PPF on your headlights?

[Eldorado2k]

How many of you guys have PPF on your headlights? Have you ever considered it?

Watching youtube videos from Dmitrys Garage [very good channel IMO] and how he’s tested many products such as waxes, sealants, coatings, etc. and watched many of them fail when it comes to providing actual UV protection has been interesting to say the least.

But even more interesting was watching the results from when he tested some PPF and it actually proving to protect from UV. That’s a pretty big deal IMO because it proves a point across the board without argument. The stuff legit can and will prevent your headlights from turning yellow for a good 10yrs.

A real game changer that rarely ever gets mentioned, especially when compared to using something like a ceramic coating on headlights which based on his testing provides just about zero UV protection and therefore is useless at preventing headlights from eventually hazing up and turning yellow.

How many of you guys have chosen to protect your headlights and thought that far ahead maybe even from day 1 when the vehicle was brand new?

 

[chilly]

I was surprised when the Expel PPF the dealer had installed on our new car recently didn't come with headlight protection

I just looked on the Expel website and they still don't have a headlight kit for my model

I REALLY was looking forward to having that, more for impact protection than UV protection but it would have been nice for both

 

[chilly]

I was surprised when the Expel PPF the dealer had installed on our new car recently didn't come with headlight protection

I just looked on the Expel website and they still don't have a headlight kit for my model

I REALLY was looking forward to having that, more for impact protection than UV protection but it would have been nice for both

I just looked and Weathertech has a headlight kit I think I should look into

 

[John U]

It came on my minivan under the "full front end"

View the XPEL paint protection film coverage options

 

[Eldorado2k]

It came on my minivan under the "full front end"

View the XPEL paint protection film coverage options

What year is your van, and how’s it holding up?

 

[John U]

What year is your van, and how’s it holding up?

2022 white Odyssey with 36K miles. 10K in the last two months! I picked up two visible cut/scrapes recently on the hood. Not happy but it would be worse without. I took a 1/2" long rock strike in the spring that required a "dent doctor" to push out. The uncut film looks undetectable to the normal eye. If I'd drive slower in the west, the velocity of the strikes would be less at my usual 80-85 mph pace. I had a front fender "cave in" mysteriously recently but the film was not cut and my "dent doctor" returned it to perfect.

In my previous life on the road as a manufacturers rep, I'd drive my vehicles to 300K miles and trade (give away). My 2012 Odyssey was also white. I went cheap and only did PPF on the hood and fenders tips. At 100K the front "plastic" bumper was "sand blasted" and looked like ####. I low speed rear ended a car requiring, yes, a new front bumper and perfect paint again. 30 days later, Xpel covered it and 180K miles later it still looked great when I traded it.

Yes, for many of my friends it would be a waste of money. I help them detail their cars and I see how little damage they get. I'm 1,700 miles between homes and life on the road for me requires PPF to maintain sanity.

I have Xpel on my 10yr old Corvette. I wrestle with having it removed and replaced before it gets too old (might be already?) It has given great service and shows a lot of strikes in 65K miles of desert driving. From 5 feet if looks good, get up on it and you can see it's kept a lot of paint in place.

 

[Eldorado2k]

2022 white Odyssey with 36K miles. 10K in the last two months! I picked up two visible cut/scrapes recently on the hood. Not happy but it would be worse without. I took a 1/2" long rock strike in the spring that required a "dent doctor" to push out. The uncut film looks undetectable to the normal eye. If I'd drive slower in the west, the velocity of the strikes would be less at my usual 80-85 mph pace. I had a front fender "cave in" mysteriously recently but the film was not cut and my "dent doctor" returned it to perfect.

In my previous life on the road as a manufacturers rep, I'd drive my vehicles to 300K miles and trade (give away). My 2012 Odyssey was also white. I went cheap and only did PPF on the hood and fenders tips. At 100K the front "plastic" bumper was "sand blasted" and looked like ####. I low speed rear ended a car requiring, yes, a new front bumper and perfect paint again. 30 days later, Xpel covered it and 180K miles later it still looked great when I traded it.

Yes, for many of my friends it would be a waste of money. I help them detail their cars and I see how little damage they get. I'm 1,700 miles between homes and life on the road for me requires PPF to maintain sanity.

I have Xpel on my 10yr old Corvette. I wrestle with having it removed and replaced before it gets too old (might be already?) It has given great service and shows a lot of strikes in 65K miles of desert driving. From 5 feet if looks good, get up on it and you can see it's kept a lot of paint in place.

That’s quite an interesting post… Wow that’s a crazy amount of driving you put into your vehicles. I can’t help but think about how your front fender “mysteriously” caved in one night, and the good ole Dent Dr. was ready and available for work as soon as you called him and returned it to perfect.lol! Just imagine if… lol.

As far as the Corvette… You say it’s 10yrs. old so at least it’s not a C6, but if the headlights are anything even slightly like the headlights on the C6 you better damn change that PPF now or kiss your lights goodbye because I’m sure you know that those lights on a C6 are humanly impossible to restore and only you would know whether the lights on a 2014 Corvette are equally unforgiving.

If anyone on earth would stand to benefit the greatest from applying PPF to their headlights it would’ve been the original owners of C6 Corvettes from day 1. Because once those headlights haze up it’s game over, and they’re crazy expensive. Damn near worthy of getting rid of the entire car like 1 of my neighbors did with his.

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

My FJ came with the thick plastic headlight protectors, and also the plastic stone guard on the front of the hood, it wasn't something I ordered for it, the previous owner had put them on. I removed the headlight protectors in the first week, they were hideous, and the FJs headlights are mostly vertical, and somewhat shielded, so I wouldn't bother putting any PPF on them. I would also note that whoever installed the stone guard didn't mount the outside clips and tape ,that goes on the hood to prevent marks from the clips, so that the tape didn't stain the paint

The Qashqai does have the beginnings of some yellowing on the top of the headlights, I noticed this a couple of years ago, but it's mostly parked inside now, so it hasn't progressed. I won't be putting any on this one either.

I will say this though, there's a lot more yellowed headlights where I live now than where I used to live in Sydney, the only reason I can think of to explain this is that the air is clearer here, less pollution to block the strong UV rays, but they are all on mostly 10+ year old hatchbacks, quite a few of them drive with their high beams on, and their still not bright enough to be annoying.

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[joebruin77]

I have a nearly 6-year old, 2018 Tesla Model 3. It is parked outside 24/7, including many hours each day of direct, hot socal sunshine. The headlights and the rest of the car were covered with Xpel PPF immediately after I took delivery. Nearly 6 years later, the headlights look brand new. I cannot see even the slightest bit of haze or oxidation.

My 2014 Honda Accord, on the other hand, had a huge amount of haze and oxidation. It was so bad it affected the amount of light emitted by the headlights. I recently used the Cerakote Headlight Restoration Kit and it worked great. I was amazed at the improvement. I highly recommend this kit for anyone who has oxidized headlights in need of some TLC.

Joe

 

[John U]

I can’t help but think about how your front fender “mysteriously” caved in one night, and the good ole Dent Dr. was ready and available for work as soon as you called him and returned it to perfect.lol! Just imagine if… lol.

.

I have over 1,250,000 miles in a 30 career on the road. 900,000 of that on three minivans.

It was still controversial in 2014 about PPF on C7 lights so I did not do it. They have rash but I keep'em polished.

I was in Rapid City SD for a wedding, having dinner with two other couples. We came out of the restaurant on Main St with it's 45 degree parking and "holy $hit" the fender was caved. Had to be a large person falling off the curb. A vehicle parked next to me would not hit it there. I surfed for a dent guy back in MN, sent photos and he was ready to go upon my return.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I will say this though, there's a lot more yellowed headlights where I live now than where I used to live in Sydney, the only reason I can think of to explain this is that the air is clearer here, less pollution to block the strong UV rays, but they are all on mostly 10+ year old hatchbacks, quite a few of them drive with their high beams on, and their still not bright enough to be annoying.

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Many years ago while at the beach I recall mentioning by belief that it’s probably harder to catch a tan out here on the sand vs. laying out in your backyard due to all this wind and some overcast [but I think it was mostly based on the wind] and everyone laughed and said it made no difference just shut up and tan.lol. I dunno, makes me think how much that pollution could actually factor in. It can’t be as bad as it is here in Los Angeles my friend…

I’m in the middle of claying the roof of this white Chevy Truck and got damn it’s like literal sandpaper I’m having to remove. Just look at this slurry, and even with Megs Aggressive Claybar it’s taking a while. I stopped and went to grab my other claybar [same exact kind] just to see if they worked any different but either ways it’s taking a while to remove all the contaminants.

My 2014 Honda Accord, on the other hand, had a huge amount of haze and oxidation. It was so bad it affected the amount of light emitted by the headlights. I recently used the Cerakote Headlight Restoration Kit and it worked great. I was amazed at the improvement. I highly recommend this kit for anyone who has oxidized headlights in need of some TLC.

Joe

It’s funny how much the kind of plastic/process a manufacturer uses can vary from 1 vehicle to another because I’ve seen some 10yr. old vehicles that have also spent the majority of their time outside in this California sun and the 1 I’m thinking about is bearly starting to show minor signs just recently.

I have over 1,250,000 miles in a 30 career on the road. 900,000 of that on three minivans.

It was still controversial in 2014 about PPF on C7 lights so I did not do it. They have rash but I keep'em polished.

What was controversial about PPF and C7 headlights?


I’m starting to think you don’t need a minivan, you might need a plane. lol.

 

[John U]

What was controversial about PPF and C7 headlights?

I’m starting to think you don’t need a minivan, you might need a plane. lol.

The thought that hot headlights would melt the PPF and void the warranty.

My wife and I are high maintenance. Traveling light is not achievable yet. I travel with a #11 Bankers Box with a Cbeast, Pixie and chemicals back and forth. She unloads the kitchen spices etc into 2 large boxes. We are limited to the size of the minvan! I have since dropped the motorcycle stuff.

View attachment 77361 View attachment 77362

 

[Sizzle Chest]

I like it for more stone/chip/crack protection due to the crazy price of some of these headlamp assemblies! Never really gave the UV protection that much thought, but it is good to know that it will provide some protection...as we all know, many will yellow over time.


Eldo: that's some crazy surface contamination! Wow. Hope all is well...

 

[Eldorado2k]

My wife and I are high maintenance. Traveling light is not achievable yet. I travel with a #11 Bankers Box with a Cbeast, Pixie and chemicals back and forth. She unloads the kitchen spices etc into 2 large boxes. We are limited to the size of the minvan! I have since dropped the motorcycle stuff.

That’s pretty cool, you really get the most out of your vehicle and it looks like you keep it clean.

Eldo: that's some crazy surface contamination! Wow. Hope all is well...

Yea it feels good now that it’s all finally smooth and coated. Hopefully helps keep all those contaminants from sticking to the paint like that again.

 

[TTQ B4U]

How many of you guys have PPF on your headlights? Have you ever considered it?

Watching youtube videos from Dmitrys Garage [very good channel IMO] and how he’s tested many products such as waxes, sealants, coatings, etc. and watched many of them fail when it comes to providing actual UV protection has been interesting to say the least.

But even more interesting was watching the results from when he tested some PPF and it actually proving to protect from UV. That’s a pretty big deal IMO because it proves a point across the board without argument. The stuff legit can and will prevent your headlights from turning yellow for a good 10yrs.

A real game changer that rarely ever gets mentioned, especially when compared to using something like a ceramic coating on headlights which based on his testing provides just about zero UV protection and therefore is useless at preventing headlights from eventually hazing up and turning yellow.

How many of you guys have chosen to protect your headlights and thought that far ahead maybe even from day 1 when the vehicle was brand new?

I don't post here much any more but I've put up a few PPF installations. I do headlights, and B pillars as upgrades a lot. Well worth it.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I don't post here much any more but I've put up a few PPF installations. I do headlights, and B pillars as upgrades a lot. Well worth it.

So you have a big roll of PPF on deck at all times and have mastered how to do the cuts? [stupid question assuming that’s your work in the pics]

If so, how hard was it to learn how to get good at cutting it perfectly and how long did it take you?

Or is the upsell something that’s done well in advance and therefore requires enough time for you to order the pre cut PPF to fit their vehicle?

 

[Desertnate]

The thought that hot headlights would melt the PPF and void the warranty.

C7 has LED headlights doesn't it? Those run so much cooler than halogens or even HIDs. I've noticed HIDs and LED headlights often barely/don't get the lenses warm enough to keep snow and ice building up on them. I really doubt PPF would be an issue.

I like it for more stone/chip/crack protection due to the crazy price of some of these headlamp assemblies! Never really gave the UV protection that much thought, but it is good to know that it will provide some protection...as we all know, many will yellow over time.

The impact and bug protection is what had me thinking about this topic over the weekend before even seeing this thread. I really need to do this for our family hauler.

We just put about 3,500 miles on my wife's car on three road trips in the last four weeks. The bug splatter and road debris has been pretty intense. The headlights and the big radar sensor behind the Acura logo have taken a beating lately. Both areas were pretty beat up when we bought the car, but if I take the time to polish them out, PPF will go on immediately. No way I'm going to shell out the money for new headlight assemblies.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Lamin-X has cut to match PPF for just about any vehicle in several different shades including clear for around $60 bucks headlights & foglights.

 

[chilly]

C7 has LED headlights doesn't it? Those run so much cooler than halogens or even HIDs. I've noticed HIDs and LED headlights often barely/don't get the lenses warm enough to keep snow and ice building up on them. I really doubt PPF would be an issue.



The impact and bug protection is what had me thinking about this topic over the weekend before even seeing this thread. I really need to do this for our family hauler.

We just put about 3,500 miles on my wife's car on three road trips in the last four weeks. The bug splatter and road debris has been pretty intense. The headlights and the big radar sensor behind the Acura logo have taken a beating lately. Both areas were pretty beat up when we bought the car, but if I take the time to polish them out, PPF will go on immediately. No way I'm going to shell out the money for new headlight assemblies.

Thats weird you mention the radar unit because I was thinking the exact same thing along with the headlights

I took a couple of hits from dragonflies last week on a drive up north and it took out my dynamic cruise control until I could get them cleaned off

Sloppy sleety snow will do it too

 

[opie2]

Thats weird you mention the radar unit because I was thinking the exact same thing along with the headlights

I took a couple of hits from dragonflies last week on a drive up north and it took out my dynamic cruise control until I could get them cleaned off

Sloppy sleety snow will do it too

Another reason all this tech in vehciles is stupid. Just another thing to go wrong, making it harder for the average bear to work on their own stuff.

I would like the more comfortable seating and such,smoother ride, but thats about it. Give me back the old tech lol

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