kit, except it was all manual sanding. Talk about a workout! But they did come out great and the kit was only $12 from Walmart. You are exactly right about your choice of Sylvania Silver Star lamps. They are super bright but don't last very long. Sylvania actually sent me a free set because I contacted them and complained. I'm not spending close to $50/yr to replace them. But they do make a big difference. Great video and always use the sealer as the final step, just like you recommend. Scotty is wrong on that point.
I tried Chris’ method with the spray can clear coat a few years ago. I only got a year out of them before they yellowed and got crusty. Maybe I didn’t spray thick enough coats, but I was disappointed in the length of time it lasted. The wipe on clear coat is intriguing. I think I’ll give your method a shot. Nothing could make it look worse at this point lol.
@@RoosterSpur Strange, automotive clearcoats from factory application to vehicles last for years if not decades. Was it a 2K clear? or a 1 part 2X clear?
john smith this was Not an automotive clear coat. Just a 1 part 2x. My guess is the rock chipping, headlight heat, etc just broke it down quickly. I didn’t keep any waxes on it or anything to maintain it. And again I probably could’ve used thicker coats.
Everything Eric O stated is absolutely true. I found the DIYER'S 3M kit years ago and always had great results. The problem was that about a year later, my headlights were back to being hazy again. I get so tired of polishing all my cars headlights each and every year so thank you for the recommendation of safe t clear. I will buy it for sure.
@@zarbon700 no matter how many times you keep copy/pasting this bull, it's still false. 303 is a good product for certain things, but it is *water soluble*, and would need regular re-application, which is not easy in the winter months. A proper two-part clear will give much more long term uv protection. Are you shilling? You have pasted this same response twenty times on this video...
Hana turning around to point with you was the best part. Great to see kids not afraid to get their hands dirty to have nice things. (I feel old typing that lol)
Have used the same kit for many years. The "best" clear is to use a good automotive 2 part clear. That restores the UV protection and fills any microscopic pits. The problem with that is the cost of keeping the painting materials and a small touch up gun on hand for the 4-5 of these a normal shop may do in a year. The paint will start to go bad and even if you can buy it in pints you still only mix a shot glass full to do 2 lights. The wipe on clear seems to do a reasonable job. Whatever you do, don't try the common clear spray paints you get at hardware type stores, that single part crap has no real UV protection and will craze and yellow in very short order.
Blazer, the "best" solution seems to be to remove the polished headlights from your car and take them to a body shop to be sprayed with urethane clearcoat.
Very nicely done! I tried using an inexpensive turtle wax headlight kit and it didn't work out so well. I was doing all the work by hand though. Definitely going to use a power sander and polisher next time. Thanks, Mr. O!
I tried this white diamond stuff, I don't believe it is advertised as a headlight restorer, it's like a chrome restorer more or less. But it brought my 1990 f150s headlights back to super clear. I'd say the result, on my headlights at least, is very similar to the result here. Great video!
David Goldberg the chrome plating inside headlights are extremely sensitive. moisture pits it. water spots form inside and you can't remove them. if water enters headlights, you're best form of action will be to replace.
I just used a uv resistant clear coat after doing similar work. I did not go a fine a grit as you, but I wanted them better than they were, and I got there, 3 years, no yellowing, no fading, still not quite as good as your work. On another car, I found that Nu Polish worked really well to make it look better too better than my car.
I used the 3M kits on my 2003 Mazda Protege 5 in I think 2015 and had to do it by hand though as one, I didn't have a cordless drill, and two, was parked on the street about 2, to 2.5 blocks from my apartment (yes, city living for the win) and did a pretty good job, though one lens was a bit more clearer than the other by the time I was done though. Now, they are both clouding back up but aren't too bad but could stand to be done again. I don't recall the 3M kit I bought at the time had the protective stuff in them at the time. However, I have noticed at least one headlight is crazing but not leaking however, I have fog lights and do turn those on in the winter to augment, especially when tootling down back roads with little to no lighting at night, which helps a great deal and fortunately, they are glass not plastic and thus remain clear. I need to get the kit before long and do 'em now that I park right outside my house so can dig out my late father's old corded drill or use the Dewalt cordless to do 'em this time. Another great video, yet again.
I use to be a Silverstar headlight guy. Ive tried MANY different ones delivering pizzas for 5 years and settled on the Phillips Crystal Vision Ultra. They arent blue but very bright and seem to make the street signs "reflect" better than any other. They also last more than 1 year. Ive had them in every car since 2008.
Absolutely wonderful video, Eric O!! This is what I needed. Now I have a '02 olds Alero with faded headlights. This definitely will help on client's car. I'll get the kit that you provided. Thanks so much, ya saved me bacon, lol
Just bought the DIY 3M kit and refinished the headlights on our 2008 Sienna. They look awesome. Kit works exactly as Eric shows here with a simple cordless drill. $15 plus some rags, a squirt bottle, and some tape.
It's the clearcoat ChrisFix used. I actually used the exact same 1 part clear coat the Chris showed in the video. Lasted almost 2 years and then it was peeling away. It's just too soft a clearcoat. Now if you used 2K or I suppose what you have have the results are probably better.
Exactly. The cheap 1 part clear coat in those cans doesn't have the active hardener that a 2k will have for durability. But most people don't want to pay 20 bucks for a can of 2k clear. To me, use safetclear.
303 is nothing special. I hope you aren't one of those people like Sweet project cars that recommends it for everything like a snake oil shuckster. You can get the same results using Nu Finish or any other film protectant on a monthly basis just like you'd have to do for 303. Or wax it every few months.
Great video, No need for the Osram silverstars when the covers are transparent. 3M now includes several individual use clear coat packets in their DIY kits. Little tricky to use and a crap shoot on the age of the product in the little foil packages. First one from the DIY pack was clumpy and made a mess. Required re-compounding. Fortunately the DIY pack had several individual use clear coat packs. 2nd and 3rd packets had proper liquid in them. Happy with the results.
Interesting how far technology has come in the 21st century... The headlights on my 1972 Ford LTD Country Squire have never clouded or hazed, and are crystal clear after 46 years. If they ever did get damaged, a new sealed beam would provide a new filament, reflector and GLASS lens for less than 15 dollars.
Yeah, things were so simple back then, the lights were either round or squared, and making them glass was easier. Now with all the safety, cost and weight conscience manufacturers, plus every shape and form you can think of, it's just not feasible to make them glass. Unfortunate...
If you notice, he never locks up his breaks he just uses sound effects to make the tire squealing noises... Yeah, that vette sounded like SHIT hahahaha... Instead of reving up his engine, he might want to fix it first... Ive had carbed vehicles and none would try to stall on fast deceleration...
I've heard rumors Scotty is a talk show host which would make sense. All the videos he releases how does he get anything done?? His driveway trash dump for a garage entrance never changes along with the back drop when he's supposedly at his computer. Wonder how much of it is pirated content then edited and chopped till there's no tomorrow.....
@@dtnel you guys do realize scotty is drunk AF all the time right? He has no license and goes on rants and then edits everything. Its hilarious to watch. Its mechanical satire
I use the DIY kit on my cars. Key tip, use an electric drill. Not a cordless. Speed is key on getting a good finish. Thanks for the safe t clear tip. I wa looking for a good clear that I could wipe on.
Love your channel. Downside is I'm not getting much else done and I find myself spending way too much money on new tools - which I justify by telling myself the new tools will help me catch up on the stuff I'm not getting done. Besides, what's the fun in saving money DIY'ing if you can't spend some of that money on new tools. Glad to see I'm not the only one struggling with rusty fasteners. Not glad you have to, just glad I'm not alone.
Mark Kilroy I love the jousting between all these mechanics. I worked in more than a few shops and saw this kind of thing all the time, you have a lot of egos, and personalities in this business so it's always going to be interesting and hilarious too.
A Google User working in a real shop doesn't make you a better mechanic than the backyard mechanic because that backyard mechanic might be also working in a real shop !!!
@@paultribble7181 ChrisFix seems to be a pretty decent guy that doesn't cut corners and he's just sharing his experience with youtube and making money from it. I like Eric the same, you just end up with the every day examples from Eric because he runs a shop.
2k clearcoat is gonna be the most long-term solution. I've learned that the hard way. In florida just by buffing you get 3 months, the wipe on sealer lasts 6-12months, proper finish 2-5 years
But how long does the lense retain it's clarity? My experience has been that in less than 6 months the lense is cloudy again. Oem replacements are really the only long term fix. Just my 2 cents
2/23/2020- I have a 1996 Chevy van, 1st of the new model , that lived in NJ and now PA outside all the time with crystal clear, plastic, headlights. I guess they cared back then . My 2005 malibu is worn typically by sun, salt, and sand not to mention the heat generated in the housing. Actually they are a second set. Cleaning does help but not more than 6 months or so. Just saying. I enjoy your programming and learned quite a bit and even laughed here and there. Thanks for the great work.
A few years ago I stumbled on a forum. The guy had a homemade clear coat that he made with some wood staining chemicals (not sure the formula) and he wiped it on with a blue towel. He then posted a 5 year update. Looked the same still with no fogging or yellowing.
Absolutely! Eric O is a very bad mechanic for allowing Miss Hannah to buy a car that's not a '94 Celica obviously just so he can make money fixing it!!
They used to pull teeth by slamming a door shut... Scottyz method... Or would you prefer the new way.. Novacain and an extractor?.... Scotty needs to retire
Slamming the door shut is quicker and doesn't require a dentist who had to attend medical school for several years so the old way is better, just like the '94 Celica
The 3M consumer version worked well for me. The first step using the coarse grit sandpaper is a bit of a shock, thinking to myself, "what have I done ? " Never tried using #1 or #2 to polish a headlight 😜
Sealed plastic headlights in standard glass light configuration are available too. The argument that model-specific lights was made necessary by fuel economy standards is complete and utter hogwash.
Hiya Prof. Eric!! Great vids...I always learn something. You give your customers 100% honesty. Now THAT'S how to get good word of mouth. Thanks for making your videos. God Bless.
0:45 Cloudy with a chance of Scotty roasts. Chris and you (and ratchets) shows us a way to restore headlights that are already cloudy. Scotty was showing a way to keep brand new headlights looking new for years, but I would say most people would look up how to restore headlights once they are already cloudy. Scotty was weird in that sense of bashing chris. Great work as always.
I've seen people complain about the silverstars not lasting long but the ones I put in my Rodeo have been in there about 5 years (original head lights had some for about the same amount of time) and the ones in my Volvo have been going for 6 years. It's my daily driver and Volvo uses them for the DRLs so they have had a lot of use. I fixed the yellow plastic headlight problem permanently on my Rodeo. Thankfully Isuzu went to clear glass lenses for 2000-2002 model years. So I just swapped to those. The Volvo ones were developing micro cracks so they got replaced with new aftermarket ones.
Might have to check them out since my Volvo eats through atleast one headlight bulb every few months, you know there's a problem when you've mastered the pain in the ass bulb caps on the Volvo S80 lol.
I've just looked at a video of a S40/V50 headlight bulb change and damn that's easy, love the "quick change" headlights. It's totally different on the S80 it's not that it's hard to do just fiddly with limited space to work in and poor visibility.
*3M 39008 Headlight Lens Restoration System: amzn.to/2NG2RuR
*3M 02516 Headlight Lens Restoration System: amzn.to/2ygI3Fc
*SYLVANIA SilverStar Ultra - High Performance Halogen Headlight Bulb: amzn.to/2pTIMrz
Great job. Friend of mine used the drill version for his mights. His came out pretty good, but it was starting to yellow up
sorry Eric, silver stars are great
until they burn out in short order -- months! NOT fun.
Yes Eric I love Silver Star Ultra!!!! I hated their ZXE.... Nice Job on the Headlights!!!
Hey does the diy kit come with any sort of clear coat? It's got the discs and tape and what looks to be rubbing compound but idk if it comes with the final protective layer
No clear cote with the 3M kit at least, maybe with others but I would use it as mine a cruddy again after 2 years without:-(
Scotty's been a mechanic for 492 years. He worked on the Mayflower ship.
Definately OBD 1
Maybe i'm tired or maybe that was one of the best comments on TH-cam. Either way good shit!
Dude I actually laughed out loud hard at this! Best comment this year!!!!
Explains why it's now gone
I didn't see him there.
I am a Mechanical Engineer with a minor in Materials Science. I used to work for a manufacturer of vehicle lighting, including headlights. Polycarbonate (PC) requires a top coat that provides both hardness and UV protection. PC is used for headlights because of its high impact resistance, but it is relatively soft so it will abrade easily as the car drives through dust, mud, etc. PC will also turn yellow over time if it does not have UV protection. If you polish the headlights, you are removing the top coat and it must be replaced. I don't know what the latest OEM headlight top coat formulations are, but in the late 1990's when I worked with them they all used a "siloxane" hard coat with a UV inhibitor mixed in. Just an FYI, all of the other plastic lenses on the vehicle that don't face forward are made from "acrylic" (PMMA, or polymethyl methacrylate), not PC. Acrylic, compared to PC, is a harder, brittle plastic, but it is cheaper than PC and is naturally UV-resistant (doesn't require additional UV protection).
The reason that the headlights get foggy over time is that the top coat develops microscopic cracks. Those micro-cracks scatter the light (they look hazy). The headlights can also take on a yellow color because those micro-cracks fill with fine dust particles. I'm too lazy to polish and re-coat my headlights, but I'm not too lazy to wash and wax my car. Every time I wash and wax my car I wash and wax the headlights. Washing gets rid of the yellowing and the wax fills in the micro-cracks and makes the lenses clear again. They will fog up again, of course, as the wax wears away but if you wash and wax your car regularly then you'll be able to keep those headlights clear enough to function correctly.
All headlight reflector/lens are designed to function correctly with a specific light source that produces a specific amount of light. The desired legal beam pattern minimizes the amount of light that is directed at the eyes of oncoming drivers. If you change to a brighter bulb (more lumens than the OEM light source) but keep the same reflector/lens, then you will throw too much light into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
Lance Kaz it should be against the law to have plastic head lights that turn yellow and reduce night time vision....
@@cardboardboxification All new vehicles sold in the U.S. have to meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). After those new vehicles leave the dealership lots, it is up to local (state, county, municipal) legislators and police forces to ensure that those vehicles meet those Federal and local laws. Law enforcement requires spending money. Often the squeaky wheel gets the oil. If you don't have communities complaining about what appear to be illegal headlights, then enforcing headlight laws tend to become a low priority for the police. Similarly, if you live in a community with a high rate of violent crime, fighting violent crime takes precedence over monitoring conformance to headlight laws.
So what would you recommend. I can't find fuckall. The best thing I have found yet is the Meguiar's coating but that only lasts one year at most. Guess I would have to make it a yearly thing to re-coat with the protecting product every year.
@ Lance Kaz - It's nice to once in a while see someone intelligent enough to take the time to post a very useful and informative bit of info as you have here on the subject at hand! I too was in the Automotive Industry for many years, from the late 60's thru 1999' (which is when I severely injured my back, which eventually sent me into an early retirement) in several different facets of that Industry, from body and paint, repairing vehicles and even owning my own Automotive Parts & Repair Shop/Store, which then led me into the NASCAR owners realm in the then called "Bush Division" in the 80's. And my knowledge of Automotive chemicals, etc., got me in trouble with the NASCAR officials more than once, lol. It almost got to be a joke when we rolled my car to the Inspection Area, as all of the guys would come see what kind of (we'll just call it a treatment for now, lol) that I was trying to get away with yet once again! But eventually one of the Head Nascar officials came to my pit area and told me that if he ever caught me trying to "slick-up" my car one more time that I was outta there for good! But they never could figure out what I was doing? Somehow they did not believe me that that slickness was actually embedded into the actual paint? Oh well. You can't fix stupid, uneducated and uninformed NASCAR Inspection officials, as they're just doing things that the BIG DAWGS have set in place, and there's NO room for anything outside of that realm. That is unless you just happened to be one of the more well known drivers of that day - that is! Ok, I'll get off that Bandwagon. But we had a lot of fun in the process. And I spent more $$$$ doing that over a 5-yr period than I ever care to mention again. And as back-in-the-day, and even nowadays, when I need help on my own, personal vehicle's care care products I just call on MOTHERS. ;-) ;-)
@Lance Kaz - can you recommend a "siloxane" UV inhibitor product to use on these headlights??
I love how Hannah and Marie jump in and do their part. You're a great teacher for them and make it fun. The only problem I have with this video is the distinct lack of brake clean
South Main Auto is the BEST auto repair channel I have found. Best content, best narration, bar none. Thank you!
I agree. This guy is awesome. Wholesome, funny, educational. Great role model.
Eric, I've watched about twenty videos and you seem to have a lot of integrity. And I don't see any click-bait. You do what you say you're going to do. That's rare in today's world of a quick buck. Thanks for the quality content.
I agree, this guy is great.
Hey Eric and those that care. 4 yrs ago I did the same refinish method on my Volvo S60, using the same materials. Except I removed the headlamps and put them in a plastic tub to capture the soapy water for lubrication. I did it that way because I replaced all the non accessable bulbs with the headlamps in the car. And it made it easier because there was no bending over and no taping up the paint. After refinishing, I applied Weathertech Lamp Guards. They are a protective film and the cost is ~ 50$ These things are worth every penny. They are still crystal clear and they also protect the lamps from getting sand blasted and road debris.
as in "lampgard", also known as urethane film.
Ericfix to the rescue! I love it! I still want to see the super clean the glove box video!
I don't think you can handle that video yet... it is for the semi-pro level diy'er. A long multi-step process, but the good news is it cost less that a nickle!
Good one!!!
Very good one! :D
I feel a "A Few Good Men" court scene parody comming on. SouthMainAutoRepairLCC: So, you're a novice. TheDisgruntledMechanic: I want the video! SouthMainAutoRepairLCC: You cant handle the video!
First time I had fogged over headlights was in the late 90s on a 1987 Taurus and I ended up just replacing the enclosures. Huge difference in being able to see at night especially in rain and fog, plus not blinding oncoming cars with the light going in every direction. 2nd time was 5 years ago with a 96 Ranger and that time I got Blue Magic headlight compound which I applied/buffed etc with those blue Scott shop towels. That worked pretty well but for $30 I totally would have gotten the 3M DiY kit! I'll know for next time!
I 100% agree about the SilverStar Ultra bulbs; I've used them in a couple different cars and loved the improved light output!
Eric extra respect to you for taking the time to teach Hannah and Marie, and mad respect to them for wanting to learn! I'm catching up on the older videos and just watched the ones where the ladies replaced Hannah's lower control arm and the oil change video. I remember being impressed in the late 80s seeing women out driving big rigs and over the years since seeing women doing a lot of former "guys only" stuff like fixing and customizing cars, doing construction and lots of other stuff!!
As for Scotty Kilmer.... I lived in Houston a long time and maybe 20 years ago he had a weekend morning call in show on one of the Houston TV stations and he gave good advice and I liked him. Found his TH-cam channel a few years ago and my opinion of him started going downhill and the last straw with me respecting his advice was when he did a video saying compression fittings were fine for a brake line. Sorry Scotty, that is just bad advice in my opinion. IMO that will get somebody killed when that compression fitting blows apart under heavy braking.
Yeah watching Scotty is amusing due to his waving his arms all over the place. Occasionally I agree with him and occasionally I don't because he says something stupid that makes me think he flunked physics 101.
Yet another polished SMA presentation. After viewing it, I had a clearer vision of myautomotive lighting and was feeling quite buffed!
Instead of buying the $500 kit, i went to harbor freight and bought a small air sander and polisher for around $40. I then pieced together the rest of the kit for around $120~ on Amazon. Ive done 5 jobs so far and the safe T clear really works! Everytime i start the process i always refrence this video because i forget when to start wet sanding haha. Thanks Eric O!!!! You da man!!!
You have no idea how much I appreciate your channel Eric. Whenever I’m in a bind it seems like you’ve already been there and done it. 👍🏼
I used the 3M kit. It worked great. My only advice is to TAKE YOUR TIME with it. Absolutely worth $12. Thank you!
Great job Mr. O clearing out the drama going on and by not getting yourself caught up in it . Like always just your personal an honest opinion and experience on repairs that most of us like to do . Thank you
Mr. 0 your good but..................................
A few years back I used that 3M DIY kit on my Dodge mini van. It did an outstanding job. I also use the headlight lens clear coat. 5 years later I scrapped the van and the lights still looked as good as new. In fact I was out at his yard a couple of weeks later and noticed the headlights were gone. A customer bought them because they looked new. He told them he thought I may have replaced them. I almost fell over laughing. I told him I had restored them 5 years earlier. Now he restores headlights from the yard before he sells them using a commercial 3M kit. 3M makes a lot of awesome products. Awesome video and a good refresher.
Rev up your headlights! 😂 I'm with you, Eric. If you don't clear them they get foggy here in about 6 months.
Don't use clear coat. The best way to keep headlights clear is to apply 303 aerospace protectant on them.
My son in law has used 303 on their '02 Explorer since it was new and the headlights still look like the day they were installed. The interior is like new also. @@zarbon700
@@allyoop8879 303 is great stuff. Tell your son-in-law to also use it on his tire sidewalls. It will prevent them from dry rot. Just make sure to gently wash the tires before applying it on the tires.
@@zarbon700 I used UV resistant clearcoat. Looked great for two years, then started to flake off.
Bought new headlight units (4 pieces) for my 2001 Silverado for about $100 total from rock auto. I was skeptical on the quality but not a big loss if they didn’t hold up.
They fit and look perfect after a year, makes the truck look much better. They come with all new bulbs installed which is about $50 worth. I wasted $25 on a 3m kit that worked great for about 6 months, then they actually looked worse. Yes I followed the instructions 100%
Sorry Eric, but your shop towels look hot pink out here. We're not judging you, you seem secure enough to sport pink shop towels if you please. I love the brightness the girls bring to your face, when your teaching them. Mrs O, has raised you well. I'm sure Mee Maw had a hand in it also.
In the 1920s and earlier, pink was for boys ... and hot pink is a damn fine color. Better than shit brown, puke green, and bile yellow imo. Can you tell I knew some alcoholics in my youth?
Excellent work. I used the 3M system on my Vectra - worked perfectly. 2 years in with zero clouding.
I think alot of people saw Scotty for who he really is after the way he treated Chris about what you mentioned. Everyone has their own way and alot of what Scotty says is nonsense these days. Chris is out there doing charity events and donations while being an overall awesome guy in every single one of his vids. Eric O and Chrisfix, 2 best repair channels out!
Scotty is a millionaire, he could care less about our opinions.
@@TheRoadhammer379 Yup, and he really wants to push his own opinion on others as if it's God's Word.
I'm my experience the vast majority of Scotty Kilmers repair videos are correct. Now every mechanic makes mistakes and has wrong opinions.
With the don't use clear coat video, it's most likely because of the multiple products scotty is sent for clearcoating headlights and aftermarket headlights that turn yellow quickly after.
Or the countless headlight restoring products that have very short term effects.
I don't fault Scotty for his opinion on that. It's very possible both SMA ans Scotty kilmer are correct, just different products used.
Seen so many mechanics make hard and fast opinions based on only their own personal experiences in the autimotive repair field and not the large sample size the world truly has.
I used the 3M kit a few years ago, the non-drill kit. It worked well and now I need to purchase a new kit. I can do multiple headlights with one kit. 👍🏻 3M supplies clear coat in a packet. On Amazon the kit is $11 and change. Not a sponsor!! 😎 Another great video, Eric O. Hannah and Marie are a great team. 😁
I have the 3M professional kit at my detail shop and have also used the over counter 3M kit. Both work great and last longer than other kits. I always use a good clear coat afterwards and never had a problem with it peeling or yellowing. I love the use the small 3000 trizac pad on small paint scratches.followed by the 3M polishing compound for quick permanent paint correction.
We use the 3M 39165 kit from Amazon. Best $35.00 kit out there. Enough supplies to do several cars. Had a customer with a Cadillac that the dealer wanted almost 2 grand to replace the headlights. The lights were really bad, I didn't have high hopes. This kit made them look brand new in under 2 hours. Most cars take under an hour. Over 2 years later & they still look brand new. Highly recommended.
Just did mine at the weekend using the Autoglym kit, £24 from Amazon, excellent results. I used all the discs wet, and they will be good for many more headlights. Finished off with the Autoglym Super Resin polish. No I am not affilliated to Autoglym, I just like their products.
‘Clearly’ awesome. Thanks SMA
South main auto license plate for the plug! I worked on cars for 25 years, so why am I watching you work on cars, IDK. I do love this channel.
I have used the same kit from 3M on all my vehicles and let me tell ya, it's worth every penny! Works amazing!
Michael Rania It worked great for me too on an ‘03 Mercedes. 3M is good stuff, I work at a body shop and it’s all we use for abrasives.
The only issue I had was after a year the haze started to come back, didn’t know I needed to clear coat the lights after polishing. Will try the 3M kit with the clear coat on my ‘02 Jeep WJ... Eric has yet to steer me wrong.
I do this quite a bit. I finally got smart and rigged up a small pump sprayer for the wet sanding. Much easier. Great video!
Both of my vehicles still have the good old actual glass headlamps, I think when you clean up those plastic ones, it makes
the car look so much nicer, and newer, Hanna is really styling now. The Mack Vision I used to drive had the plastic lenses,
they got so bad, night driving wasnt fun, they always preached safety, but when I would bring this up in a safety meeting
nothing ever got done. Talk is cheap. I found you can buy those whole assembly off E-Bay for like 30 bucks each. OEM is
way high. I replaced my brothers drivers side when he kissed the car ahead of him, 1999 Galant, OEM was 268.00, E-Bay
was 33.00, fit great worked for years.
it's true. I have my 86 crown vic and the lights and casings still looking great.
Are you suggesting buying the glass headlamps?
I've used the Sylvania headlight restoration kit with great results. It give you all the sand paper, plastic polish and a little bottle of clear coat that you wipe on. I have to say the results where like in your video crystal clear...but after a year the clear coat is starting to yellow...I might have to try the SafeTclear that you've shown in the video. Great video Eric as usual.
I’m glad you put this clear coat debate to rest lol I wonder if Scotty would try to pull that 50 Years of Knowledge over you if he see’s this video, he’s known to get a bit sassy in comments when someone isn’t siding with him great videos Btw showing you support from Orange County NY wish your shop was local.
A fellow orange county NY man
nah, glass lenses shatter to easily.
I did my daughters headlamps. I sanded I polished I cleaned them off with water and they looked great but then when they dried the got foggy again. After about 2 or 3 hours of repeating 1 and 2 step I'm thinking I must be missing a step. I went to the store and got a can of clear coat and bam 24 hours later they looked brand new. I got my inspection sticker. So it does work. It will wear off and haze up again but it works.
Always glad to see you take good care of Hannah and Marie.
And great that you have taught them lots.
Always good when "The Youth" learn how to take care of their vehicles.
And especially when the Young Females learn
Sometimes I think Scotty is a know it all but you can tell him to pound dirt on this Good Job!
Glad to see you showed the girls how to do it. Now the whole town will be showing up. You can sit back and just supervise. Need another bay just for them.
I did basically the same thing on both our cars. I used some extra steps of wet dry paper and the kit from turtle wax. Went from about like the video, to nearly new. What a dramatic increase in night visibility.
Its was pretty bad, when you felt like you out drove your lights at 30mph.
I think this might be one of the first videos I saw on this channel. Now I'm addicted. Great.
Hanna's gonna have a head start when they do glaucoma training at nursing school, once again great video ladies & Big E.
:))
My daily driver is 2002 VW GTI 1.8 Tubro Stage 1 chipped, Cold Air Intake, Beefed up Exhaust Manifold, Tuned Exhaust, with 272,000 miles. I've used the same 3 M method and rather than applying a clear coat I went with the 3M wax protectant. For follow up maintenance I went back in with the same 3M system recently discovered on youtube using Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish and I now use that for my maintenance works great and does Nor remove any more of the Plastic. Cheers from San Francisco.
Hard to beat anything 3M .....good products!
You can do this with cheap Chinese sandpaper. No need for 3M.
is there a differance?
@@MegaBbqbbq cheap Chinese wet sandpaper is about as useful as American dry sandpaper being used for wet sanding.
Shit just crumbles to shit.
@@MrTheHillfolk its been a year but this is too funny and true 😂😂😂
@@benkhmelev9692 hahaha just say no to Chinese sandpaper 😝
I retired from teaching Collision Repair/Refinishing. Here's a little trick to speed up the process. Before doing anything, wet the area around the headlights. Spray the headlights with "purple power" or a similiar product. It will immediately dissolve the layer of oxidized softened plastic on top. Rinse well with a water hose. Sand with 2000, follow with 3000 and buff. 😁
Eric.... you're really good to the girls....! I've used a product by Meguiars that is an aerosol spray clearcoat that works... and I also love the Silverstar Ultra headlight bulbs... used them since 2003 and only had to replace them once! Luckily my truck stays indoors for the most part... and my headlights are just like new. 3M kit is a good one though, I've used it before.
I've used the Meguiars product too and it works very well. I can't compare it to your product because I've never tried it. A video showed using Mothers Mag and Aluminum wheel polish to polish the plastic and this worked very well and was very fast. It's been some time and it's holding up well. Just don't get any isopropyl alcohol on the Meguiars, it reacts with it and you will have to repeat the job. I had to replace the bug shield on my wife's car and one step was to wipe the surface with alcohol, that's how I learned about that.
I used the Meguiars this past weekend and surprised how good the result, for 5 min scrubbing on each light. Package says it is good for a year, but I’d be surprised if my hooptie makes it that long.
Meguiars is good stuff, the platix polish works really well for being a one step polish, haven't tried their spray uv coat yet, still use the wipe on stuff, but I've done a couple dozen sets and it has held up real well.
@@charleswp71 It will not last 90 days
I've had a "pro" do my lights and that $99.00 service lasted 90 days. Did this exyensive job last 90 days?
@@robertl.fallin7062 hmm I did my own over 6 months ago and they are still perfect. And my car is always outside
I used the 3M DIY kit on my grandparents CRV. It worked great. I followed it up with PlastiDip clear w/ UV repellant. That was winter of ‘16 and I’m just now about peal and replace the Dip coat. Not because it’s hazing over but it’s starting to show a few permanent pit marks from all the bugs over the years.
This is the greatest video ever made.
EASY! 👌
I used the 3M kit, except it was all manual sanding. Talk about a workout! But they did come out great and the kit was only $12 from Walmart. You are exactly right about your choice of Sylvania Silver Star lamps. They are super bright but don't last very long. Sylvania actually sent me a free set because I contacted them and complained. I'm not spending close to $50/yr to replace them. But they do make a big difference. Great video and always use the sealer as the final step, just like you recommend. Scotty is wrong on that point.
I tried Chris’ method with the spray can clear coat a few years ago. I only got a year out of them before they yellowed and got crusty. Maybe I didn’t spray thick enough coats, but I was disappointed in the length of time it lasted. The wipe on clear coat is intriguing. I think I’ll give your method a shot. Nothing could make it look worse at this point lol.
Don't use clear coat. The best way to keep headlights clear is to apply 303 aerospace protectant on them.
Did you use an automotive clear coat?
john smith nope. It was a UV resistant clear coat, not specific to automotive use.
@@RoosterSpur Strange, automotive clearcoats from factory application to vehicles last for years if not decades. Was it a 2K clear? or a 1 part 2X clear?
john smith this was Not an automotive clear coat. Just a 1 part 2x. My guess is the rock chipping, headlight heat, etc just broke it down quickly. I didn’t keep any waxes on it or anything to maintain it. And again I probably could’ve used thicker coats.
I have used the Meguiar's 2 step headlight restore kit. It has a clear coat. A year now and headlights are still nice and clear. It is a DIY kit.
Everything Eric O stated is absolutely true. I found the DIYER'S 3M kit years ago and always had great results. The problem was that about a year later, my headlights were back to being hazy again. I get so tired of polishing all my cars headlights each and every year so thank you for the recommendation of safe t clear. I will buy it for sure.
Don't use clear coat.The best way to keep headlights clear is to apply 303 aerospace protectant on them.
@@zarbon700 no matter how many times you keep copy/pasting this bull, it's still false. 303 is a good product for certain things, but it is *water soluble*, and would need regular re-application, which is not easy in the winter months. A proper two-part clear will give much more long term uv protection.
Are you shilling? You have pasted this same response twenty times on this video...
@@mattmanyam I agree. If you don't want to use safetclear then you should definitely use a 2 part clear coat. The 1 part doesn't hold up.
Hana turning around to point with you was the best part. Great to see kids not afraid to get their hands dirty to have nice things.
(I feel old typing that lol)
Have used the same kit for many years. The "best" clear is to use a good automotive 2 part clear. That restores the UV protection and fills any microscopic pits. The problem with that is the cost of keeping the painting materials and a small touch up gun on hand for the 4-5 of these a normal shop may do in a year. The paint will start to go bad and even if you can buy it in pints you still only mix a shot glass full to do 2 lights. The wipe on clear seems to do a reasonable job.
Whatever you do, don't try the common clear spray paints you get at hardware type stores, that single part crap has no real UV protection and will craze and yellow in very short order.
Blazer, the "best" solution seems to be to remove the polished headlights from your car and take them to a body shop to be sprayed with urethane clearcoat.
If you have one nearby that you can set up a time that works as well. That would be the same material I reference.
You can get aerosol cans of UV stabilised clear coat for plastics
I’d rather listen to ol Eric O than any other TH-cam mechanic. You the man, man!!
Very nicely done! I tried using an inexpensive turtle wax headlight kit and it didn't work out so well. I was doing all the work by hand though. Definitely going to use a power sander and polisher next time. Thanks, Mr. O!
I tried this white diamond stuff, I don't believe it is advertised as a headlight restorer, it's like a chrome restorer more or less. But it brought my 1990 f150s headlights back to super clear. I'd say the result, on my headlights at least, is very similar to the result here. Great video!
"I can see clearly now , the haze is gone. I can see all stop lights in my way"
Classic Johnny Nash Remix :)
If you heard me sing it you wouldn't think of Johnny Nash...........more like a cat in heat
Wow , early 70's nostalgia theme's today, wonderful. Is this going to be something going forward on future Vid's.....?
Brilliant just fucking brilliant comment of the year😂😂😂
I was thinking of the same song while I was watching this. I guess great minds work the same way.
Bravo great man and father, for teaching the girls correctly.
If there's water inside the headlight assembly warm it up in the oven, slice the seal open, clean it out and reseal it.
David Goldberg the chrome plating inside headlights are extremely sensitive. moisture pits it. water spots form inside and you can't remove them. if water enters headlights, you're best form of action will be to replace.
@@carnage50x Depends on the model. I did it to my Ford Contour. Still clean and dry after five years.
I just used a uv resistant clear coat after doing similar work. I did not go a fine a grit as you, but I wanted them better than they were, and I got there, 3 years, no yellowing, no fading, still not quite as good as your work. On another car, I found that Nu Polish worked really well to make it look better too better than my car.
I used the 3M kits on my 2003 Mazda Protege 5 in I think 2015 and had to do it by hand though as one, I didn't have a cordless drill, and two, was parked on the street about 2, to 2.5 blocks from my apartment (yes, city living for the win) and did a pretty good job, though one lens was a bit more clearer than the other by the time I was done though. Now, they are both clouding back up but aren't too bad but could stand to be done again. I don't recall the 3M kit I bought at the time had the protective stuff in them at the time.
However, I have noticed at least one headlight is crazing but not leaking however, I have fog lights and do turn those on in the winter to augment, especially when tootling down back roads with little to no lighting at night, which helps a great deal and fortunately, they are glass not plastic and thus remain clear.
I need to get the kit before long and do 'em now that I park right outside my house so can dig out my late father's old corded drill or use the Dewalt cordless to do 'em this time.
Another great video, yet again.
Hand drill.. Like the freakin Amish...dedede If that really worked you must be badass with a hand drill... LMAO
Just refinished my headlights following this video. They turned out great! Thanks Eric O!
WOAH! A two'fer today! What manner of madness is this????
I use to be a Silverstar headlight guy. Ive tried MANY different ones delivering pizzas for 5 years and settled on the Phillips Crystal Vision Ultra. They arent blue but very bright and seem to make the street signs "reflect" better than any other. They also last more than 1 year. Ive had them in every car since 2008.
Absolutely wonderful video, Eric O!! This is what I needed. Now I have a '02 olds Alero with faded headlights. This definitely will help on client's car. I'll get the kit that you provided. Thanks so much, ya saved me bacon, lol
Just bought the DIY 3M kit and refinished the headlights on our 2008 Sienna. They look awesome. Kit works exactly as Eric shows here with a simple cordless drill. $15 plus some rags, a squirt bottle, and some tape.
Finally, a youtube headlight video done CORRECTLY.
Love to see the interest and enthusiasm the girls have in learning the trade. Also its good to see ya taking the time to train them up in the trade.
It's the clearcoat ChrisFix used. I actually used the exact same 1 part clear coat the Chris showed in the video. Lasted almost 2 years and then it was peeling away. It's just too soft a clearcoat. Now if you used 2K or I suppose what you have have the results are probably better.
Exactly. The cheap 1 part clear coat in those cans doesn't have the active hardener that a 2k will have for durability. But most people don't want to pay 20 bucks for a can of 2k clear. To me, use safetclear.
Don't use clear coat.The best way to keep headlights clear is to apply 303 aerospace protectant on them.
@@zarbon700 303 is gone by the third rainstorm highway drive. 2K clearcoat will not.
303 is nothing special. I hope you aren't one of those people like Sweet project cars that recommends it for everything like a snake oil shuckster. You can get the same results using Nu Finish or any other film protectant on a monthly basis just like you'd have to do for 303. Or wax it every few months.
Cragified The fact that you say you have to use 303 on a monthly basis proves you know nothing about the product.
Great video, No need for the Osram silverstars when the covers are transparent.
3M now includes several individual use clear coat packets in their DIY kits. Little tricky to use and a crap shoot on the age of the product in the little foil packages. First one from the DIY pack was clumpy and made a mess. Required re-compounding. Fortunately the DIY pack had several individual use clear coat packs. 2nd and 3rd packets had proper liquid in them. Happy with the results.
I did this to my sister's 97 Camry last year and it's held up well. Don't get it on your hands though, it's basically superglue if you do.
Heres the Scotty Kilmer video we've been waiting for
I'm drooling for a Kilmer response on video soon!
I bought one of those DIY headlight lens cleaning kits about 2 yrs ago for roughly 20 bucks. Worked great,still looks nice and clear
Nice title, thought I was about to watch a Chrisfix video 😂😂😂
...was thinking the same thing DK....
Christfix, would give you the element break down of the periodic table.
Need more teens like those two!!! With more or them, the world may actually NOT be doomed!
nice job on the headlamps. Hanna will be able to see well at night now.
Totally agree on the clear coat. I did mine and followed the ChrisFix method. Used some spray clear coat. That was 3+ years ago.
Interesting how far technology has come in the 21st century...
The headlights on my 1972 Ford LTD Country Squire have never clouded or hazed, and are crystal clear after 46 years. If they ever did get damaged, a new sealed beam would provide a new filament, reflector and GLASS lens for less than 15 dollars.
Yeah, things were so simple back then, the lights were either round or squared, and making them glass was easier. Now with all the safety, cost and weight conscience manufacturers, plus every shape and form you can think of, it's just not feasible to make them glass. Unfortunate...
And you get 12 miles to the gallon.
Because there glass not plastic.
@@freddyflintstoned913 the smiles to gallon ratio is trough the roof, though.
@@Ottonic6 They can still make them glass but then you wouldn't have cars with weird aesthetics like cars today have.
Thank you for clearing away fear for doing this repair!
Scotty Kilmers next video "Why Eric O at SMA is wrong, and I am always right"... REV UP YOUR ENGINE *dramatic comb over hair flop*
I remember his earlier intro with him driving his vette and locking up the brakes...but few noticed that the engine almost stalls because carburetor.
ChillCosmos, And when he rides the motorcycle his shoes suddenly change, like someone else was driving it...... hmmm lol :-D
If you notice, he never locks up his breaks he just uses sound effects to make the tire squealing noises... Yeah, that vette sounded like SHIT hahahaha... Instead of reving up his engine, he might want to fix it first... Ive had carbed vehicles and none would try to stall on fast deceleration...
I've heard rumors Scotty is a talk show host which would make sense. All the videos he releases how does he get anything done?? His driveway trash dump for a garage entrance never changes along with the back drop when he's supposedly at his computer. Wonder how much of it is pirated content then edited and chopped till there's no tomorrow.....
@@dtnel you guys do realize scotty is drunk AF all the time right? He has no license and goes on rants and then edits everything. Its hilarious to watch. Its mechanical satire
Cool of you to show the young ladies they can do these things. You’re a good dude E
Awesome stuff Eric, so easy and far less drama the Scotty Kilmer! Hahaha
You’re always real and specific, thanks. I’ll probably do this on my car.
I use the DIY kit on my cars. Key tip, use an electric drill. Not a cordless. Speed is key on getting a good finish. Thanks for the safe t clear tip. I wa looking for a good clear that I could wipe on.
Both corded and battery powered drills are electric. 😄
Or an impact driver...3000rpm on those...& the ku-chuck-a-chuck reminds you to go light on the pressure;)
I have a bunch of drills, mostly cordless. The fastest corded model I have has a no-load speed of 950 RPM while the cordless range from 1300-1800 RPM.
Love your channel. Downside is I'm not getting much else done and I find myself spending way too much money on new tools - which I justify by telling myself the new tools will help me catch up on the stuff I'm not getting done. Besides, what's the fun in saving money DIY'ing if you can't spend some of that money on new tools.
Glad to see I'm not the only one struggling with rusty fasteners. Not glad you have to, just glad I'm not alone.
I watch SMA with Eric for real mechanical advice/ content. I watch scotty when I want mechanical humor. Chrisfix is not a real mechanic.
Right Chris is a diy guy with good content
I usually sand it down, same process as you, then put on plastic primer and regular UV resistant clear coat. Always works like a charm
Chris Fix, Scottie Kilmer debate... Ha ha ha awesome
Mark Kilroy
I love the jousting between all these mechanics. I worked in more than a few shops and saw this kind of thing all the time, you have a lot of egos, and personalities in this business so it's always going to be interesting and hilarious too.
Now all were missing is Eric the car guy with his LUX meter. We'll have ourselves a headlight show down. Winner is... SMA!
They are both complete douche nozzles but if I had to choose it would be Chris Fizz, at least he doesn't look like a registered sex offender
A Google User working in a real shop doesn't make you a better mechanic than the backyard mechanic because that backyard mechanic might be also working in a real shop !!!
@@paultribble7181 ChrisFix seems to be a pretty decent guy that doesn't cut corners and he's just sharing his experience with youtube and making money from it. I like Eric the same, you just end up with the every day examples from Eric because he runs a shop.
2k clearcoat is gonna be the most long-term solution. I've learned that the hard way. In florida just by buffing you get 3 months, the wipe on sealer lasts 6-12months, proper finish 2-5 years
Hey Guys Eric O here 👋🏼
I've used the 3M kit quite a few times. Always does the job. Great instructional video, and a good lesson for the girls.
Your the best of the best
I used the same clear coat in addition to what Scotty's method for headlights and it still works great today.
But how long does the lense retain it's clarity? My experience has been that in less than 6 months the lense is cloudy again. Oem replacements are really the only long term fix. Just my 2 cents
💀 exactly, don't waste your time sanding down old plastic, it's pointless
2/23/2020- I have a 1996 Chevy van, 1st of the new model , that lived in NJ and now PA outside all the time with crystal clear, plastic, headlights. I guess they cared back then . My 2005 malibu is worn typically by sun, salt, and sand not to mention the heat generated in the housing. Actually they are a second set. Cleaning does help but not more than 6 months or so. Just saying. I enjoy your programming and learned quite a bit and even laughed here and there. Thanks for the great work.
You are going to upset that loud old Toyota fan with your proper technique.
Mr. Toyota shows nothing. Eric spells it out. Kudos to Eric.
Scotty’s the man ! Ain’t that the truth! Amen
Rev up your engines!
Legion Frost amen
Lol
A few years ago I stumbled on a forum. The guy had a homemade clear coat that he made with some wood staining chemicals (not sure the formula) and he wiped it on with a blue towel. He then posted a 5 year update. Looked the same still with no fogging or yellowing.
*engine revving angrily in the distance*
then wrap with clear film. helps protect it from dings and fogging. pretty easy when you have power tools.. 3m is the best great video
You're wrong. Scottys way is right. He's been doing it for nearly 50 years ya know. Side note if it was a '94 celica it would've NEVER done this.
Absolutely! Eric O is a very bad mechanic for allowing Miss Hannah to buy a car that's not a '94 Celica obviously just so he can make money fixing it!!
Actually it's now 51 years. So Eric is even MORE wrong. I actually love watching both Scotty and Eric!
They used to pull teeth by slamming a door shut... Scottyz method... Or would you prefer the new way.. Novacain and an extractor?.... Scotty needs to retire
Slamming the door shut is quicker and doesn't require a dentist who had to attend medical school for several years so the old way is better, just like the '94 Celica
Well the old Celica likely had glass headlight lenses so it's true, it would never have done this..
The 3M consumer version worked well for me. The first step using the coarse grit sandpaper is a bit of a shock, thinking to myself, "what have I done ? "
Never tried using #1 or #2 to polish a headlight 😜
time for a glass headlights come back and I mean the good old sealed beam type and get rid of the ugly "bug-eyes"...
Those days are over and gone
Sealed plastic headlights in standard glass light configuration are available too. The argument that model-specific lights was made necessary by fuel economy standards is complete and utter hogwash.
@Zeksteve Looks, planned obsolescence, and profitability.
I miss the old glass sealed beams!! Just replace the whole thing, there were a few standard sizes, round and rectangular - cheap and easy!!
@@henrygonzalez1201
Nope.
I can get glass lenses to replace the plastic ones on my mk4 Jetta.
They are all the rage in the scene 😂😂
Hiya Prof. Eric!! Great vids...I always learn something. You give your customers 100% honesty. Now THAT'S how to get good word of mouth. Thanks for making your videos. God Bless.
0:45 Cloudy with a chance of Scotty roasts.
Chris and you (and ratchets) shows us a way to restore headlights that are already cloudy. Scotty was showing a way to keep brand new headlights looking new for years, but I would say most people would look up how to restore headlights once they are already cloudy. Scotty was weird in that sense of bashing chris. Great work as always.
If Scotty was bashing Chris, Scotty's a Twatty. 🖕 to him!
I've seen people complain about the silverstars not lasting long but the ones I put in my Rodeo have been in there about 5 years (original head lights had some for about the same amount of time) and the ones in my Volvo have been going for 6 years. It's my daily driver and Volvo uses them for the DRLs so they have had a lot of use.
I fixed the yellow plastic headlight problem permanently on my Rodeo. Thankfully Isuzu went to clear glass lenses for 2000-2002 model years. So I just swapped to those. The Volvo ones were developing micro cracks so they got replaced with new aftermarket ones.
Might have to check them out since my Volvo eats through atleast one headlight bulb every few months, you know there's a problem when you've mastered the pain in the ass bulb caps on the Volvo S80 lol.
Must have changed them from the V50/S40 design. Mine are super easy to work with. Except adjusting, that's a huge pain.
I've just looked at a video of a S40/V50 headlight bulb change and damn that's easy, love the "quick change" headlights. It's totally different on the S80 it's not that it's hard to do just fiddly with limited space to work in and poor visibility.