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How To Restore Your Headlights

May 17th, 2024 | 2 min. read

Victor H.

Victor H.

Certified Content Writer at Big Valley Auto Auction. Victor likes to mix storytelling and humor into his articles.

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When your teeth begin to lose their white color, you brush them and use mouthwash to clean and restore them. This is similar to restoring your vehicle’s headlights.

 

Although Big Valley Auto Auction can’t restore your teeth, we can restore your headlights. We’ve been providing headlight restoration services since 2008, and we want to show you how you can restore your vehicle’s headlights yourself.

 

In this article, you’re going to learn what headlight restoration is, the supplies you need, how to restore them, the benefits of restoring your headlights, and what to avoid.

 

After reading this article, you’ll have the information needed to properly restore your headlights yourself.

 

What Does Headlight Restoration Do?

Headlight restoration repairs your headlights from sun damage. Sunlight causes headlights to turn yellow. Restoring them cleans them up.

 

What Supplies Do I Need to Restore My Headlights?

There are 4 things you need to restore your headlights:

  • Sanding paper
  • Water
  • Buffing machine
  • Tape
  • Cloth 

 

How Do I Restore My Headlights?

There are 5 steps you need to take to restore your headlights.

  • Put tape around the headlights to avoid damaging the paint
  • Wash the headlight lens
  • Sand it down with water
  • Buff
  • Clear it with a cloth

If there are still yellow spots, repeat the process.

 

What Are the Benefits of Headlight Restoration?

Restoring your headlights can cause them to have better visibility at night. Cleaner headlights allow more light to shine through.

 

What Should I Avoid Doing When Restoring My Headlights?

There are 2 things you should avoid when restoring your headlights:

 

Too Much Pressure With Sandpaper

Going too hard with sandpaper scratches the headlights.

 

Too Much Pressure With Buffing Machine

Applying too much pressure will create swirls on the lens.

 

Do I Know How to Restore My Headlights?

Just like restoring your teeth makes them look brighter, restoring your headlights can improve their brightness and visibility.

 

Whether you’re a car dealer preparing to sell a vehicle with dirty headlights or you’re just a car owner who wants to know how to restore your headlights, you can use this article as a step-by-step guide for DIY headlight restoration.

 

If you’d prefer an auto auction to restore your vehicle’s headlights, Big Valley Auto Auction provides a $40 Headlight Restoration service for registered dealers. You can click the button below to speak with our dealer registration specialist to get you registered.

Meet With A Dealer Registration Specialist

Not ready to talk? That’s okay! First, learn more about what it’s like to buy and sell at Big Valley Auto Auction by clicking the image below:

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