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Headlight Fogged, Need Some Advice

DanByler

New Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2011
Messages
1
Hey everyone.

I hope I've posted this in the correct forum section. If not, please forgive me. I couldn't find the troubleshooting/problems section.

Anyways, I own a 88 Ford Bronco, of which the headlight (driver side) has gotten foggy. It's certainly not as transparent as the passenger side light. At first I wasn't sure why one was foggy and the other wasn't, but then I took a closer look at the foggy light and noticed a small crack on the outside casing. I believe this crack has allowed moisture to enter the light. I've heard of people restoring their headlights with special DIY kits, but I've decided to take the route of simply replacing the light with an aftermarket light from an online store. I found two sites that I particularly liked, but I'm unsure of whether or not they are legitimate businesses. Furthermore, I don't want to fall prey to a scam. Has anyone purchased from either of these sites and can verify that they are a legitimate business? The following parts match the OEM number of the one I need. Thanks in advance.

http://www.dealparts.com/product/TYC-20-1571-00.html
or
http://www.autolightcenter.com/ford/bronco/headlights.html#MTI2Njg
 

HoosierDaddy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
May 29, 2006
Messages
2,773
I replaced the lights in the wifes Sentra. Bought both headlights from the same store but got two different brands.
One was a DEPO brand , which has a very good reputation.
The other was another brand , they appeared identicle , the off brand one is fogging (inside moisture condensation) in less than a year.
Moral of the story , try to find DEPO's or whatever the crowd over at Fullsize Broncos suggests.
 
Last edited:

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
www.fullsizebroncos.com for all your full size ('78 to '96) bronco needs.

If fogged inside, housing is junk
If fogged outside there are several kits to polish them out. Before the kits existed I was using the Novus brand plastic polishes with good results.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
Agreed. Since your '88 is of the plastic variety and very prone to fogging on the surface, you might verify what yours are suffering from. If the reflector is already rusting (especially along the bottom) then you've got moisture inside and it's never going to be as good as it once was.
If, on the other hand, the reflector is still good and shiny, and only the lens is fogging, it's time to polish up the old setup to see if yours is salvageable. I've done it to several vehicles with good results. Some with GREAT results, some with merely good. But they were all well worth the little time I spent messing with them and it saved me some money to boot.

You can get moisture inside and you just have to drain/dry it out, but that usually looks like just what it is. Some water on the inside of your lens. If it's truly fogged up from UV damage (even if it looks like it's inside), then take some polish, whether a specific light polish, or just some old paint polish you have laying around, get out the old drill and a buffing kit, and have at it.

Good luck. That's a LOT of surface area on those '87 to '91 trucks, so you can perhaps benefit even more than most by fixing what you've got.

Paul
 
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