AskMechanics
Why would anyone do this?
I’m in Las Vegas. We can reach temps of 110° to 120° in July. Why would someone attack a sun screen or heat shield across the front of the engine compartment?
It’s tied down at the bottom so it is somewhat permanent. Please help me understand. Is this an air flow thing?
Discussion
Looks like its covering the headlights, possibly to keep the lenses from turning yellow?
Absolutely the owner is covering the headlights to keep the UV away to keep them minty fresh looking. I would do the same thing if I had to park outside for extended periods. Restoration kits make the headlights look better, but rarely if ever do they look as good as they did when they were factory new. I used to use a car cover but learned that ANY dirt combined with a gentle breeze blowing the cover around will scratch and damage the paint worse than sunlight.
I do headlight restorations. You can do them on most headlight assemblies but not all, and to get them looking as good as new is an art that not everyone can do. I’m pretty good at it, but sometimes I get headlights that kick my butt. Especially ones that are years old and have tons of sun damage and scratches. The quality of the plastic gets brittle and can be a real pain to work with. Honestly, if you do it while they’re new, a good protective covering on the lenses works wonders and preserves the quality of the plastic. You might have to redo it a few times in the vehicle’s lifetime, but it’s well worth it.
What product(s) do you recommend for a good protective covering? I just restored my son’s 2008 Subaru Outback headlights…. TIA!
I used some UV paint protection film on my headlights. If/when the film starts to yellow, I plan to just replace it. The film should keep the lens safe from scratches too so I'm hoping I don't need to polish again
I don’t do the protective coverings, just restorations or replacements, so I would not be the best person to ask. I can say that most aftermarket assemblies are made with cheaper materials and don’t hold up as long as OEM ones, so if you replaced the headlight assemblies I would definitely recommend finding someone who can put a protective coating on them. I know another commenter on this reply thread mentioned what they’ve done. Another option would be to find a tint shop, wrap shop or detail shop near you, see what they offer and look up product reviews from there.
Edit: I realized that you said you restored them after I posted my comment. If you restored the OEM ones, you should have a little bit of time to find someone who can help you get them coated.
If you're "restoring" headlights without clearcoating or PPFing them, you're a con artist.
Right hah smh I’ve worked at a few body shops and headlight resto is a rip off. Just replace the housing and it’ll last another 10 years.
I spent an afternoon restoring mine, and clearcoated at the end to seal it. Cost me about $25.
What did you use? Just 2k clearcoat?
I polished them to a glass finish and used a 3M headlight clearcoat wipe. I often get people telling me to use 2K instead, but this method was more convenient for me at the time and I just need to wipe on a new coat every 12 months, which takes 5 minutes
Isn’t it best to use some lacquer right after the restoration process? No reason to polish them without protecting it after, or they will get sun damage very soon again
The process I do includes thoroughly washing, then four rounds of wet sanding with increasing grits, followed by a round of plastic treatment and a round of plastic polish. So yes, the way that I do them does protect them after. That’s what the last two steps are for. However, I don’t use the kits like the ones that can be bought at the parts store. I can’t speak for people who do them on their own. I use a professional system because it is a professional service provided at the mechanic shop I work at.
The biggest issue is when the inside becomes yellowed or cracked from age. At that point you’re better off getting a new lens or depending on the cars market, just buy a new assembly. If there isn’t any internal yellowing, some sandpaper and 2k clear will make it look pretty much as good as new.
Either way, doing what’s being demonstrated here is stupid. The amount of time and effort spent doing this isn’t worth it. The lenses are going to be pelted with sand/rocks while driving. This is way more damaging than the sun. Compare an old set of headlights to their matching tail lights. The tail lights are almost always in much better condition. They spend the same amount of time in the sun and yet the front ages faster due to the rocks/debris/heat (from the headlight bulbs).
In 10 years the value of this ford suv will be the same whether or not the headlights are a bit foggy.
Exactly! Some headlights are just ready to be replaced. Trying to explain that to people who see the before and after pictures can be a doozy sometimes, but I’m fortunate enough to be able to refuse to do the service if it’s that bad.
It definitely is the driving into tiny debris that does the most damage. The sun just adds to it. If you look at two identical vehicles, one that’s regularly driven and one that mostly sits, the one that mostly sits will have headlights in better condition. And unless the inside of those coverings is meticulously clean microfiber, just putting them on and taking them off will add tiny scratches.
Honestly what is the point in caring about slightly faded headlights if you're gonna cover them up with ugly ass tinfoil screens.
Because they're not in it while it's parked like this. So they don't care how you perceive it.
Reminds me of those ugly ass car bras tons of people had in the 90's. Which is uglier a small chip or the bra? Also then the idiots realized the bra was ruining the paint underneath it.
As a proud 1st gen edge owner, everything about this car is ugly. Interior, shape, alternator and pump placement, dash.
All of it.
$150 also gets literally anyone a pair of these edge peepers on ebay, so its actually kinda whatever.
They illuminate better when they aren’t faded
Makes me wonder if PPF would help with headlight oxidation.
Walmart has an awesome headlight restoration service if they have an auto center
Off bug spray
Don’t they make protective wrap for lenses?
You can make them look new if you do it properly, sand and re clear coat. Restoration kits aren't that, and are garbage.
Yeah but it's just a shitty Ford edge, who cares?
Is this true? Was going to get a cover for winter since I parky nice car outside (renting)
Same the Nevada sun will have those headlights cloudy in a year. But that won’t stop the clear coat from UV damage
I'm in Oklahoma. Now how am I supposed to keep dirt and wind away from my car? 😭😭
Covers work great inside, but outside I had the same experience. My paint is now line grained.
Toothpaste and windex is what I use. Not perfect but I can see better for a while.
You can just replace the housings and not waste any time… after like 7-8 years they’re pretty cheap…
I have clear ppf on the lenses of my cars to profect from uv damage (haze/yellowing) and protects from rock chips.
I feel like getting ppf applied to the lenses will achieve the same and be a lot less work than sticking these in there every day…but I guess this is cheaper
How does that hold up to the heat?
Had it on my truck 5 years 50k miles still looks new, truck lives outside. Idk what brand, tint shop did it. I did laminx on my last truck, they got hazy eventually so I just peeled and replaced . I wasn’t that impressed by the laminx tbh.
Also prevents against the lenses getting scratched by branches offroad.
Does covering them actually work? To keep the lenses from getting yellow and brittle?
Yes the uv oxidizes the plastic
Have to keep it nice for the next guy.
Or for people who don't dump a car after 3-5 years
Exactly my guess
That's why pop up headlights were invented 😤
I have a 98 Toyota Rav4 and the front lights are still clear, the ones that turn hazy are made to turn this way so you trade your car in for another one sooner rather than later.
Yeah you wouldn’t want your car to look silly
It keeps the car from becoming spooked or distracted.
If I ever get a Mustang I know what I'm gonna do...
Well played.
You'd let it go to its natural environment?
Large crowds of unsuspecting bystanders… nah keep its blinds on
given the extra auxiliary lights, its most likely to protect their headlight lenses
not sure why you would go to this much effort on an old ford edge, but it seems like the most likely option
Maybe they recently changed their headlights lense
Not a terrible idea, those edge headlights usually get destroyed by the sun. Very suprisingly the front badge is still there, it’s rare to see one now with it intact.
I always thought it funny how the one thing visible to the public that says the brand name is held on by cheap adhesive, made of plastic, and painted with paint known to fade in a couple of years, if it hadn’t already fallen off.
It’s actually the thirteenth one since he got the car. 🤪
It makes my day every time I see an edge that doesn’t have a giant chrome oval of nothing
In a car like that. Replacement lenses can be had very cheap online.
The horse is sleeping don’t interrupt its sleep break.
Looks like the are protecting the headlights.
Maybe their car has trouble sleeping?🤣
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Does anyone remember when headlights were made of glass and were a single unit with the bulb inside? No yellowing there unless you intentionally purchased a yellow headlight.
And you replaced them regularly.
My 1990 Honda Accord remembers…
My 2005 S80 has glass xenon lights. Still looking as fresh as the day it left the factory
I feel like an entire cover would be the same amount of work, maybe less.
To stop the headlights from getting ruined by the sun But it’s incredibly weird, don’t get me wrong. Very very very weird. I do not recommend hahahaha
Blinders So the ford doesn’t get spooked when the tow truck rolls by
ROFL
sun fucks head lights up making them ugly and "cloudy" over time... so maybe hes just trying to protect them.
I assume they have day time running lights and are keeping their lights covered to block it out,l. I figure that theyre living in the car and do that to keep the lights from coming on at night, but they still want to run the engine for AC or to charge a phone
Oh that's a good point! I'd sooner push the parking brake or pull a fuse though, looks way less shitty lol
There is a handicap sign plus some additional lights, so maybe it’s related to their eyesight.
Cloudy headlights can be a problem for people with poor and/or deteriorating eyesight.
This is the car for a guiding dog and his driver.
Seen them before.
Preventing the headlight lenses from fading as quickly. Not a horrible idea actually. However, that's gotta be annoying to put on and take off every day
Maybe their car has pinkeye and they have to keep it covered so it can heal.
Keep it looking good by making it look bad
Those year of cars headlights yellowed pretty damn fast.
Because UV light damages the plastic clearcoat of the headlights
I can't blame someone for wanting those expensive headlights, to last forever. Plus, once they frost over, the night time driving sux.
Why not just get a whole vehicle cover? Your paint is more expensive to fix than the headlights
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Maybe the vehicle is tired, and they're makeshift blindfolds to help it take a nap.
Only if you want your car to look like a Shogun warrior.
My guess is that they prefer to use the lights they mounted on the bumper and this blocks out the original headlights
But why? I’ve been trying to figure it out for an hour lol
I think you’re onto it. Maybe they’re missing headlights and added these instead?
I would say maybe, one is busted and they never drive at night when theyre lawfully required. So this is insurance against a cop pulling them over during the day. They could always pull the fuse so they aren't on all the time and only with the switch like a normal person would. Or seeing the ones installed on the grill, maybe he got really fancy aftermarket ones and hes afraid they'll melt in direct sun, or get stolen.
If they are l.e.d.'s he mighta had so much trouble getting them to work that hes worried the littlest thing will mess them up.
This is why I hate l.e.d.s or the Chinese made "xenon" bulbs.
Man at that point just get a polisher…
Kinda nutty honestly. Put a ceramic coating on them to keep them looking good. My neighbor has a 2013 edge sport that he rarely washes and the headlights still look like new down here in Sarasota Florida. My take on it is either one or both headlights are damaged or missing and this is less embarrassing to them than anyone seeing what lies beneath.
Shhhhhh - it’s sleeping
Just do a wet sand with baking soda and vinegar. Then clear coat them. They will look new.
That is an old persons car if I ever saw one.
My friend made caps that fit perfectly over his headlights to keep them out of the sun in new Mexico.
When I wrecked my Ford Transit 250 the left headlight assembly cost $800. Yeah, they get you good on new headlights.
This is probably done after cleaning the headlights. Headlight restoration kits chemically restores the plastic and it requires no exposure to the sun for 24 hours or so.
So concerned about looks he's willing to look stupid as fuck 90% of the time
How does he have the time to worry about this shit if he isn't retired or something? Tell him to make some kind of restoration/protectent part of his routine if that's the case.
I just got a 2012 Chrysler Town & Country, Great vehicle by the way with 227,000 miles had really good luck with the CERAKOTE Ceramic Headlight Restoration Kit. Definitely takes a lot of time and patience, but it made the headlights look great. Way brighter. But I did find out my driver side headlight will need to be replaced soon because it does have cracks internally and let’s in some moisture, but still glad I did it.
Just used that kit on my wife’s car. It worked great.
They should just have clear PPF installed over the headlights
This seems like an enormous hassle if it’s not just for long term parking. Just get some ppf..
What would be easier than doing all this kind of stuff to keep your headlights clear is just make them out of glass again.
Give me glass
So my thought is their headlights are broken and they’re trying to protect the holes and the lights on the grill are what they’re trying to use as headlights. I might be way off basis but that was my initial thought.
Maybe the reflectors cause an issue when the sun hits it just right.
I can’t remember if it was OEM or aftermarket headlights, but there was a defect in them. I forget the brand and model now. Something about the black housing and lens combination, if the sun hit it right, would melt due to the beam of the sun passing thru the lens. I think they briefly discontinued the black housing for chrome until they fixed it. The fix was to move the lens further into the car so the sun could no longer hit it in such a way to create the beam that melts it.
I’m not saying that’s what is happening here. I’m only saying that melting headlights has happened.
this guy has trouble seeing at night and he wants to keep his headlights from yellowing
Excuse my ignorance on this topic but I want to learn by asking. If anyone wants brand as new looking headlights, why not just switch them out with brand new ones in 10 years?
Why do all of this to save a couple of dollars? And there seems to be agreement in this thread on this practice.
Just baffling me here, answers are appreciated
You priced out headlight assemblies recently ? They are expensive af unless you buy some no name replica parts off Amazon or something.
Why are we as consumers even having this BS conversation in the first place? We are just end users… if the yellowing of the headlights are a safety issue. THEN TELL THE DOT TO TELL THE AUTO MANUFACTURERS TO GO BACK TO GLASS!!! But no, they pass the bs cost off to the consumers as if we created a hazard by simply driving not even a bulb thing. May I also add that glass can be made into any shape. P.S. The extra weight of glass isn’t even significant enough when it comes to mpg.
303 Aerospace. Thank me later
Headlights are the breasts of the car. They're simply being respectful and god honoring.
This is hilarious. Guys so worried about the headlights when a buffing kit is $20 and a new set is like $200
The buffing kits never work.
Okay… everyone agrees that it’s to protect the headlights. It just seems a bit weird to me, but I agree that must be what it’s for.
I also think its a bit weird but I've learned not to judge another person for trying to keep their shit nice.
it's hard to keep your shit nice. I have a lot of respect for the people that are able to. I try very hard but I am not one of them.
This vehicle looks to be in mint condition where as a majority of 15-20 year old Fords either are or need to be in the junkyard by now. Might be weird but it's also pretty smart.
As peculiar as it is, it's clearly someone who likes their vehicle and wants to take care of it.
My guess was the headlights have been stolen and were just ripped out, doesn't have insurance to fix it, so added a shitty light bar at the front to use.
Preventing UV from hazing his/her/their headlight lenses.
It's not something I'd do even with my nice SUV with nice LED lamps/lenses, but hey, I do understand the rationale for this depending on their regular exposure to UV radiation for 10-12 hours a day. In the most intense exposure on a DAILY basis, expensive headlamp lenses will be hazed in no time at all. So this is really about prevention and keeping the expensive wear/tear components of their car alive and near-new for as long as possible.
Only an insane person…
Probably bought brand new cheap headlights off Amazon and doesn't want them to look as faded and yellow as their OEM originals after 3 weeks.
Prob a b thing
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These are just headlight blinders, so the car doesn't get scared from seeing other cars.
Don't you close you eyes when your sleeping
The sun will wreck the interior and the finish on the headlights. That’s why older cars have the yellowing on the headlights. They’re just doing the most to try and keep the car nice.
its overkill but its what can be afforded right now. Vegas sun probably doesn't just make them yellow but it probably cracks them really bad. id personally opt for a clear tint film and just change it out twice a year. but idk because I don't live there, maybe it bakes the tint on
That actually is a good idea
Damn
i bet you he rolls it up and tucks it under his hood when not in use
Temu PPF
Insects
Keep their headlights from sun damage.
This gave me a good laugh, it just looks so ridiculous lol
Stops the harmful 5G radio waves
It's to keep the headlight fluid from boiling in the heat, especially in cars with LEDs it's not rated to those high temperatures.
I bet the headlights are not installed, hence the lights in the middle, and then maybe just a cover for aerodynamics??
Headlight restoration es mucho dinero
Their car, their concern. If the owner is comfortable to do this, why do we care
Aliens bro
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity? /s
Easier fix is to just cover the clear lenses with clear bra material. Did this with my car 19 years ago and the lenses still look new.
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Shhh, it's sleeping. 🤣
Probably to keep the lights from turning yellow and hazy in the sun
Heat from the sun degrades plastic, and headlight lenses are made of plastic. Extreme heat is bad for anything; it kills batteries, dries out rubber, degrades fluids, and damages tire rubber with light. Even tempered car glass could be damaged by extreme temperatures. So this isn't the best solution, but it is better than nothing. Car color also helps, darker colors tend to absorb heat which is bad news for car interiors, You can feel it when the car is left in the open, whereas light colors reflect sunlight.
Las Vegas, 120 degree temperatures, direct sunlight focused and reflected not only back through the lense doubling UV exposure, but also focusing light(heat) intensely on small areas causing distortion of the thermoplastic housing and separation of the flash chrome finish. Dudes smart to cover them, also helps with sandstorms. As for the auxiliary lights, there’s a lot of desolate roads leading to amazing places in Nevada. From the setting of the cubes to give better illumination to the sides of the road, looks like he knows what he’s doing.
I checked the price of a new assembly for Toyota Tacoma. $497 Canadian $ for OEM.
He rarely drives at night and had to previously change lights due to yellowing at 800 dollars.
The sun literally tears up everything. The paint job, headlight lenses. Interior of the car. I park my car under a tree everyday so the paint won’t fade from the sun.
Just look at the headlight lenses on the car to the right, and I think that will answer the question.
Those ... melted?
I'm sure some kind of childhood trauma informed that decision.
it is a car spa day, you know, you put cucumber slices on your eyes, car gets heat reflecting mat on the "eyes"
It's because they are sleeping in their car, and they got the headlights covered so when I start the car to run the air the lights aren't visible possibly
because the man is sick of the god damn plastic headlights, and I hear him!!
Maybe their headlights got stolen and they are doing this to cover the holes until they replace them
Look at the rims, that tells you all you need to know.
Might cover them so if they run the car while parked they aren’t lighting up the parking lot at night.
Maybe they are missing the headlights so they put that to keep water out. I only think that because of the lights they attached to the grill.
Easier to sleep now.
American cars can't withstand the sun?
Maybe the person is staying in the car and needs electricity in the night, so the ignition is on and the headlights are not fully on, but have these "always-on" travel lights?
Just an idea, don't destroy me.
Covering the headlights to prevent UV damage
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ah that's why I own ac1973 has glass headlights
Great idea. An ounce of prevention is better then a pound of cure.
Shhhh…it’s sleeping
wow i had no idea thanks for posting explains why when we lived in CO or headlights turned to shit so fast LOL
those wheels are the worst part
Definitely to save the headlights. Another easy thing to block UV rays (not heat) is "Formula 303". Just spread it on. The only thing is that it has to be done again every 5-6 weeks.
this is why I only own cars that use glass for headlight lenses.
Probably had the headlights yellow or the bumper end caps distort from the heat on a previous truck or brand. Kind of silly, but to each their own silliness.
Shhhh, she's sleeping....
I'm going for loco in de cabeza.
The big headlights are not bright enough at night. So they use the aftermarket lights in the middle.
Dumb and Dumber things.
Couldn't they just wax the headlights to help protect them from the sun, instead?
If you dont put the blinders on your vehicle when you leave it in public, there's a chance it might see something startling and try to drive away.
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They dumb as fuck that’s why put some type of u. Protection on them retards like this wont keep this thing on the road long enough for the headlights to go bad anyways
prevents the headlight lenses from turning yellow
The car’s just trynna get some beauty sleep in
The car's dead
So pirates would wear eyepatches to improve visibility in low light conditions. These special UV screens are designed to be used during the day and increase the brightness and effectiveness of the headlights in low light conditions, also known as night.
Maybe they were working on something in the engine bay and used that to prevent damage to the car.
If you’re going to go to this level why not just put a full cover over the car.
Protecting their plastic headlight lenses from UV.
It looks ridiculous with that little light bar and all but I commend them for covering their headlights to prevent them from clouding up and turning yellow due to prolonged sun exposure.
We’ve all thought about it but he did it lol
Shhhh, shes getting her beauty sleep
Headlamps...
Is it possible their headlights once lensed themselves to a molten death with the sun?
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