2013~2016 Anyone try these headlight lens replacements?

[PatrickGSR94]

My 2014 has some yellowing and degradation along the top edges of the headlight lenses. I've thought about sanding and 2K clear coating to restore them, but honestly I think new lenses would look even better. Has anyone tried any of these replacement lenses on eBay? Unfortunately they all come from China, but there's really no other choice that I can find. Yes I know how to bake and open headlights, and I have new butyl sealant to go back in them, so that's not a problem. Anyone tried them?

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[Westy16]

I would be concerned about fit issues and overall quality of the plastic. No way of knowing till you get them unfortunately, looks like they have a 30 day return policy though. I found these 2pcs Mazda CX5 2013-2016 HeadlightsXenon if ya got cash to burn lol. They are unique but pricey.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

pffft heck no, I would retrofit HID projectors for a fraction of that price before I bought those. $1,700 that's insane. Actually I think you could buy OEM Mazda HID headlight units for less than that. They're around $600 a side if I recall.

 

[ruthrj]

I 100% recommend refinishing what you have already. I used this kit: Meguiar's G2980 Heavy Duty Headlight Restoration Kit https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

Mine weren’t that bad but I went with the heavy duty kit anyway for the drill applicator. My headlights look like new and I did this a year ago. The only tip I can provide is to apply the UV protectant in one pass. Don’t make a second pass at it or drench the applicator. You’ll smear what you did on your 1st pass and it looks like crap. I had to remove my first attempt at the UV coat and do it again with a clean applicator.

I’ll have to reapply the UV coat this year to ensure it keeps looking good.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

nope. If I refinish I would sand with 600/800 and 2K clear coat. That would last multiple years. But honestly I'd rather replace the entire lens.

 

[ruthrj]

Fair enough. The 1000 and 3000 grit worked fine, and I was worried about moisture or something getting under the lens. I couldn’t be bothered to do disassembly to renew the look.

 

[SBMongoos]

Just curious. I had someone detail my car ('16.5 GT) and do the headlights. They look better but there were areas I thought he missed. He explained to me that those areas were on the inside of the lens due to automatic car washes (pressure) getting inside and the lack of a proper outer seal. Does this sound right?

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Fair enough. The 1000 and 3000 grit worked fine, and I was worried about moisture or something getting under the lens. I couldn’t be bothered to do disassembly to renew the look.

I've done that process years ago before I knew any better. Wet sand and then polish. All the headlights I restored like that turned back yellow again within a year. And obviously so, because you're removing every last trace of the original UV protection. 2K clearcoat is the same type of clear used on the car's paint, and would add that UV protection back in. But the surface can't be super-smooth or it won't stick. It needs an 800-grit scratch to hold. And just like automotive basecoat paint, which is typically dull on its own, the shine and clarity comes after the clear coat is applied.

 

[ruthrj]

Thanks for the info! It’s still holding up really well after a year, but the car is usually garage kept. I can still see a little patch with streaks where the coat didn’t apply uniformly, so thankfully it’s still there. No yellowing yet (knock on wood)