headlight restoration basics signs

Headlight Restoration: Basics and Common Signs

Does your vehicle have older headlights, or headlights you’ve recently noticed have begun to fade or otherwise work less efficiently? You could be in need of headlight restoration, both to improve your vehicle’s safety capabilities but also to improve aesthetics.

At Pro Tint Utah, we’re here to help. We offer a variety of additional services in addition to our window tinting and paint protection solutions, including vehicle headlight restoration for all those in need. What are some of the signs you should pay attention to that might signal headlights that require restoration, and why is restoration a more effective solution in many of these cases than your other options? This two-part blog series will go over everything you need to know.

Cost-Effective Solution

Before we dig into some of the telltale signs that you might need headlight restoration, a quick word on why it’s so effective for many in this position – especially compared to other headlight options. These other options are generally limited to either replacing the headlights or taking a much more in-depth process to repair them.

As you may have guessed, both these processes are much more expensive than headlight restoration – and really don’t provide appreciably different results in most cases. Rather than spending too much on that sort of thing, you can pay far less and get the exact same final result from quality headlight restoration.

Our next several sections will go over some red flags that might indicate headlights that need restoration.

Haze or Cloudiness

The majority of vehicle headlights today are what are known as halogen reflector lights, which means they have a protective clear coating on them that limits scratching and other forms of direct damage. However, there are some risks that may break down this coating: Things like salt, dirt or even ultraviolet rays from the sun may all contribute, wearing out your coating and causing it to become hazy or cloudy.

In some cases, a simple cleaning of these covers is all you’ll need to remove the haziness. But in other cases, such as when the actual coating has been damaged, headlight restoration will remedy this concern easily.

Dimming or Dulling

In other situations, you’ll notice headlights that have begun to dull out, often due to a combination of UV rays and rain over time. Especially if you park outside often, this may begin happening after five years or so. Headlights that are dull or yellow are producing under 25% of the light they did when they were new, and this is a clear safety concern – but one that’s easily remedied by headlight restoration, which returns the lights to the exact brightness they were while new.

For more on signs you need headlight restoration, or to learn about any of our window tinting or paint protection services, speak to the staff at Pro Tint Utah.