Tacoma plastic headlight covers

My 2007 truck has extreme "weathering" of the driver side headlight cover. Why the heck would one side age faster than the other? It looks like steel wool has been rubbed on it for hours, maybe crazed is the right word. I do some driving on dirt roads and have marks from bushes and scrub on both left and right sides, not just the left. Its disappointing to have to replace one after just 4 years use.

Reply to
Stumpy
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If by "weathering", you mean badly fogged looking, then you may be able to restore it to clear again with this product (or similar):

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Good luck!

dan

Reply to
dan

Good idea, it had some positive reviews. Didn't occur to me to polish the headlight covers. I have some old carnauba wax in the garage. Wonder if it can take the high beams. I'll do a test.

Reply to
Stumpy

You need to POLISH it first BEFORE waxing. The "polishing" may involve staring with 600 grit wet sandpaper, going down ro 1500, then 2000 - then polishing with a "rouge" type polisg, before "sealing" or protecting with wax, or better yet, a sealer DESIGNED for the purpose - like Plastex, etc.

Had the same problem on my PT Cruiser and Mystique

Reply to
clare

The wax was all dried up - must have been 20 years old. Found some Meguilar's Mirror Glaze 17 which says that it will remove fine scratches from clear plastics. Tried polishing 3 times. It looks better, but the crazing seems to be mostly on the inside. Didn't really work.

If I'm going to the trouble of removing the cover to polish the inside, I might as well buy a replacement. Might save the old one and have it ready for 2016.

Reply to
Stumpy

TRY the sandpaper first - if it works - good. If not you haven't lost anything. I started with 600 and soapy water, went to 1000 with WSW fluid, the 2000 with WSW fluid, then plastex and a sponge.

Reply to
clare

Found out that the cover is part of headlight assembly. $65 @ JCWitney.

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The local O'Reilly had a $7 Turtle Wax kit with manual sanding pads - It worked pretty good, but I think I'll be doing this more than once. Will order the drill disk system Dan mentioned for $17 and settle for whatever improvement I can get.The 3M drill disks are for next time.

There is a big difference in how far the headlights project the beam after polishing.

Reply to
Stumpy

Reply to
Stumpy

So does Chrysler, GM, Ford and a host of other manufacturers who are having EXACTLY the SAME problem.

Reply to
clare

i've found brasso best for clearing plastic. model builders have used it for years to make canopys look like glass. it works on headlight stuff, too. use a buffer pad on a wheel. costs about $6

Reply to
someone

Look into some stuff called jeweler's rouge. Comes in a stick and applied directly to a buffer wheel. Best wear eye protection as it can cause eye damage.

Reply to
NotMe

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