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Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 3:53 pm
by Khani
Hello there folk, I'm new here so be gentle with me, had my Freda four years now and been all over the EU and UK with no probs but I've now got a couple of niggles to sort out, fuel gauge has stopped working so I've read the clinic bit and will be having a go at the weekend but my headlights seem to give about two whole candlepowers worth of light, I've read about the bulbs not being fully fitted but having checked them they seem to be fitted ok, the headlights have gone a bit yellow but passed the mot ok any ideas please?
It's a P reg, rwd 2.5d version if it matters, cheers peeps

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:14 pm
by Northern Bongolow
t cut or gentle metal polish,rub and rub :lol: be careful though the lenses are plastic.it will come off eventually.then fit osram night breaker bulbs

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:24 pm
by teenmal
Hi guys,A pal of mine had problems with tarnished head lamp lenses.
He told me he cured it by using bicarbonate of soda and a nylon scourer.
He then applied Crystal Disc cd repair fluid using a soft cloth.
He said it restored them like new and will probably stop the yellow coming back,as they are now protected by the Polymer in the cleaner.

Ps he also said,that the tarnishing is caused by the UV coating wearing off.

Cheers Mal..

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:40 pm
by Khani
Cheers, rub the inside or the outside?

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:42 pm
by francophile1947
Outside 8)

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:54 pm
by Khani
Thank you kind sir :D

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 4:55 pm
by Ian

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 7:59 pm
by Diplomat
I used some toothpaste that I didn't particularly like the taste of.

It works like jeweller's rouge and cleaned off the yellow tint.

Frank

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:03 pm
by Oldboybob
I cleaned up my headlight with Xerapol this weekend got them crystal clear, then fitted Lidl h4 +50% bulbs massive improvement. Both Xerapol and the Lidl bulbs recommended by good peeps on this forum, well impressed. 8)

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 5:22 am
by Northern Bongolow
Ian wrote:This stuff will sort it out: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... m#Exterior
it must work ian,its recomended by bongo Gury members :) :wink:

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:21 am
by Khani
SUCCESS!!!!! Fixed my fuel gauge this morning using the helpfull destructions off here :mrgreen:
The tealight powered headlights are next tomoz :cry:
Thanks for all your replies :D top bunch

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 3:21 pm
by apole
Glad you got your fuel gauge working.

Onto the lights, got a question: are they yellow because the lenses have a yellow tint, or because the bulbs are dim?

If the latter then you need to look at the wiring. Had an old car that did that and it turned out the wiring had degraded. Try cleaning the lenses first, then checking all the electrical connections are tight and clean, then maybe better bulbs (opinions vary here but I've found Osram Nightbreakers to be much better than standard).

Hope this helps.

Andy

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:27 pm
by waycar8
apole wrote:Glad you got your fuel gauge working.

Onto the lights, got a question: are they yellow because the lenses have a yellow tint, or because the bulbs are dim?

If the latter then you need to look at the wiring. Had an old car that did that and it turned out the wiring had degraded. Try cleaning the lenses first, then checking all the electrical connections are tight and clean, then maybe better bulbs (opinions vary here but I've found Osram Nightbreakers to be much better than standard).

Hope this helps.

Andy

The lenses have a plastic coating over the lenses that's a uv coating, it goes yellow after a while and starts to peel off, the actual lenses are ok under neath the coating its just the plasic covering thats on the head lights, I had a go at sorting mine a ferw months back using some rubbing compound, didnt work to well so gave it up as bad job, might try the Xerapol when the weather gets a bit warmer

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:49 pm
by Khani
The lens's definatly have a yellow tint to them, I'm gonna try and give em a seeing too tomorrow, thanks for everyone's help :D
I'll be back 8)

Re: Rubbish headlights Q

Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2010 12:53 pm
by Khani
Update again, done the headlights with some T cut and a small drill with a polishing wheel, come up like new :D happy days :mrgreen: