Prevent Headlight Fading with These Tips from an Auto Body Shop in Middletown, NJ

When you were learning to drive, your parents likely gave you some good preventative maintenance advice—for example, check the tire pressure often, test all the lights from time to time, change the oil regularly and keep it clean inside and out. Take care of your car and it should get you from point A to point B without a hitch. Unfortunately, many of us were not told to watch for the signs of worn or aging headlight fixtures, including yellowing, dullness or cloudiness. If ignored, you may end up needing major repairs or even a complete replacement.

The most common causes of headlight fading include regular exposure to nasty air pollution, road dust and debris, everyday airborne contaminants and ultraviolet sunlight. All these things and more contribute to the eventual wear and tear of originally clear headlight covers, whether they’re made of glass or plastic.

Here are some tips from an auto body shop in Middletown, NJ to help you prevent headlight fading.

Wash and polish headlight area

Depending on the state of your fading headlights, you will either have an easy time cleaning them or need to put some elbow grease into it. Start by gently washing the headlight covers and surrounding areas of the car. Lenses that are not too damaged may do with a simple polishing, but others need a more substantial cleaning. If you plan on leaving the covers on the vehicle during the cleaning, you’ll want to protect the layer of paint around the headlight with heavy-duty auto paint tape. Plastic covers can be scrubbed with sandpaper and then polished with a fine polishing product before being sealed to protect it from the sun.

Park out of direct sunlight

Most autos are fitted with strong plastic headlight covers that can oxidize, causing yellowish clouding to occur. One of the simplest ways to prevent yellowing and clouding is to park your vehicle out of the direct sunlight, either in the shade, in a garage or under a driveway carport. If you do not have a garage or another enclosure to cover your car, you must take the proper maintenance steps to preserve your headlights.

Clean so you don’t have to replace

You now know that constant exposure to harsh sunlight, air pollutants, road dust, dirt and more can take a toll on your headlights. To keep them from fading, you should clean and maintain them at home, which is more cost-effective than having to replace them when they dull beyond repair. Wash your entire vehicle regularly, and self-restore dulled headlights by cleaning, sanding, polishing, waxing and sealing.

Even though you may wash your vehicle on a regular basis, park in the shade whenever possible and maintain the headlight covers, there may come a time when you will need to seek professional assistance. From auto repairs to full detailing, Lentz Auto Body is the auto body shop in Middletown, NJ that always has you covered. Contact us today to schedule an appointment—we look forward to assisting you!

Categorised in: Auto Body Shop

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