>The easiest and most effective way I have found to de-fog headlights >is to use what Raimund suggested- alcohol. >I use marine stove alcohol. You can get this at hardware or marine >supply stores. Rinse out the inside of each lense That's lens >housing and let it thoroughly dry. You'll be amazed how clear the >lights become. Again, make sure you let the alcohol evaporate >completely, or when you switch on the lights you may have flames >instead. Do NOT rub thre reflector with anything. I don't know what they are coated with, but even a gentle rub witha clean rag can scuff the surface. As I found with an old H4 unit. Rinse, don't rub. Fogging of the lens & reflector can be just dust (H$ units are not well-sealed, so dust can get in) or it can be tungsten oxides deposited as the filament burns (sealed-beams). >I donīt know what defines the US-headlights as "sealed beam", does it mean >theyīre sealed so you canīt reach into them? Otherwise, our european >headlights get foggy/cloudy because of deposits like burned dust etc. > >Remove the bulb and rinse the lamps with cleaner, alcohol, whatever, and let >them dry. They look like new afterwards. > >Raimund >P.S.: What makes sealed beam lamps "sealed"? Are the vanagonīs U.S. >headlights sealed beams? Sealed-beam lights have a 1-piece molded glass reflector/lens, and is actually a large heavy crude lightbulb. Lens quality is very poor in those I have seen. Generic nonsealed-beam lights like proper H4s have a good-quality glass (or plastic) lens with a crimped-on plated metal reflector. The bulb plugs in from behind, and is "sealed" by a rubber boot, which never really does seal. Model-specific H4 lights have a glass or acrylic lens sealed into a plastic housing, with a metal reflector within. The bulb plugs into the back, with ill-sealing rubber boot. -- Andrew Grebneff 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut |
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