Choosing the best headlight sealant for your vehicle can be the difference between bright, active headlights and dull lights that decrease your visibility. There are many different types of sealant, and it has many different uses. This article will break down what you need to know to make the best choice.
Headlight sealant is an adhesive substance used to protect and secure your vehicle’s headlights from weather, accidents, and general grime from use. Headlight sealants can be made of various materials but are usually glue-like or sticky to insulate your headlight against moisture.
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How to Use Headlight Sealant
To use headlight sealant, first carefully remove your headlight from the front of your car. After lifting your vehicle’s hood and removing the bumper cover (if it overlaps with the headlight), unscrew and unplug the headlight’s connections from your car.
Take it inside and remove any screws, as well as the bulbs. Put your headlight in the oven on a piece of wood and heat at around 230 degrees for 15 minutes. This will melt the old sealant so that you can remove it.
When this is done, remove the lens of your headlight and scrape the old sealant out of the channel that runs around the backing of the headlight. Clean and replace with the new sealant of your choice.
Types of Headlight Sealants
There are several types of headlight sealant, and it comes in many forms. Sealant can be made from adhesive, silicone, and polyurethane, and it is often sold as a liquid, spray, or paste. The type of headlight sealant you need may depend on your vehicle and local weather conditions.
1) Adhesive Headlight Sealant
Adhesive headlight sealant is a sealant that glues the two pieces of your headlight together. Once applied, adhesive headlight sealant should last indefinitely.
Providing a tight lock between your headlight lens and back locks out moisture and condensation and prevents your headlights from becoming dim and foggy.
2) Silicone Headlight Sealant
Silicone is a popular choice for headlight sealant. High-quality silicone is not expensive and should last for a long time. It’s a flexible material that allows expansion and contraction due to weather without cracking and peeling.
Silicone takes about 24 hours to fully dry and can be found at about $4 per tube at your local hardware store.
3) Polyurethane Sealants
Polyurethane is a plastic material that can be used to seal vehicle headlights. It is soft and sticky when applied but hardens to form an air-tight seal, preventing water, dirt, or chemicals from the road from getting into your headlights.
It should stay flexible during temperature or vibrational changes. An inexpensive choice, polyurethane sealant can sometimes be difficult to remove.
4) Heat Resistant Headlight Sealants
Heat-resistant headlight sealants are a great idea, especially if you live in an area with warm or hot average temperatures.
Your headlight is designed so that parts of it will get very hot from the heat of the engine and the bulb. A heat-resistant headlight sealant won’t melt or crack under high temperatures.
Why Use a Headlight Seal?
You may be asking yourself, why should I use a headlight seal? What is the risk if I don’t? Regardless of the car you drive, as long as it has headlights, you should use a high-quality, long-lasting headlight seal, and here’s why.
1) Prevents Dimming and Fog
Using a headlight sealant protects you from having dim and foggy headlights. Without sealant, moisture and condensation can get in through the small space between your headlight lens and backing. This fogs the headlight from the inside, lowering your visibility.
Decreased visibility can affect your ability to find your way on the road, prevent other drivers from seeing your car’s headlights, and even cause accidents in situations where the visibility is already low or the environment is dangerous, like snow in or fog.
2) Extends the Life of Your Headlights
A good headlight sealant will prevent fogging, discoloration, and decreased visibility. This naturally increases the amount of time you’ll be able to use your headlights before needing them repaired or replaced.
Since sealants are usually pretty affordable, you’re saving money on car maintenance and repair. A tube of sealant is usually about $4 at your local hardware store, whereas replacing your headlights can cost anywhere between $250 to $700.
3) Prevents Yellowing and Hazing
Like moisture and condensation, yellowing and hazing are common problems that cause decreased visibility and limit the light coming from your headlights. Most headlight lenses are made of thick polycarbonate plastic, which isn’t completely impervious to the sun.
Though it may take several years, the heat from the lightbulbs, your car’s engine, and the sun will eventually turn the lens yellow and cloudy. This can not only decrease the length your car’s headlight can reach, but it can prevent other drivers from seeing your headlights.
UV-resistant headlight sealants prevent this yellowing and hazing from happening. Protecting your headlight from UV rays keeps your headlight lens bright and clear for longer, and as well as sealing against moisture, grime, and dust or chemicals.
4) Provides the Safest Possible Drive
As I mentioned, driving without headlight sealant can expose your headlights to condensation and other weather concerns. It also allows dirt and grime to coat and stick to your lens. This limits the visibility of other drivers and your ability to see what’s around you on the road.
With a quality headlight sealant, your headlights should not fog, dim, or be coated in dirt. They should be clear and bright with the maximum amount of distance reached by your bulbs. This will provide the safest possible drive for you and any passengers in your car.
Best Headlight Sealant
Finding the best headlight sealant for your vehicle depends on the climate where you live, your budget, and the materials available near you. As we mentioned, headlight sealants can be adhesive, heat resistant, and made of silicone or polyurethane plastic.
Since choosing a headlight sealant is an important decision, listed below are 5 of the best of them.
1) ZXMOTO Headlight Sealant
Features
ZXMOTO headlight sealant is made from synthetic rubber and is completely waterproof. Perfect for resealing headlights after a remodel or repair, the ZXMOTO headlight sealant comes in a pack of 13ft. That should be enough to reseal two to four headlights, depending on their size.
Pros and Cons
The pros of choosing ZXMOTO headlight sealant are that it’s a well-rated product with over four hundred global ratings.
Customers mention its adhesive properties and an easy installation process. On the other hand, some customers mention that the product is relatively sticky. So make sure to use gloves while applying.
Price
ZXMOTO headlight sealant is a highly affordable product option with 13ft of rubber sealant going for less than $13 on Amazon. Two pieces are sold for $23.
2) Morimoto Headlight Sealant
Features
Morimoto headlight sealant boasts a universal fit and is highly rated by over 800 customers on Amazon. Sold in a small size, the sealant can be softened again and reused using the oven method.
Pros and Cons
While the Morimoto headlight sealant is a bit pricer, customers highlight its durability.
Price
The Morimoto headlight sealant sells for $1.62 per foot. It’s sold in packs 13ft long.
3) J-B Weld Silicone Sealant
Features
J-B Weld silicone sealant is an adhesive silicone paste. It’s useful for all types of automotive repair and maintenance, including headlight sealant.
Pros and Cons
J-B Weld silicone sealant is highly rated with over 7000 positive reviews on Amazon. However, it does come in a small size tube, so you may need more than one to do multiple headlights.
Price
The J-B Weld silicone sealant is also the most affordable option at just over $7.
4) Permatex Silicone Adhesive
Features
Permatex silicone adhesive is waterproof and flexible, perfect for headlight resealing.
Pros and Cons
It can handle temperatures of -75 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so Permatex is also ideal for someone worried about heat exposure or high local temperatures.
Price
Permatex sells in a 12.9 ounce can for just under $15.
5) QUIXX Headlight Restoration Kit and Lens Sealer
Features
QUIXX Headlight Restoration kit includes a powerful headlight lens sealer, as well as other tools you’ll need to restore your headlights completely.
Pros and Cons
The lens sealer offers protection from moisture and condensation and UV protection to reduce yellowing. If you don’t need a full restoration kit, you may not want to buy this product.
Price
The full QUIXX kit sells at around $16 on Amazon.
So, What Is a Good Headlight Sealant?
A good headlight sealant prevents condensation and moisture from fogging up your lens. It should be flexible so that it cannot crack and easily contract and expand in hot and cold temperatures.
Depending on your environment, a good headlight sealant will be heat resistant or UV resistant to protect your headlight from hazing and yellowing. Regardless of where you are, it should reduce the glare you see from your headlights and be pretty affordable.
