Simply put, it does what's it's supposed to. This bad boy turned my almost beyond redemption - yellow crust covered headlights into working headlights again. It didn't turned them into 100% "like new" headlights but it did restore about 90% of their long gone "Like new" look. Which was more than enough to pass with flying colors the rigorous Maryland State inspection, which was basically the reason I purchased this thing in the first place.
Just a word of warning: Grab yourself a low stool or chair to sit down in front of your headlights at a comfortable level and 2 or 3 servings of the cold drink of your choice and Be prepared to spend the most boring hour of your life rubbing this thing until your forearms go numb. Yes, this thing works but it's 50% elbow grease powered. But for 10 bucks and with the included pads, you can't go wrong. Oh, and you'll only spend about 1/4 of the contents on the job (2 headlights). So I'd say this kit lasts enough to restore the headlights in 4 vehicles. 1 more thing: Make sure to have a little bit of car wax at hand before starting the job. You'll need it at the end to seal the finish and it's not included in the kit. (I noticed this just when I was ready to begin and I had to drop everything and make a run to store for some wax) All in all, just for the bang for your buck and the effectiveness of the product, 5 stars. Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit
I actually bought this kit plus the 3M Headlight Lens Restoration System kit.
Quick rundown on the differences:
3M Headlight Lens Restoration System
* $12 after rebate
* drill attachment
* dry sanding method
* comes with a small bag of polish compound
* lens protectant sold separately
Turtle Wax T-240KT Headlight Lens Restorer Kit
* $8 no rebate
* no drill attachment
* wet sanding method
* comes with a bottle of polish compound
* lens protectant included
Being a cheaper kit, I had my doubts because of the hand sanding method, but result turns out better than the 3M kit. It's mainly due to the included sealant though. This thing seals off any remaining scratch and dry off to protect the lens from further damage, a very nice touch by Turtle Wax. 3M sold the sealant separately so if you plan on using the 3M kit, careful because the result may not be permanent. Go with Turtle Wax if you are willing to spend extra times using hand (less risky than using drill if you ask me), the result is simply amazing and it cost less.
I was very impressed with this product. It was easy to use (as in not complicated, but it did require some elbow grease) and very effective in my case.
I was expecting to have to work very hard to restore one of the headlights on my 13 year old Z3. When I bought the car, one headlight looked almost new because it had been replaced a few years ago, but the other was very clouded and didn't put out much light.
Per the instructions I tried the compound on the lens first. If that fails you're supposed to use the sanding pads and lubricant. It took about 10 minutes of rubbing but the compound alone was enough to completely clear the lens. It worked so well I had to polish the other lens to make them match. I never even had to use the sanding pads.
It's been 2 months since doing the repair and both headlights still look almost new. Definitely time and money well spent.
I used this on a 1995 Mazda Protege where the headlight on one side had yellowed much more than the other, presumably from the car being parked in the same place all the time and having different exposure to the sun.
This kit didn't work very well on the extreme yellow ... I went from the cream to the pads to my own fine-grit (800, I think) sandpaper and various buffing compounds. The final result after a couple of hours, on ONE headlight, was only OK -- but good enough to pass Virginia inspection.
I don't know if it was the age of the car, or Mazda's type of plastic lens, or something else. But if your car is old or heavily yellowed, you might try a Plan B.
So, I actually had already purchased two new headlights for my wife's 1996 Ford Contour to the tune of about $200 when I came upon this product. Two hours later, I had shipped the headlights back and had two, crystal clear, gleaming, "like-new" headlights. Yellow crustiness was gone and they look better than I've ever seen them. Granted, and like everyone else on here has said, you have to put some "elbow grease" into this, but it is very much worth the time, energy and money. Be sure you have some car wax on hand after you're finished to complete this project per the instructions. Also, another guy on here said to grab a stool or something to sit on while you do this and to him I say "Thank You".
In short:
Saved: $190.00 (mailed new headlights back)
Spent: $8.49
Time: About 45 minutes
Results: Excellent.
Until a few short years ago, yellowed, hazy plastic headlight lenses meant one of two things: Have them professionally restored, or, replace them. Either way, the solution wasn't cheap. As the major players in do-it-yourself car care have produced and marketed their individual products for headlight restoration, I've tried them just to see which ones are worth a damn and which ones aren't and so far each has performed well with the end result being largely the same: clear or clearer headlight lenses. There are two main differences in the products across the board. One is obvious and the other not so obvious. The obvious difference is the price of the respective restoration kits. The Turtle Wax kit is the least expensive and while Flitz will set you back about $30.00. Meguiar's and 3M are right in the middle at around $15-$18. But if all of them do a decent job, why spend the extra money for the more respected names? I mean, that's really all your paying for right? No. The other difference I mentioned, the not so obvious one, is the strength of the product and ease of use. Depending how bad your lenses have become, the Turtle Wax kit will have you spending quite a while exerting a fair amount of energy sanding and rubbing and buffing to achieve the results you desire. If your lenses are the color of a cloudy urine, you're in for a good hour or more to get your lenses clear/clearer. The 3M kit comes with a drill attachment which eliminates the need for sanding by hand but, in the wrong, over-aggressive hands, will surely mean burned or badly damaged lenses very quickly. The key to the kits which employ a sanding disk which attaches to your drill is to keep the RPM's low and to minimize the amount of heat while still applying a fair amount of friction. All of the kits do one common thing. They remove a small amount of plastic from the outer portion of the lens via the use of sand paper and chemicals. Another BIG consideration when choosing which kit to buy is the long-term performance of the clarifier: the clear liquid which is applied as the final step in the restoration process. The clarifier does two things: Its shiny, clear makeup clarifies or virtually erases the dull appearance the plastic lens has very much like the way acrylic floor finish brightens up and shines a dull floor. The other thing the clarifier does is provides UV protection to the lens. I don't have enough data yet to state whether any of the brands uses a superior clarifying solution to any of the others. I can tell you that no matter which one you choose to purchase, you need to go one step further and apply a good, heavy coat of Caranauba wax to your freshly restored lenses. This will help resist the yellowing exponentially as well as to help protect the micro-thin layer of clarifier you applied.
The bottom line is this: You will achieve the same results no matter which of the brands you choose. The amount of work you will be required to do is in direct proportion to the cost of the product.
TIP: No matter which brand you choose to purchase, it's vital that you do not get the freshly restored lens wet for several hours after applying the clarifier. It's best to let it cure overnight and then apply the wax I mentioned above prior to the lenses being exposed to water. - Headlight - Clean Headlights - Car Care - Turtle Wax'
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