How long will the headlight lens stay clear? How to prevent discoloration?

[66six]

Has Ford figured a way to stop the headlights from discoloring and will this be a problem in the sun ?

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[balucipher]

I'll let you know in ten years

 

[66six]

Funny .good one.

 

[ElMaverick]

I plan on adding a very slight tint to my lights, no idea if it will protect them, but can easily be replaced when the vinyl fades

 

[SgtLip]

They are plastic. The will NEVER hold up to the sun.

I used to have a franchise repairing windshields and restoring headlights. Forget the toothpaste trick, it doesn't work. There isn't a lot you can do to keep them from discoloring and getting foggy. The good news is, as long as they are not cracked, they can be restored to total clarity. It takes work but they can look beautiful again. If in doubt, call your local Superglass Windshield Repair guy and he can help you.

 

[Speed2000]

You can get them covered with paint protection film. It has UV inhibitors and will keep them from getting pitted. The lights on my ten year old Acura with almost 170,000 miles are as clear as new

 

[SgtLip]

Please remember that whatever you put on them it will bake onto/into the plastic and expedite deterioration. You have the UV/heat from the sun baking the outside and the light and heat from the LED cooking the inside. They are not designed to last forever. You can polish and wax them. I apply ceramic coating on mine.

 

[vezpa]

Keep a good coat of wax on them just like the paint.

 

[jimmy fitzwell]

Has Ford figured a way to stop the headlights from discoloring and will this be a problem in the sun ?

My 2000 F150 lenses stayed clear for 13 years and 235k miles. My 2013 F150 lenses look brand new at 94k. Never treated either with anything.

 

[A Dodge that drives Fords]

I have a 20 year old ranger with a 4.0L (and I'm getting a hybrid) and the headlights are still clear never done anything but wash them with windshield washer fluid.

 

[Rkbrumbelow]

The headlamps will stay clear until you leave the lot. Gone are the days of glass lenses. They will have already started to degrade. It is a question then of how long until it is noticeable by you?

Keeping them clean and free of chemicals that are not designed for lenses will go a good ways to that end. As others have said, it depends on maintenance and where your driving habits take you. Sand will alter them more than rain. Sand at 65mph will alter them faster than sand at 35mph

 

[Rivers90]

Project Farm on youtube has a good test of kits to restore headlights. After watching this I restored some 20 year old lights that had some haze to them, they look good as new. The way to make the restore last is a uv coating made by 3M.
If I have to restore the headlights 20 years from now I will be ok with that.

 

[04mach146]

I'm thinking lights will go out b4 the plastic goes. I'd say get them both taken care of at the same time unless there isn't any noticeable change

 

[The Weatherman]

I plan on adding a very slight tint to my lights, no idea if it will protect them, but can easily be replaced when the vinyl fades

Checkout MrBoom_5.0 on the forum. He has several post regarding mods just like that.

 

[Dallas Maverick]

They are not designed to last forever.

I have been shot down many times on this forum by people telling me not to worry about replacement cost because the LED lights should be a 'life of the vehicle' part. Lens crazing and yellowing are not addressed though by Ford though. At $1k+ to replace, this just seems like a terrible solution. Sure, the LED may last forever, but the lenses won't and will have to be replaced, most likely in pairs...

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