A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto makers » Ford Explorer
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Are your headlight lenses getting cloudy?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old September 9th 05, 06:12 AM
Jack
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Are your headlight lenses getting cloudy?

Daniel J. Stern wrote:

> The headlamps in question ('92 Explorer) have low overall output, poor
> focus, a low peak intensity, narrow beam width and high levels of upward
> stray light. All of those factors add up to an objectively poor beam.


Now, THAT is fascinating!

Of course I don't have the ol' '92 around anymore so further discussion
of it's headlight performance would be worse than subjective. I ran them
day and night and changed bulbs perhaps two times in the 11 years I
owned it. I put better-than-OEM Halogen bulbs in it, so maybe thats why
I was happy with it -- or maybe they were holographic and gave only the
appearance of projected perfection.

I went from a '81 Chevy pickup to the '92 Explorer, and believe me --
the Explorer lights were infinitely better than those of the Chevy PU.

The '99's low beams are average, the "brights" are pretty good, focus
could be better, and I like being able to read the graffiti on the
under-side of the over-pass, but the "narrow" comment above is absurd --
subjectively speaking -- but like I said, my everyday comparison is the
'97 Sebring. I have yet to change a headlight bulb on the '99 Explorer.
I can hardly wait to see what it will do with AM bulbs -- probably have
to get a special license for it.

My first car (and my only other Chrysler product) was a '47 Dodge, and
with the lights and the tin-foil body work, I think I've had my last
Chrysler, if the rest are like the Sebring. Don't even get me started on
its electrics and ghost-ridden alarm system.

And 25 mpg -- BFD.


Jack
Ads
  #2  
Old September 9th 05, 07:08 AM
nashjeff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

My lenses are very cloudy- any inexpensive replacements you know of?


  #3  
Old September 9th 05, 02:43 PM
Big Shoe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Try polishing them with a cleaner/wax compound. I've been successful
cleaning up light lenses that way.

On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 02:08:44 -0400, "nashjeff" >
wrote:

>My lenses are very cloudy- any inexpensive replacements you know of?
>

  #4  
Old September 9th 05, 08:33 PM
Ulysses
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Jack" > wrote in message
m...
> Daniel J. Stern wrote:
>
> > The headlamps in question ('92 Explorer) have low overall output, poor
> > focus, a low peak intensity, narrow beam width and high levels of upward
> > stray light. All of those factors add up to an objectively poor beam.

>
> Now, THAT is fascinating!
>
> Of course I don't have the ol' '92 around anymore so further discussion
> of it's headlight performance would be worse than subjective. I ran them
> day and night and changed bulbs perhaps two times in the 11 years I
> owned it. I put better-than-OEM Halogen bulbs in it, so maybe thats why
> I was happy with it -- or maybe they were holographic and gave only the
> appearance of projected perfection.


I think they work so well that's it's difficult to tell if you have one not
working unless you go out and look.



  #5  
Old September 9th 05, 09:54 PM
stevie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

inside or outside??
"Big Shoe" > wrote in message
...
Try polishing them with a cleaner/wax compound. I've been successful
cleaning up light lenses that way.

On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 02:08:44 -0400, "nashjeff" >
wrote:

>My lenses are very cloudy- any inexpensive replacements you know of?
>



  #6  
Old September 9th 05, 10:02 PM
Steve
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Jack wrote:


> I went from a '81 Chevy pickup to the '92 Explorer, and believe me --
> the Explorer lights were infinitely better than those of the Chevy PU.


Well, the 81 Chevy would have had good old sealed beams. Now 99.9% of
the sealed-beams I've ever had were about 100 times BETTER than 90s
vintage plastic Explorer headlamps (or pretty much ANY 1990s plastic
specific-to-a-given-model headlamp). But its always possible that you
had some really, really, really poor non-halogen sealed beams in the
Chevy, or halogens with a cracked outer housing that allowed moisture to
darken the reflectors, or a wiring problem.

  #7  
Old September 9th 05, 10:04 PM
Big Shoe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Outside only! If they are clouded up inside, I don't know any way to
fix them. I think they are a sealed unit, but someone else may know
more about that.

On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:54:51 -0500, "stevie" > wrote:

>inside or outside??
>"Big Shoe" > wrote in message
.. .
>Try polishing them with a cleaner/wax compound. I've been successful
>cleaning up light lenses that way.
>
>On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 02:08:44 -0400, "nashjeff" >
>wrote:
>
>>My lenses are very cloudy- any inexpensive replacements you know of?
>>

>

  #8  
Old September 10th 05, 04:46 AM
Jack
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Steve wrote:

> Well, the 81 Chevy would have had good old sealed beams. Now 99.9% of
> the sealed-beams I've ever had were about 100 times BETTER than 90s
> vintage plastic Explorer headlamps (or pretty much ANY 1990s plastic
> specific-to-a-given-model headlamp).


My '92 Explorer headlights were glass.


Jack
  #9  
Old September 10th 05, 05:05 AM
Daniel J. Stern
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005, Jack wrote:

> My '92 Explorer headlights were glass.


Ummm...no. They weren't. Not unless you bought your '92 Explorer in
Germany, where glass-and-metal standard-format 200mm x 142mm rectangular
lamps were used (same size/shape as the large rectangular sealed beams in
your '81 Chev pickup, but in Europe they were a replaceable-bulb H4 unit).

North American-market Explorer headlamps used a plastic lens and a plastic
reflector.
  #10  
Old September 10th 05, 05:35 AM
Jack
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Daniel J. Stern wrote:

> North American-market Explorer headlamps used a plastic lens and a plastic
> reflector.


OMG! They were plastic -- and I loved them?

Eeeeuuuuwwww.


Jack
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Are your headlight lenses getting cloudy? Rick Chrysler 80 February 26th 06 02:06 AM
Cloudy headlights - what to do with them... Paul Driving 14 May 23rd 05 12:38 PM
Bad Headlight Relay? Lynn Martin VW air cooled 1 May 12th 05 10:57 PM
Help identifying Antique glass headlight lenses ? [email protected] Antique cars 0 February 3rd 05 04:00 AM
Headlight lenses John Riggs Ford Explorer 7 December 7th 04 12:46 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.