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1/9/2014

Trying to sell a car with cloudy headlights?

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Picture Christler Mini Van Headlights before restorationClick to enlarge
When most people put their car up for sale, they usually do the normal things like wash it and vacuum it out, maybe wipe down the vinyl, dash & door panels with some kind of cleaner.
Some take it a step further by cleaning and dressing the tires, dressing the interior, cleaning the windows or maybe even waxing the whole car!

We do it to make the car look better and more attractive to a potential buyer, and it also raises the value of the vehicle; the more the customer likes it, the more you can get for it. Or at least maybe less or no haggling over price.

How many cars or trucks can you think of that you've seen (For Sale) on the roadsides that had cloudy headlights?

You may recall one or two that you have seen recently, but most people won't remember seeing any; because they didn't give that car a second thought.

No matter how good the rest of the car looked, the headlights killed it!

Now in all fairness, me being in the business of restoring headlights, I tend to notice foggy and clouded  headlights more than your average Joe, so I don't expect people to remember something like that anyway.

My point is, that a small investment in having the headlights restored can raise the value of any vehicle by hundreds of dollars!

 Otherwise the work you've put into making it look better is all for nothing!

“Restoring your headlights can make your whole car look better; But restoring your whole car can't make your headlights look any better.”  

By Scott Summerson.

Picture Christler Mini Van Headlights after Restoration
Click to enlarge

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1/1/2014

Driving Safety and your Headlights

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Picture of a vehicles headlights on a foggy night.
First I'd like to ask you a few questions.
  1. When you put new tires on your car, do you do it because they look better, or for safety reasons?

  2. When you replace your windshield wipers, do you do it so the wiper arm doesn't scratch the windshield, or for better visibility & safety?

  3. When you have a headlight or taillight bulb go out, do you replace it because it's the law, or so you can see or be seen better by other people?

  4. When you buckle you and your children into their car seat, do you do it because it's the law, or for their protection & safety?

We do things every day without really thinking about the real reason as to why we are doing them. Little (no brainer) things like looking and slowing before we cross an intersection, and letting off the accelerator when we see a potential hazard.
These are just a couple of examples of our automatic reactions; as with the 4 questions above, they are all for our own safety. So what about restoring their headlights?

What I don't understand is why people think it is safe to drive with clouded headlights? Or do they even think about it at all? And if not; Why not?

I mean do people really believe that the light projecting through that dirty lens is the same as if it was a new clear headlight lens?
I just don't know??

I do know that restoring your headlights is well worth the cost compared to the cost of vehicle damage or injury!
What ever the case; here's something to consider about headlights, safety and FL. State Laws.
Florida State Law Requirements for line of site on automotive headlights:
Florida Statutes  316.237 Multiple-beam road-lighting equipment.

(a) There shall be an uppermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of such intensity as to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 450 feet ahead for all conditions of loading.

(b) There shall be a lowermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 150 feet ahead; and on a straight level road under any condition of loading none of the high intensity portion of the beam shall be directed to strike the eyes of an approaching driver.

An object, material, or covering that alters the headlamp’s visibility from at least 450 feet for an uppermost distribution of light or at least 150 feet for a lowermost distribution of light may not be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied over a headlamp.

Now, most Florida Law Enforcement Officers will not pull you over, or give you a ticket for oxidized or clouded headlights; However if you are ever involved in a (vehicle to vehicle) or (vehicle to pedestrian) accident, That may seemingly not be your fault; You could still be charged for that accident, and or be sued by the other party involved on the grounds of knowingly opperating a motor vehicle with impaired or distorted headlights.
Remember: “Ignorance is no excuse for the Law” to an Officer's eyes as well as the courts!
Published by Scott Summerson

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11/21/2013

2004 BMW 530i Headlights Restored

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2004 BMW 530i before and after headlight restoration image.BMW 530i - Click to enlarge
These headlights were tough! Especially since I don't use any power tools (by choice). I had to start out with 400 grit paper for about 20 minutes or so on each light.

I spent more time on these lights than normal,
but I always get a charge out of a challenge that turns out great!

And Larry
the owner gave me a great review!:

I had Scott out today to do my lenses, and they look 1000% better!
Scott was right in his comment about folks typically trying the DIY method first!
That was just my approach, and by the time I found the task to be beyond my endurance and knowledge, I was TOTALLY ready to have a "Pro" go at it!
If they are bad, my input is to not even think about the DIY approach - you will be calling Scott soon, so why not save the cost of the initial outlay?
Take a look at that 530i - the before pics are AFTER my wife and I spent three hours with our DIY!
In three hours, including our non-stop BSing, Scott was able to completely turn it around! Look at those lenses!
As Scott posted "I can See!" Now, to be fair, I will be looking critically after a couple of months, and will be back here for an update - which I fully expect will be even more positive in the aggregate!
Thanks, Scott!

Larry M.  Inglis, FL.


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11/15/2013

Some deductive reasoning on headlight oxidation 

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PictureClick image to enlarge
This is what I believe is the main cause of oxidation build-up on your headlights.......
Ok, so a (UV) coating is applied to your factory Auto headlight lenses to help protect these newer polycarbonate headlight and taillight lenses from the elements as well as the suns harmful (UV) rays.
It took scientific processes, testing and retesting  to create these new Polycarbonate lenses as well as the (UV) coating that is applied to them.

In time this UV coating develops a layer of film over the surface, a combination of microscopic air-borne contaminants oils, road grime and other air borne debris is what the film is made up from and is cooked onto the lenses from the heat of the lights.

I believe this because in most cases I've seen if a car has turn signal lenses that are separate from the headlight lenses the turn signal lenses will have little or no oxidation.

This TOYOTA shown above is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
NOTE: The top image, separate lenses. This is a before & after I restored the headlights, but I didn't do anything to the side lenses.

So I thought, why is the headlight so badly oxidated yet the turn signal looks great!
Well the sun should be shinning equally on both lenses and be receiving the same amount of UV-Rays as well as heating up to the same temperatures without the lights being on.

The lights are not in the same housing and the turn signal and park light bulbs do not get as hot as the halogen headlight bulbs do and the headlight casings are not vented near enough to disperse so much heat.

So I believe that most oxidation build-up occurs when your headlights are on, especially for long periods of time, Day or Night while driving.


Eventually this oxidation will damage your factory UV coating and resurfacing them will be your only option. So it is best to have them de-oxidized in the early stages of oxidation. Before it starts to distort your headlight beam and range of view. By Scott Summerson

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11/5/2013

Shop Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30th 2013

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Picture
You get your coffee here.
You get your haircut here.
You find that certain thing you were looking for, here.
But actually, you get so much more.
When you shop at these small local businesses, you support all the things that make your community great.

The money you spend here, stays here. In this place you call your neighborhood. #ShopSmall #ShopSmallBizSat 
Small Business Saturday is November 30th. Get out and shop small.

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10/22/2013

About water or condensation accumulation inside your headlights & what to do about it.

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Picture of a headlight with condensation on the inside of the lens.
First of all, occasional condensation is normal.
If it never seems to dry up, that's not right.

Some headlight manufacturers add vent holes or slots in the tops, bottoms or at the back of the light housing so that any condensation accumulation can evaporate and to allow for pressure differences within the light housing. There are a few ways that condensation can form inside your lights:

  1. If you park in shaded, cool damp areas with high humidity can cause condensation. If this happens and the moisture doesn't go away the next time you use your lights, then the vent holes may be plugged up with debris. or a crack in the lens or the seam is leaking. Vent holes will sometimes be in the back and near the top of the assembly, and may have a plastic or rubber piece surrounding the opening so that debris or water can not enter. If no vents are found, Then you can follow the steps in scenario #3.

  2. After driving at night when your hot lights are cooling down, if there is moisture in the air, the cooling can draw in the moisture through the vent holes which can cause condensation to form, but usually doesn't last.

  3. If there is a crack in the lens where rain water can get to it, then you will usually see larger droplets and puddles in the bottom from leakage, in this case you should remove the light housing and make sure the vent holes if there are any are clean. If no vent hole is found, then you can drill a couple of small holes across the bottom of your headlight housing. If air can not access the inside of your headlight assembly, the evaporated moisture has no place to go, and will remain inside the light. This should help this problem.

The most common cause for excessive moisture inside your headlights is in the seam where the lens meets the housing, the extreme heat generated by the halogen or Xenon bulbs will dry out the adhesive and cause it to develop tiny cracks that can allow water to access it.

Many after market headlight lenses can leak in this way when they are brand new, because they are sub-standard and may not seal well during manufacturing.

If water can come in contact with the back of your headlight housing, then you should make sure the seals & gaskets are good around where your light bulbs go in. this applies to all the lights on the vehicle

How it works:
If your lens is not leaking, then the cause of condensation buildup inside your lights can work much like when your windshield fogs up from driving through a warm moist air pocket while driving in cold weather. The temperature differences from inside to out side can cause fogging of the windshield, and this can happen with your headlight too, but usually doesn't last long.

How do I dry out my headlights?
The best way for your average Joe to dry out his headlight lens housing is to remove the light bulb and in some newer cars the larger rubber plug and use a hair dryer, but don't cover the entire hole, keep the dryer away from opening so that the moist air can escape, and do not set dryer on the hottest setting. For light to moderate condensation, they should be dry in a matter of minutes. The hair dryer works much like the defroster for your windshield.

Below is a video from Kent Bergsma a Mercedes mechanic, and he discusses some possible reasons why your headlight may be accumulating  moisture inside, and he also demonstrates what he does to fix the problem on his own vehicle. This is a common problem, and the principles apply to most vehicles on the road today.
Note: The strapping tape that he talks about, is a clear tape that has nylon fibers running parallel to the linear part of the tape that prevents it from stretching.

I hope this info helps!

By Scott Summerson

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10/21/2013

Car to Deer Collisions, are your headlights clear? 

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Picture

Yes September starts deer mating and hunting season. So the deer will be on the move and October through December are the months that most Car to Deer Collisions happen in the United States. All states with Deer populations report much higher numbers of accidents involving Deer during these months. 


Restoring your headlights and improving your line of sight while driving at night becomes that much more important to your family's safety.

Watch this awesome video below to learn more about why deer act the way they do when a vehicle approaches them.

The U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station wildlife biologist Sandra Jacobson and her partners have produced a video called "Avoiding Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions"  That you can view below. 

This 25 min. video should be viewed in it's entirety and discusses the Western & Eastern Deer populations of the continental U.S. 

Awesome information about why deer freeze when they see headlights, and what you should look for when driving day & night to avoid a collision!

Video credit and reference report Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Forest Service. 

I hope this info helped with any questions you may have had about deer.

By Scott Summerson

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10/21/2013

Introduction

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Scott's Mobile Headlight Restoration Service
Hello, Scott here, do you have foggy headlights? I am a local service provider serving Florida's West Citrus & South Levy Counties including S.W. Marion County Dunnellon area. Your Premier Mobile Headlight Restoration Specialist.
I will travel farther for either 2 or more vehicles or an additional fee.
See Pricing Page for more details.

I offer Quality Lasting Results at a Fare Price!
And I will also come to you, to your home or office.
I can restore your headlights the right way, the first time.

By Scott Summerson

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