De-misting headlights!

R

R3AP4R

Member
So my new lights are swimming so considering putting back OEMs. There almost dry and whilst there off, I even gave them a proper clean up.

My question is, I get the hair dryer but how do you remove dry water marks? I have the backs and bulbs out but how do you get anything in there to clean the lense? :? Putting back headlights with water stains would drive me mad!
 
Mine had slight water marks. I just let them get steamed up again and then blasted them with hair dryer through the back. Seemed to do the trick.
That was fitted to the car too
 
you could attach a cloth to a straightened coat hanger? Not ideal but you may have enough purchase to remove the marks.
 
Once stained with drying limescale then depending on how much they are as good as wrecked.

Off the car I'd try some distilled water to rinse the lens, them tip it out and dry fully. That should leave no marks.
 
I have only just got my z4 be gentle.....
:oops:
But I always used to suffer misting on VAG lights that came apart in two. Taping some silica gel (the little packets that come in parcels) made a big differene to any misting you'd get after changing the bulbs etc.

Just a thought if you are going to the trouble of taking them apart to clean again.
 
bony_13 said:
I have only just got my z4 be gentle.....
:oops:
But I always used to suffer misting on VAG lights that came apart in two. Taping some silica gel (the little packets that come in parcels) made a big differene to any misting you'd get after changing the bulbs etc.

Just a thought if you are going to the trouble of taking them apart to clean again.
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I'll be gentle :)

Sadly you can't take Z4 lights apart without chopping them up with a dremmel, so for most opening is not an option.
Silica gel works really well for small amounts of condensation. By the time it gets to runs on a lens it's a major leak (usually from the rear access seal) and needs fixing.
Some have used what they thought was silica only to find it to be cheap substitute salt, which dissolved and the ensuing corrosion wrecked their lights...
 
Mine misted up and the water took out the ballast which bolts to the underside of the headlight. £75 for a new fu£ker.!!! :headbang:

Solution... I drilled 2 big holes on the underside of the cover which seals the back of the lights. Theses lights already have 3 breather holes in the corners. The extra airflow has really done the trick. I've not had a single bit of condensation since :D
 
have this issue and its just killed one of my invertors for my angel eyes so i have drilled a few holes in the rear hosuing hoping this will work too
 
Surely if the rear hatch not sealing causes the condensation, how does more holes help? Seems counter-intuitive
 
SlammedZ4 said:
have this issue and its just killed one of my invertors for my angel eyes so i have drilled a few holes in the rear hosuing hoping this will work too
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I think you'll live to regret that. There is a huge amount of water that gets around the inspection panels when driven in wet weather and will certainly get into those holes.
 
you live to learn so will see the inspection panels sit very well in the arches so im sure not that much water hits the back of the lights to be fair but we will see
 
+1 having replaced my lights and still getting water inside, i sealed up the back plates (after market lights) and they are now fine :lol: :thumbsup:
 
One of the lights is fine after the holes and the other side just keeps on fogging up but if I remove the rear covers they are fine no fogging or anything. Can I buy the rear covers and seals new or is it a second hand item I can get?
 
SlammedZ4 said:
One of the lights is fine after the holes and the other side just keeps on fogging up but if I remove the rear covers they are fine no fogging or anything. Can I buy the rear covers and seals new or is it a second hand item I can get?
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Bit of an old thread to revive - but for future forumites, yes you can buy the rear covers for the headlights for about £13 - our passenger headlight started to gather water droplets inside after I changed a bulb - read on here that the seal had probably perished, and a new rear cover would cure it - and it did :)
 
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