Learn how to clean cloudy Car Headlights with these simple tips suggested by PartsAvatar Auto Parts!!

If your car’s headlights aren’t shining like they used to, here’s how you can do it yourself and save your hard earned cash!!-Brought to you by PartsAvatar Replacement Auto Parts!

If you’ve started to notice that your car’s headlights don’t shine as bright as they used to this could be a sign that they’re in need of sprucing up. It is necessary for the headlights to be kept clean as it keeps you safe on the road! Also if don’t want to earn a penalty ticket!!

Cleaning headlights isn’t a tough job. You don’t need to call a professional or need to replace car headlights if you think they aren’t working fine! Clean them first! You have got two choices: either restore old headlights with a restoration kit or spend $40 on new ones or even more depending on quality!!

If still, nothing changes, then you probably need replacement of car headlights.

Are they cloudy on outside??

Before you start cleaning headlight, make sure the cloudiness is on the outside of the lens. If you see moisture on the inside and some hairline cracks, then the problem is on inside and you will have to spend money on buying a new one.

Why do headlights become hazy or cloudy?

You keep your car shiny but can’t help noticing that your car’s headlights are foggy. So what’s making headlights cloudy even if you clean them? Mostly cars use halogen bulbs plugged in the back of a large plastic reflector. Outer surface of these headlamp modules is moulded polycarbonate plastic.

To combat the porous nature of plastic despite of being strong, they are covered with a protective film. The film over the years is exposed to heat from the bulb, UV rays and harsh chemicals that come up from the road. The film eventually fades and allows the plastic to become oxidized which gives headlights a cloudy look.

How to clean it? Read further!

Wash your car

The very first step, wash your car thoroughly. Washing the car will help in removing any surface dirt left on outside of lamp. Wash the headlights with regular car soap. Just give your car a wash with regular warm water or car wash soap. Wipe them carefully and let them dry. Now, you can examine what the problem is!

Look for hazing, yellowing, peeling and cracks

Now that you have washed the headlight, you can notice what the actual issue is. Haziness will be caused if the hard coat has worn off the headlights and soft polycarbonate is exposed beginning to absorb scratches that create hazing.

If this is the problem, doing a cheap quick clean can be effective.

Yellowing is caused when the entire hard coat begins to thin out and lose adhesion to polycarbonate lens. The UV spectrum creates a new repeating unit in carbonic chain which blue light and ultimately leads to yellowish appearance. Using some polishing compound or rain X you can clean the yellowish coloring.

When the hard coat begins to deteriorate, it will appear to flake off or peel off. They will develop cracks deep into the lens and it will need to be resurfaced by a professional. Cracking is the worst case- you might need to replace them with new ones!

Sanding

Sandpaper is used to scuff away the outer layer of haze. 3M is the best brand for sandpaper. But before beginning the task, make sure to buy some blue, low tack painter’s masking tape. Mask the area that needs to be polished.

This isn’t necessary but to protect your car’s paint job, it won’t hurt you to do so. Before sanding, wipe down the headlights once more for your own satisfaction. You can use a bit of alcohol to rub and use clean paper towel to wipe it down.

This is the most important step, so be precise. Soak a piece of 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper in cold water for at least 10 minutes. You can even use pressure to sand away the yellowing until you get a dull surface.

Use light straight strokes as sanding technique. Cover the entire surface sanding back and forth in one direction. Make sure not to let the surface dry while you work. Repeat the process until the finish changes from dull to satiny.

Don’t rush this part. Sand until pits, scratches are gone.

Now perform the same operation with 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper this time sanding at the right angles to the previous work. Keep the paper wet, repeat the procedure until the abrasive powder is eliminated. Repeat it with 2000, 2500 and 3000 grit wet/dry sandpaper.

Polishing

Once you are done with the sanding, it’s time to polish the headlight. Use some buffing compound which are available are auto parts store. For cheap option use can use toothpaste (plain blue) to clean headlights of car.

Take a clean towel, apply some compound and work n circular motion, polishing repeatedly. As the polish gets ground into the cloth and dries out, it lifts the haziness right off the lens.

Continue rubbing until the headlight looks clear. Apply some elbow grease and soften any remaining clear coat. Next wet sand the lens in the circular pattern with medium pressure, starting with coarsest sandpaper and work your way to the finest grit.

Re wet the lens frequently with clean water. Go until you are satisfied. Clean off the entire polishing compound and make sure the headlight lens is dry before you apply the new clear coat. Now wax the lens thoroughly with a paste car wax. This will keep the headlight safe from acid rain, dirt and road salt.

Now check the car headlights by parking the car a few inches away from the door or the wall and check the beams.

Clean off the polishing compound and make sure the headlight lens is dry before you apply the new clear coat. Wipe on the clear coat and let it dry for at least four to six hours before heading off to road.

Remember, if your car’s headlights are beyond repair, you can be sure to find the right set for your vehicle at PartsAvatar Car Parts! Shop Today!!

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Losing control of your car is a scary experience. Learn how to prevent and correct skidding in bad weather conditions @PartsAvatar Car parts.

Canadian winters especially snow can turn a safe road into a slippery one. Don’t worry, Armed with our knowledge and inexpensive Aftermarket auto parts, Parts avatar Canada has all of your bases covered~ Care for your Car parts at partsavatar.ca !

Car skidding is very dangerous and sometimes it can lead grave accidents in the road. You will notice skidding generally happening on wet or slippery surfaces.

Bad weather conditions like snow, rain or ice can turn a safe road into risky one. It can be a terrifying experience for you when you feel that you have lost control of your car when it skids out all of a sudden. While experiencing skidding if try many options like slamming brakes, turning the wheels in opposite direction or staring at the object we are about to hit, but unfortunately these measures are going to make the impact of skid worse. As the least damage impact you will need to replace auto steering system parts and car brake parts as they become prematurely worn.

So what makes your car skid? How to prevent it? How to steer out of skid? Read this article for your safety on icy or wet roads and avoid skid with preventive measures suggested by parts avatar.

Skid and its types

Skidding happens when your car loses traction from its wheels which can cause it to move uncontrollably. Either front wheels or rear wheels can experience traction lose in skid situation. In such situations, your tires may lose the control and grip on the road and will start sliding uncontrollably.

Keep in mind that if the tires don’t grip the ground it is like driving on the block of ice i.e. you will keep on sliding here and there until you crash into other object. In such situation, you will make things worse by applying brakes or tuning the wheel. In turn you will end up ruining brake pads and will need to replace car’s brake pads. There are different kinds of skid that you can face on slippery roads. Have a look!

Under steer or Front wheel traction lose

Under steer is caused when your front car wheels lose traction while cornering. When you turn into a corner, the front wheels slide sideways which means that the car travels forward rather than turning. You car will slide away from the centre of the curve and possibly hit the oncoming traffic. This is usually caused while taking a fast turn.

Under steer is the easiest type of skid to handle and also it is least dangerous. It can be caused either turning too fast into a corner or applying too much power as you exit the corner. If you turn to the corner too fast, the weight of the car shifts towards the sidewalls of the tires and it no longer provides gripping.

Over Steer or Rear wheel traction lose

Over steer happens when your car’s rear wheels lose traction while cornering. The wheels will slide towards the outside of the curve. Your car’s front end will point either to the left or the right of the intended path despite your steering input.

The front wheel begins to turn but the back wheel spins out to the outside of the curve causing the rear of the car to fishtail or slide from side to side. It has further sub types as: power over steer and lift off over steer.

Power over steer is usually used in drifting to achieve big, Smokey power slides. Only rear wheels can perform power slides. Lift off over steer is much pronounced in rear engine mid size cars like Toyota MR2. The solid lump of metal at the rear acts like a pendulum.

Hydroplaning

Hydroplaning or aquaplaning is caused when your car’s tires rise up on the top of a layer of water because the tread cannot disperse the water fast enough. Once this happens, you will briefly lose steering ability because your tires are unable to get any traction. This scenario happens when it is raining or snowing.

You will notice a small jerk in the direction you are heading once your tires regain traction. The shallower the tread on your tires the more likely you are to hydroplane.

Wheels locking up

Slamming or stepping on the car’s brakes too hard will cause the wheels to lock up. In such situations, avoid driving too close to the vehicle in front of you.

If your car’s wheels lock up, don’t accelerate further. Instead carefully steer the vehicle and brake slowly. If the roads have thick sheet of ice on them, wheels can lock up due to the tires attempting to grip the surface of the road.

What to do?

There is no different process of recovering from a skid for front and rear wheel drives.

Take your feet off the pedal

Whenever you feel like your car is skidding the first thing to do is to get your foot of the accelerator. Do not press the brake pedal as it may make things worse. It is useless to apply brakes in such situation and the acceleration is the root cause for skidding.

To slow down the car let your skidding tires gain some traction and they will eventually contribute in slowing your car down. Do not panic and get your feet off the accelerator and brake pedal.

Gentle steering input

Always steer in the direction you want the car to go. It is foolish to steer into the skid.  While the car is skidding, look directly at where you want to go not at the objects you want to avoid. For example if you focus on a tree, your hands will follow your direction and that’s where you are going to end up.

Whether your front or rear wheels are skidding, correct direction to steer is inevitably in the opposite direction that your front end is headed. So, once you know the direction to steer, make sure to steer gently.

Re- distribution of vehicle weight

As you begin to regain the traction on wheels, you’ll want to gently apply the brakes or the accelerator. Gentle braking is done to re distribute the weight to those wheels which will help them gain even more traction. So, if your front wheels are skidding, you will want to apply brakes gently and if the rear wheels are experiencing a skid then you will find the need to gently apply the accelerator.

So all in all, depending on the type of skid (rear or front), apply brake or the accelerator gently.

Few tips for preventing skids

There are easy techniques that can keep you safe and prevent skid situation to happen.

1. Choose the speed according to weather condition. It is advised to drive slowly on wet, icy or snowy conditions. Fast driving often results in skidding.

2. Avoid phone calls and other distracting chores while driving and keep your hands on the steering and eyes focused on the road.

3. Maintain a proper distance between you and the car ahead of you. This way you will have plenty of space to react if something happens.

4. Decrease the car’s speed while taking a turn – it will help you stay in control.

5. Check your tires tread depth. Tread determines the traction on the road.

Using these techniques will help to prevent skidding and gain control of the car. Be attentive, stay calm and keep both hands on steering for a safe drive.

Partsvatar is the leading dealer of aftermarket auto parts across Canada. Visit partsvatar replacement auto parts for the best deal!

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