Yellowing headlights - how to treat?

X51 996 · 12 Apr 2017

Buy one of the 3M kits and do them yourself.

Takes all of 2 minutes to pop the lights out using the factory tool, you can work on them at your leisure.

Probably half an hour or so per side. The kit is about £20 to buy. There are cheaper options but it's convenient and has everything you need in one package.

Before and after:

(Photos not great but gives you an idea)

If they ever need a once over in the future you'll still have plenty of polish in the kit and won't need to remove the damaged coating next time - probably 5 mins work but most people don't seem to have any problems :thumb:

Robertb · 12 Apr 2017

Half an hour per side, blimey, you must move around like a blur!

Agreed though, it really is not hard with the 3M kit, and oddly satisfying.

X51 996 · 12 Apr 2017

Well it was a few months ago, from memory about 5 mins with the first sanding stage, same again with the second and the third and probably 10-15 minutes to polish up afterwards.

Certainly quicker than the time it would have taken to drive somewhere for them to do it instead :thumbs:

You could spend longer if you wanted? Just like polishing a car really :wink:

Panda996 · 16 Apr 2017

Robertb said:
Panda996 said:

http://www.foggyheadlights.co.uk/

Had mine done for £45 each by Lucien, based in Slough but a mobile service all around South East
Go through website or email him direct on [email protected]

Click to expand...

Sounds like a bargain... did you see what process he used?

Panda996 · 16 Apr 2017

Panda996 said:
Robertb said:

Panda996 said:

http://www.foggyheadlights.co.uk/

Had mine done for £45 each by Lucien, based in Slough but a mobile service all around South East
Go through website or email him direct on [email protected]

Click to expand...

Sounds like a bargain... did you see what process he used?

Click to expand...

He used the 3M products. Said he had done the 3M training course and as such could buy the better/stronger products. (Not sure if that's a fact but the stuff he had was very effective)
Simple job, he masked up the wing & bonnet and went through the various sanding compounds. The finish was excellent. Would recommend. And he comes to your house so why bother going anywhere else when you can sit at home and watch him for less than £100 a pair (price was a few years old so maybe bit more now)

4b4 · 18 Apr 2017

Anyone know of someone who offers a mobile service in Suffolk?

Ursa911 · 18 Apr 2017

Done by Lee at Fox Detailing nr Tonbridge. Did the pair for £80, no hassle involved for me opting to travel the 20min run out to his yard although he is mobile. Thoroughly nice bloke, makes a decent cuppa and talks you through his work step by step as you watch the lights transform before your eyes. He's insured, he has a contract with Nissan dealers for their customer vehicles and whats more, i no chance of me c@cking it up

Steve Gom · 18 Apr 2017

Managed to spruce mine up with a combination of snow foam and T-cut. Sorry, didn't get a before pic. They weren't yellow, just really dull.

jerzybondov · 13 Dec 2017

I took my iffy yellowed light down to E&A Coachworks (http://www.eacoachworks.com) in Wembley in the end. Spoke to Chris there, lovely guy. Turned it round in a day for me - £50+VAT.

They sand it down (polishing doesn't do the job well enough he reckons) then lacquer it with the same lacquer they use on their resprays which stops the UV yellowing it again.

Top job, very happy. Now it matches the other one

FZP · 13 Dec 2017

Has anyone tried the ok toothpaste solution. I've been told it has enough abbrasive material to break the oxidisation layer. Worth a try?

X51 996 · 13 Dec 2017

Not being funny but the 3M kit is circa £20?

Toothpaste won't work. It might get you through a borderline MoT fail situation but won't remove the damaged lacquer etc. You need wet/dry sandpaper and a proper polishing compound to do that :thumbs:

Can't see any 911 owner struggling to find £20 to restore a set of headlights that cost four figures each new! And it's a lot less hassle as you get the attachment for use with a drill, it would take forever to do by hand and never look anywhere near as good.

kurlykris · 13 Dec 2017

Just been looking for a HID kit for my 996.1 and came across this for headlight restoration :

https://www.hids4u.co.uk/twenty20-crystalite-rapid-headlight-restoration.html

Looks to me , as one of the commentors says, might be usefull after sanding off the yellowing UV layer :?:

Has anyone used these Hids4U HID kits or can recommend a good product, as I know some of the cheap HID kits are a bit rubbish :?:

Phil 997 · 13 Dec 2017

To stop it coming back you really need to apply a clearcoat laquer afterwards. my bodyshop did mine :thumb:

kurlykris · 13 Dec 2017

Phil 997 said:
To stop it coming back you really need to apply a clearcoat laquer afterwards. my bodyshop did mine :thumb:

I`m going to sort mine out over Christmas Phil, a good sanding, clearcoat and then polish after fitting a suitable HID upgrade to the "candles" that I have at the min :sad:

I just thought that wipe thingy might be OK for someone who is scared to death of an electric drill and sandpaper :grin:

Phil 997 · 13 Dec 2017

kurlykris said:
Phil 997 said:

To stop it coming back you really need to apply a clearcoat laquer afterwards. my bodyshop did mine :thumb:

Click to expand...

I`m going to sort mine out over Christmas Phil, a good sanding, clearcoat and then polish after fitting a suitable HID upgrade to the "candles" that I have at the min :sad:

I just thought that wipe thingy might be OK for someone who is scared to death of an electric drill and sandpaper :grin:

Good call Kris it will keep you out of the way of family lol . see if you can get before and after pics mate and a bit of a how to as its a subject that keeps coming up on both the 996 and 997s :thumb:

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