misting headlights

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outrun

Active member
Hello All

I'm getting a bit of condensation inside my headlights on both sides at the bottom of the lights. Anyone else suffer from this?

I've never even changed a bulb from new, the only thing i ever did was to flip the wee levers that block the beams to ensure that i wouldn't blind anyone in when driving on the "wrong" side in Europe. I've never changed them back as it was such a pain in the arse the first time. I doubt this has anything to do with the issue though, it looks as though it's following the sel at the bottom of the lights.

Will post pics when the snow subsides and i can get it out of the garage !
 
outrun said:
Hello All

I'm getting a bit of condensation inside my headlights on both sides at the bottom of the lights. Anyone else suffer from this?

I've never even changed a bulb from new, the only thing i ever did was to flip the wee levers that block the beams to ensure that i wouldn't blind anyone in when driving on the "wrong" side in Europe. I've never changed them back as it was such a pain in the arse the first time. I doubt this has anything to do with the issue though, it looks as though it's following the sel at the bottom of the lights.

Will post pics when the snow subsides and i can get it out of the garage !
Click to expand...

Might be worth switching them back to see better :thumbsup:

Pick a good day and pop the rear covers off, wipe out any moister from them and allow to dry out a bit. Perhaps the cover gasket isn't sealing or seated quite right, a small amount of vaseline around the gasket may help make the seal better.
 
Hmmm, my nearside one is doing this.

Got really bad over the last few days, possibly after lots of washing/rinsing, literally drops on the inside almost all over the lens! Had both covers off recently for changing bulbs, so maybe refitted badly at one side :(



Removed cover, cleaned it, treated seal with some rubber care, refitted, then used hair dryer tonight to clear all moisture visible from light (plastic lens got nice and warm), refitted back, drove out to get some stuff, got back, and now re-moistured.
I did use the washers, so the headlights were covered with spray, not sure if this has 'cooled' the lens and caused some condensation to form, but it was so warm inside the unit I can't imagine there was any moisture to allow consdensation.

The lamp doesn't look to be cracked anywhere obvious, the seal seems in good order too.


I will report back if I find an obvious solution to this. Will try vaseline on seal, dry lamp out again with dryer, and turn off the headlight washers and see if it comes back again. Maybe there was just a fair bit of water still in the lens despite drying, and it's just re-condensed on the cool lens again...

Really annoying me now, but can't really claim on warranty until I'm sure it wasn't just my badly refitted cover + lots of washing that has left it full of water (pretty certain it was clear and clean until recently (maybe frost cracked it!?))

Dave
 
How about putting some of those silica gel sachets in the light housings to absorb any moisture you may have missed?
 
I did get two bags, but they were little balls in a plastic bag (came with a motherboard), but they didn't seem to do anything. I'm not sure if I need to pierce the bags a little bit or not (not those old paper style bag ones that are clearly penetrable by damp)


I'll just get out again tonight with the hair dryer and look daft infront of the neighbours. What was there has gone about 75% now, so it was probably just larger drops in the bottom of the light that have evaporated/re-condensed since I refitted the cover.

Fingers crossed it was just my lame cover refitting that led to the leak in the first place :D

Dave
 
Well, did three evenings of hairdryer action, and making sure the seal on the back of the light was good, and the mist/vapour in there has disappeared. I guess at some stage I'd not put the back on right (when I did the bulbs), and then it's just got water in there, which has had to be dried out over a few days (seems to go clear when drying, then when it cools, new water condenses on the front (ie, water from in the bottom of the light maybe, that you never see), so took a few passes over a few days to clear it.

There are a few very feint interior marks on the plastic face, but upon inspection the offside one has similar and it's not leaked, so I guess there is some natural very feint condensing that occurs anyway.


So, to anyone with misting headlights, check the seals, give them a good clean and re-rubberise with rubber feed/cleaner, and try a few attacks with the hairdrier over a few evenings, drying till it's almost clear each time.

Dave
 
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