Headlight protection

Setec Astronomy said:
I only remember the ABC TSB, FWIW...lol



Yes.
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Ok I figured. Still learning all the code names. I looked it up and I do believe it would be worth buying....but at the same time I also already have TW Ice spray wax....will this be a good choice to use on headlights?

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Astouffer512 said:
Ok I figured. Still learning all the code names. I looked it up and I do believe it would be worth buying....but at the same time I also already have TW Ice spray wax....will this be a good choice to use on headlights?
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For me, the make/break Q would be whether the TW provides UV protection.

I do think the OCW is worth trying, though it`s easy for me to spend your money for you ;) I *NEVER* thought I`d keep using it on the A8, but it`s been years now and I`m still doing it. That car went through *terrible* winter weather last night, but today, with all the snow melted off, it looks amazingly OK..that stuff is doing its job and I haven`t even washed the car for weeks, let alone refreshed the OCW (last applied back in early Dec.).
 
Accumulator said:
Good idea (though I wouldn`t go there if you payed me by the minute ;) ), maybe you`ll find something documenting the UV Protection too.
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I did read through some of the documentation regarding the UV protection, through the patent papers on the product. I didn`t finish it, though. Of course, one needs to mention that the documentation relating to the UV protection was from OPT themselves, and I`m not sure there was independent testing with it.


Accumulator said:
I wish one of the great Product Testers here would do something on UV Protection, see what (besides OCW) really works.
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I`m not one of the Great Product Testers here, but I had considered doing some testing with the products below. I was going to test for "sun damage" protection, as well as bird poop protection. The testing seemed too involved for my liking, my wife likely wouldn`t be on board with it :wub::ph34r: and these products have been passed up in favor of the newest flavors. So I ditched the idea.
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JustJesus- IF you find some surface that`s prone to rapid UV-related degradation it might make for an easy test...and [she whose name I cannot pronounce] wouldn`t even know you were doing any testing, not that I`m advocating doing anything behind her back ;)
 
But IME OCW provides very limited protection against etching. Nothing at all like FK1000P or even other LSPs that I consider marginal.
 
For new/newly polished headlights, I 10/10 would recommend cutting some clear tint from a tint shop (I order 3M off amazon) and apply it.
Takes a beating unmatched by any coating.
If you take the time to tuck the edges and make sure they adhere properly with a heatgun, it will last 5-10 years with regular visits to the touchless car wash/winters of Toronto.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Prep them the way you would paint, and apply whatever you are applying to the paint. I don`t give much credence to the headlight-specific sealants being much different than anything else...because you want the same UV protection on paint. Applying a coating to the headlights may be of some value, in the same way that it is of some value on paint...not sure that anyone can really say for sure because of the time frames involved...maybe someone will coat one headlight and not the other and in 5 or 10 years we might have an answer.

But putting wax or sealant on can`t hurt. Optimum Car Wax has some specific UV absorbers that I don`t think have ever been proven to make any difference (for you guys that want to argue about the patent, as I recall the patent was not on any performance of the absorber, it was for keeping it suspended in the solution). But they can`t hurt.
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When you say prep as if prepping paint. Would 3D one be a good polish for non yellowed/ oxidized headlights?


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Astouffer512 said:
When you say prep as if prepping paint. Would 3D one be a good polish for non yellowed/ oxidized headlights?
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I wouldn`t even use *that* unless you had a good reason to want a bit of abrasion. I`d use one of the (presumably..who really knows sometimes?!?) non-abrasive ones like KAIO or some really gentle Paint Cleaner.

If you`re applying a PPF/etc. to (nearly) new ones, you could probably even skip that and just wash `em really well with whatever you`d use on perfect paint before applying a Coating.
 
Accumulator said:
JustJesus- IF you find some surface that`s prone to rapid UV-related degradation it might make for an easy test...and [she whose name I cannot pronounce] wouldn`t even know you were doing any testing, not that I`m advocating doing anything behind her back ;)
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I`ll figure something out so that I can do some testing without getting me in trouble with [she whose name I don`t even say]. No surface I can think of that`s prone to rapid degradation, but I`ll come up with something, even if it takes "a little longer" than we would like.

Accumulator said:
But IME OCW provides very limited protection against etching. Nothing at all like FK1000P or even other LSPs that I consider marginal.
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I believe that`s been my experience as well.
 
JustJesus said:
I`ll figure something out so that I can do some testing without getting me in trouble with [she whose name I don`t even say]...
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Heh heh, we both maybe oughta work on that pronunciation :o But I do feel a little better when you post that :D

No surface I can think of that`s prone to rapid degradation, but I`ll come up with something, even if it takes "a little longer" than we would like..
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For stuff that doesn`t stain trim, you might try (exterior) rubber window seals.

I believe [OCW not protecting against etching]`s been my experience as well.
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Note that I *am* awfully spoiled by that FK1000P. Even the heavily layered KSG that I use on the Tahoe`s sideviews allows bug-splats to etch in ways the FK never would (or at least hasn`t so far).
 
Mr Accumulator! Exclamation cuz...just because.

I may have found a test subject for the UV protection experiment we`ve been talking about. If the theory works, it should go fairly fast. As in, a month or two! Not many months like I initially thought.

I`ll try and get it started within one week. Emphasis on "try."
 
Once time has gone, and I see a bit of change, I`ll create the thread for it.

But here`s what is being done: plastic cones. A small section covered in a spray wax.

Outside, the cones themselves lose their orange color. If my theory is correct, and some of the UV claims are true, then the small sections will retain their orange color more than the surrounding area.

We`ll see how it goes soon enough.

The test products:

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JustJesus- If they fade quickly enough, that`ll be a good test...I`ve never left mine out very long, dunno how long it takes for fading to occur.
 
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