I don�t know what defines the US-headlights as "sealed beam", does it mean
they�re sealed so you can�t reach into them? Otherwise, our european
headlights get foggy/cloudy because of deposits like burned dust etc.

Remove the bulb and rinse the lamps with cleaner, alcohol, whatever, and let
them dry. They look like new afterwards.

Raimund
P.S.: What makes sealed beam lamps "sealed"? Are the vanagon�s U.S.
headlights sealed beams?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Scott" <rob@UNIXGUY.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 11:19 PM
Subject: Cloudy headlight glass?

> I recently purchased a 1990 Westie Multivan from someone in Northern
> Cal.  This van, and several others that I looked at all have to some
> degree or other what I would describe as a slightly opaque or cloudy
> appearance to the headlight lenses.  Incidentally, now that I think
> about it, all were from Cal and had made their way to more northerly
> owners.  If these had a plastic cover I'd say that the plastic had
> deteriorated from sun exposure, but none of the vans that I looked
> at appear to have plastic lens covers.  The problem afflicts both
> the high/low and high beam lamps.
>
> Anyone have any clues?  Is this likely an internal deposit that I
> can rinse out with some magic chemical, or is the glass actually
> likely to be starting to go opaque?  I've never seen glass go opaque
> in any other older vehicle.
>
> I'd love to buy the euro lamps, but things like new tires and front
> brakes are going to take priority at the moment.  I'm going to have
> to live with these lamps for a while, so I'd like to clean them up
> if possible.
>
>
> Cheers.
> Rob
>
>               It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
>                     -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>                      Rob Scott, mailto:rob@unixguy.com
>         Langley, Washington on Whidbey Island (a suburb with a moat)
>