The TRUTH about WD 40 vs Headlights! 

I sprayed some in my eyes and now my cataracts are GONE !!

It’s temporary, folks. Check out other videos where they show this. In two weeks your headlights will be hazy again, so you just wasted your time. Motor oil will do the same thing. I tried it on my Jeep and in a few weeks later, the headlights were hazy again. This is a trick dealers use to make a car look good before they sell it. Check out other RU-vid videos on it. The solution is to get one those kits and take fine grade sandpaper and sand down to remove the bad, pitted plastic and then apply a coating over it to make the headlights clear again, and will last a while. There’s another video, where a guy takes different grits sandpaper and sands them down and then puts a clear spray coating on it, which is cheaper than using one of the kits. I wish car manufacturers would go back to glass headlights, not this cheap, likely Chinese made crap, that eventually winds up in our landfills.

WD40 does fill the tiny scratches and swirl marks on the surface. But once it washed by soap water or simply evaporates, the swirl marks will be visible again. A bit of polishing + ceramic coating did a longer effect for me.

I used to use Wd40 but than I tried Mothers mag & aluminum polish to remove the yellowing off the headlights, last way longer and work better than WD40.

I sprayed DW40 on my eyes and I can see clearly now!!

You need to sand the oxidation off, polish it, and seal it with a UV clear coat for long-lasting results. I restore headlights all the time.

the reason why this works is very simple - this fogginess is actually the UV coating of the plastics of the headlight. when your headlight gets foggy it means that the UV coating has gone bad and got really dried out, the reason why WD40 can remove it, is because WD40 is abrasive enough that it CAN remove UV protection coating. HOWEVER when you do this you basically sentence your headlight to death, the plastics will now begin to get dried out by the UV from the sun and eventually will turn yellow and develop cracks until eventually they will just break. so basically if you do this with WD40 you MUST re-apply UV protection coating to your headlights, otherwise the plastics will decay extremely quickly. this is why headlight restoration kits include abrasive material to remove the old dried UV coating and UV coating to re-apply after removing the old dried out UV coating.

It's 1:40am with my wife and dog asleep in on sofa beside me and I just watched your video with Bluetooth video and thoroughly enjoying the curious exploration and possible life saving tip if that's all you got in a MacGyver situation! I favor the 3M headlight lens restoration kit that I think was only about $10 at Walmart but I did 3 vehicles with it so only $3-$4 per vehicle as good long term solution but just wanted to say thanks for the mythbusters style exploration which stuff like this bringing tje community together in a good way getting people to positively share their good knowledge and experiences and have some good entertainment along the way is partly what makes life so good!! Thanks again and God bless!

As long as no sanding is involved, it'll keep on coming back. It's gr8 for a quick temp fix though. I ain't complainin'!

Car manufacturers should go back to old days ! Instead of plastic they use real glass on lamp and never had this type problem

Your tip worked so fast and well I was elatated! Just think, if I asked a shop or dealer for help they would tell me I needed a whole new assembly ;) THANK YOU!

all it does is fill the microfractures with a liquid that matches the index of refraction of the solid. It doesn't smooth out anything , just masks the cuts. works pretty good though.

I used WD-40 on my headlights, waited for my wife to bring ME pot roast......NOTHING! I'm calling a fake!!!!

Awesome! I tried it yesterday on my old Honda CR-V and it is still crystal clear. Thanks man :)

I tried this, but on half a lamp. For the first 15 minutes you could see a huge difference. 3 hours later you couldn't tell. Note that the lamp had already been through standard cleaning.

i don't mind wiping my headlights every 2 weeks , its just like a trip to the carwash , less expense, still do the job, lol!!

Sprays on WD40 - shows excitement - Immediately rushes inside and uploads to RU-vid - Eats some pot roast - Goes back out to the car - and.....DOH!

It worked. I tried it. But make sure you put the headlight restorer sealant afterwards for a long lasting effect.

Gonna try it . Thanks for the info. And to your lady.... thaks for keeping him honest and fed.

The WD-40 just fills in and makes the lens look clear, it does not remove any oxidization. When the WD-40 evaporates or is cleaned off, you lens is as cloudy as ever. I don't know why people make videos like this with such stupid wild claims.

What’s really happening is that the oily residue from the WD-40 is filling in the micro scratches in the plastic, giving it a somewhat even layer. Therefore the light passing through is more parallel and thus appears to be clearer. This would work with any oil-like substance.

This is why I like the basic rectangular headlights on my old pickup. When a headlight burns out and needs replacing, I get a whole new GLASS lens and bulb all in one unit. Much better IMO. Those plastic headlight lenses on cars always look like crap after a while.

I love my car's headlights, the cover is glass not plastic, never get UV fog on them.

Tried this about 5 years ago. It lasts about a week in good weather. If you live in a state where to pass auto inspection you need clear headlights this will work fine too. Poor weather, rain or on dirt roads will cause the wd 40 to be compromised and IT WILL RETURN TO BEING FOGGY VERY QUICKLY . Much better to buy any of the many easily available headlight restoration kits that youL can get at any auto parts store.

It's temporary fix as oils just fill in the scratches making smooth, clear surface, when you spray water on you get similar effect, same with clear coat. Just sand the headlights starting with something like 300-600 grit sandpaper then switch to higher grit like 800, 1200, 1600 etc ending on 2000 or 3000 and then polish them with polish compound and you have basically new headlights, can spray clear coat after to make them last like a set of new headlights as new headlights are coated as well.

It clears the haze until you get the car washed and the W-D40 spray completely washes off. I tried it and it is BS

Thanks! My Tacoma is a 1997, so it's even foggier than yours. I was looking for instructions for the toothpaste method, but this looks SO much easier! Gonna go clean my headlights right now.

I use to detail cars at a an auction a few towns over. Basically what takes place is a cars hood, roof and trunk lid become oxidized. These 3 areas suffer the most from rain, snow and the sun. These ambient conditions hurt all cars and all models. It's best to keep your car in a garage or in the shade if possible. The head lights build up dirt and the sun bakes everything on them and that's why they appear partly hazed, yellow and cracked. WD-40 acts as a moisturizer on the surface. You will still see the haze under the shine. WD-40 cleans off the built in dirt and the silicone fills in the cracks on the surface of ur headlights therefore filling in and shinning up the headlights. No different then a women who puts on foundation then applying makeup, the surface imperfections are still there.. Eventually the WD-40 will fade or wash away with the rain or snow. It's a quick fix for selling a car with bad headlights. Well I hope this helps to better understanding what happens without going to in debt regarding active chemicals within WD-40.

"old time, out in the country way." had me right there, subscribe lol.

I tried this watching this very video. When finished, it looked great. I turned away for a couple of minutes only to find the glaze had returned just as before.

I also put it on the black trimmings on my old truck and it brought it back to life.

I’m going to try this tomorrow. Thank you for sharing

I was truly afraid of driving my wife's 2008 Toyota at night, it was like driving without headlights. Tried the WD40, and just like in this video, INSTANT clearing! I don't know how long it will last, but 5 minutes of minor effort can be repeated every week or every other week for all I care. Dramatically cheaper than replacing the headlights. I have no idea as to what is happening, all I know is OUR driving is a hell of a lot safer at night now.

Yes,it`s done in three minutes. And it will last for three minutes.

Thanks for the great hack. I am about to do this on our old Camry.

Oh my Gosh! I did not even finish watching your video; I paused and went into my garage. I used WD 40 on my Honda Suv. headlights. It worked! The headlights were just like yours steamy looking. Thank you, thank you!

Noooo weeeiiiii it's gone back to being cloudy the next day!!!!!!!🤣

This works for a brief period of time if you don’t seal it immediately afterward. I used Sylvania headlight UV Block Clear Coat to put a clear coat over and prevent it from oxidizing.

My lenses are worse than yours were, I'm glad I found your video! I'm gonna get me some WD-40 tomorrow and do mine! Thanks for sharing this with us! 🙂

This guy's enthusiasm is very infectious👍😊

Actually the WD40 headlight thing comes from truckers up north to keep LED headlights from getting covered in snow. Pam works as well. Lasts about 8 hrs.

I like his enthusiasm , he’s funny with his presentation. Good job sir👍🤓

Definitely made a big improvement to my driver's side light unit. UK. Give it 9 out of 10. But some of the fogging can also be on inside.

Great tip. Saves you from spending $20 - $30.00 on a head light cleaning kit. Also don't want to spend your Sunday afternoon cleaning your head lights, just give it a kiss and promise and your good to go.

For anyone who has the foggy headlight problem , rain x makes a paste for that for under ten dollars , works great for about a year and you have to reapply it but it only takes minutes

I am going to go try this as soon as I change my headlight bulbs!! I will report my progress shortly!! Thanks for tip!!

Worked on my Civic, lasted about a month, but that's easy maintenance.

When you let it dry the problem appears again, its a fake solution.

Video starts at 1:10 ends at 1:50. The rest is fill. Also, any oil will do this by filling the pores in the plastic. After a wash it will be right back to the way it was.

I just tried this on my 2006 SLK and cant believe the instant results!! ... Amazing!

It also works good to take labels off your file cabinets. Melts the glue and paper label and leaves no residue.

Hey, it’s nice to see someone exited about cleaning headlights and a sweet wife that brings pot roast and he loved that too!! Such a nice young couple! It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t last very long, just keep the WD40 handy and clean them as needed, it didn’t take 2 minuets!! Thank you and great tutorial.✝️🙏🏼❤️👋🏼

Runnin out to do mine now..😄Thank you

WoW!! I tried it and omg it works great! Thank you for the info/video!!!

You need an abrasive to remove a thin layer of the plastic then apply clear cote to it to seal the deal. It is the UV that causes that fog.

I went to Walmart and bought the Turtle Wax headlight cleaning kit for $10. It comes with cleaners, scrubbers and a clear coat to put over it to keep it clear. It took me 5-10 minutes.

Wow! Actually worked! Thanks a ton!

Thanks for vid. I have the same issue with my headlights..off to autoshop now lol

I use a brass polish on mine. Cleans them right up and lasts a very long time.

don't be shock every oily thing can make it clear but wait for drying and dust

Theres a difference between this and the $15 kit, the restoration kit will actually work as intended. And if you get one with a sealant it will keep them protected for months.

Thank you for the demonstration.

*WD-40 will wipe away the oxidation build-up that happens on some headlights but eventually it will return. 3M Auto Advanced Rubbing Compound WILL clean an eliminate the oxidation which is caused by ultra violet rays from the Sun. The only place I've found that sales 3M auto products is Auto Advance stores. Follow the instructions on the bottle its priced at $13-$15 depending where you're located.*

Plastic headlight lenses are actually sprayed with a clear coat. The clear coat prevents the Sun's UV rays from actually touching the plastic. When the clear coat chips away off of your headlight lens the UV rays turn the plastic yellow or foggy or Hazey. The only way to actually fix the problem is to wet sand your headlight to remove the oxidized plastic and then to buy clear coat in a spray can that is UV resistant. After you wet sand them and spray a couple coats of clearcoat on them they will be back to normal and will last a long time. Chris fix did a video on it.

Thank you I was about to go to Walmart and have them clean them you really saved me money I appreciate you

It clears the yellow film off very good. The scratches still needs work but my car is a 2008 so the improvement was very evident. I should had taken photos but to be honest I didn’t think it would actually work. Now I can still sand down the scratches and do it faster and easier now the yellow layer is all gone. I did use it on my 2013 truck and it did the lens very well and the headlights look like new.

There is a recall on Toyota Tacoma headlight lens's. The haze and crack from heat. I have a 2011 Toyota Tacoma pick up and the headlight lens's were replaced for free.

I tried WD40 and it worked for about 10 minutes. Now I’m going to use Duct Tape, cause I heard it fixes everything except the economy.

I use a buffer and some plastic polish. 5 minutes and it lasts for about a year before it gets foggy.

Well impressed with this , will doing it again to do a proper job . Bought some stuff to clean them & it didn’t do thing !!

Best thing to use is 3M rubbing compound. Used this on three cars and results was much better than using WD40. The rubbing compound works even on foggy headlights that are much worse than yours.

Try WD-40 on your wiper blades, if they streak. As long as they aren’t cracking, WD-40 will make them like new. Wipe the rubber down good and let them dry. It will surprise you next time you need them.

thanks a ton for sharing this simple but great idea.

Wow awesome In the middle of your video, I got the wd40 and went to my 2006 Chrysler 300 and cleaned the headlights AND IT WORKED!!! Thanks a million!

Works for a while but if you really want to do it right just sand them down with some 800grid sand paper using water and spray some clear coat on them it will last for years on.

This is what people who stop at intersections and offer to clean stuff should be doing instead of washing windows.

This is so True! i already tried it! thanks for sharing

I tried it now and it works great. Thanks for the tip 👌👍👏

The oxidation is still on the surface, all that WD40 has done is shine the surface. You can hear the rough surface even after you applied WD40.... The real method is to use a a restorer compound and buff the surface. On surfaces that are really bad, sanding in multiple grits (600-1500) and then applying a 2K clear coat on the surface is the preferred method.

Dude, you must have realised by now it don't work 😊 use 1000 grit first and 2500 to remove the damaged plastic. Use plastic polishing compound to remove the fine layer of mist (fine scratches caused by the 2500 grit). Simple.

It's hydrocarbon part cleans some dirt but it also contains oil, which fills up the microgaps and makes it shiny it does not polish it. After it washes out from the rain it will get dull again

I'm going to try this as soon as I get up u best beleive great video

That’s Awesome thanks for the tip, I love the inspection process by Samantha “Can you do mine” “Did you do the back”. You two are so much fun. Thanks’

Legend has it Yak Motley is always so excited because he drinks wd40 ;p

Thank you for this video..no need go to work shop or mechanic..

I like to use Blue Magic metal polish and a paper towel for a quick, easy clarification. Have to redo it from time to time, but it's simple and it works.

From what I’m seeing in the comments, WD-40 only fills in the scratches of the headlights and makes them temporarily clear. This is perfect if you’ve made a mistake scrubbing off the oxidation too rough with sandpaper.

country people don''t use paper towels, they would use rags or old torn up cotton clothing and wash/reuse them when soiled

Amazing! I have some WD-40 in the cupboard, and I will use it one my headlight and taillights tomorrow, thanks to you my dear!

I also tried this several months ago and it works great on my 1997 Ford Taurus GL

I tried it on my headlights but no one brought me a pot roast !

I've used transmission fluid on mines a truck car dealer turned me on to iitt years ago and trust me it works and last a long time!!

Great vid, Yak Motley. Thanks. I'll try that on my 22 year old Dodge truck today.

Good boy, it only works until the next wash.😆🤣🤣

I don't know if you already know this but WD40 works as an attractant on bait for Tope (small shark) here in the UK!

I apply WD-40 to my headlights once a week, it's fun making the headlight lens clear plus night time driving is safer too.

Gotta try that tomorrow..!!

Thanks for the info. Great video!!

I've learned one thing, read the comments before you write yours. I live in Florida too. UV rays here are brutal on any type of plastic. Also, I thank that the products we apply to the car's paint may affect the headlights covers. One last thought, any type of oil is a no-no. Oils EAT plastic.

The first time you wash it, it will be right back & foggy again, temp fix!