Crazing/micro-cracking headlights

[gmabes]

Leon cupra 300, 17 reg, has the micro cracking through the lenses. Only option to replace - any suggestions as to the best source of new lights is welcome. Currently looking at just shy of £900 per light.

 

[oldglosracer]

I've seen this on other cars, wonder what causes it?
Maybe being sat in strong sunlight all the time?
Maybe being baked in an oven during a paint job?
A friend's Cayman had crazed back lights, it was 10 years old.

 

[gmabes]

Not sure, looks dreadful though. If I don’t get replacements cheap enough, I wondered if a light tint/chameleon film would disguise it. Maybe someone on here has done this and can share their opinion?

 

[Jay5959]

Try some polishing compound, might just be surface cracks? Worth a shot, might save you replacing them, especially at £900 per light

 

[gmabes]

I can see the cracks go through the depth of the plastic, it wouldn’t polish out I’m very confident of that.

 

[Jay5959]

Fair enough mate

 

[black_sheep]

The pre-facelift cars were very prone to this. You're one of the first with facelift cars with the same issue.

Previous thread here:

LED Headlights

Same year different issue are you sure this is dust? Is there pic you guys can post I cannot access the one from 2017. I have a major issue with micro cracks in the acrylic lens. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

www.seatcupra.net

 

[SRGTD]

Crazing - or micro cracking - on polycarbonate headlamp lenses isn’t that uncommon (do an internet search on ‘headlamp lens crazing’).

I’ve seen it suggested that it’s caused by the UV protective coating on the polycarbonate degrading over time, so the crazing effect is likely to appear worse on older headlamp units that newer ones. Polishing unfortunately is unlikely to remove the crazing as it seems it goes deeper than just the surface of the headlamp lens.

Quite often the crazing can’t be seen during daylight and only becomes visible when the headlamps are on.

 

[kgp280]

Hi
Are you sure that’s not dust that’s got inside the light unit and stuck to the inside of the lens.

They look like the lens on my car and it’s defo fine dust that’s inside my lights.
Its a known fault with the earlier led headlights.

My car is a preface lift and was told it’s to do with the filters that are supposedly fitted to stop this happening. Not being fine enough, to filter out these fine air born particles getting into the light units.

It’s looks awful at night. Especially when you look side on at the lights. Not so bad when looking directly in front at them.

Did mention it when I last had the car serviced at a Seat dealership and they just fob me off. Car now being 7yrs old.
If your still within the warranty period I would be complaining to Seat to get them replaced.

 

[andylong]

Sand and polish the lenses and then recoat them with a UV spray.
Uv light oxidises the poly carbonate and it looks way worse than it is.
Looking from the side means you are looking through more polycarbonate so it looks worse.
There are lots you can buy and they have good reviews.
If you truly have cracks going all the way through the lenses you can't do much but this is much less likely than surface cracking.

 

[andylong]

This is mine under flash. These will defo polish out.