Hi all-some of you may know i bought a pair off the forum a few weeks ago(still to fit them)-i am planning on sealing them as a precaution against future condensation issues,would normal clear silicone sealant do?-the B&Q type for kitchens/bathrooms/windows etc?-or is there a better solution? thanks.
Sealing fogs as a precaution-
- Thread starter andysat
- Start date
Sealing with silicone probably won't work as the thermal expansion of the air will pop any perfect seal you try to create.
IfI were tomdo it I too would go with the grease Tom suggests. Also easy to change a bulb when required.
IfI were tomdo it I too would go with the grease Tom suggests. Also easy to change a bulb when required.
The fogs arent hermitically sealed anyway.
Look on the top side, there is a black plug. this is a vent to allow air / moisture in/out.
so if you really want to seal them you'll need to pop this off and put a blob there.
From what i have seen it isnt the seals failing it is corrosion under the silvering.
When i dismantled some "failed" fog the seals were still good and gripping onto the silvering but the silvering had come away from the body which was corroded. Why it corrodes is a different matter... where it was corroding did indicate that there was moisture sat in the fogs as it was the seals on the bottom side that had come away. Poor deposition of the silver is my guess and a body underneath that isnt resistant to corrosion.
Look on the top side, there is a black plug. this is a vent to allow air / moisture in/out.
so if you really want to seal them you'll need to pop this off and put a blob there.
From what i have seen it isnt the seals failing it is corrosion under the silvering.
When i dismantled some "failed" fog the seals were still good and gripping onto the silvering but the silvering had come away from the body which was corroded. Why it corrodes is a different matter... where it was corroding did indicate that there was moisture sat in the fogs as it was the seals on the bottom side that had come away. Poor deposition of the silver is my guess and a body underneath that isnt resistant to corrosion.
Moisture will accumulate simply as the light warms and cools under normal conditions. Look at any double glazing unit that has failed. It will soon be very wet inside. Using them from time to time dries out any moisture.
andysat said:
I can't see how that would leak. On mine the 2 are plastic welded together. Any true 'leak' would most likely be bulb seal to housing, where water can spray off the wheel and get past the inspection hatch into the area and no doubt road spray from the front.
I have given up worrying - if I can get a nice unfoggy pair for a bargain price as Andy has then that would be cool, but otherwise I may take a hair dryer to them then forget it till they are foggy again. Foggy fogs are a feature of at least 50% of facelifts I see.
I think cj has it right, and it will happen eventually unless you only use the car when the weather is fine. Best thing to do would be to buy a new set of plastic hatches as they will fit more tightly - I am going to do this for the headlight ones as they are looking tired and loose on mine. I guess you could try sealing them, but water still gets into that area anyway when it drains off the bonnet... As I found out when I changed a bulb in mine with snow on the car and the engine running, and filled the light with water as the snow melted... :roll:
Like the idea of silicone grease though, worth trying too
I think cj has it right, and it will happen eventually unless you only use the car when the weather is fine. Best thing to do would be to buy a new set of plastic hatches as they will fit more tightly - I am going to do this for the headlight ones as they are looking tired and loose on mine. I guess you could try sealing them, but water still gets into that area anyway when it drains off the bonnet... As I found out when I changed a bulb in mine with snow on the car and the engine running, and filled the light with water as the snow melted... :roll:
Like the idea of silicone grease though, worth trying too
As CJ said, the moisture is going to accumulate because they are heating and cooling.
Just because you add extra sealant and ensure the buld holders are good you also have the vent on the top side.
Quite frankly i think there is little you can do except completely seal them so you cant use them and just have them for aesthetics.
No matter how hard you try you'll probably always get some condensation just from ambient temperature rise and fall
Just because you add extra sealant and ensure the buld holders are good you also have the vent on the top side.
Quite frankly i think there is little you can do except completely seal them so you cant use them and just have them for aesthetics.
No matter how hard you try you'll probably always get some condensation just from ambient temperature rise and fall
andysat said:Bloody things-i had a 2000 e46 with no foggy fogs,i know the zeds are lower but still cmom BMW!
It's not the height Andy, it's the design of and materials used in the facelift lights mate
Just get them changed over and take lots of pics - I am looking forward to your first how-to
Cheers mate!Bing said:andysat said:Bloody things-i had a 2000 e46 with no foggy fogs,i know the zeds are lower but still cmom BMW!
It's not the height Andy, it's the design of and materials used in the facelift lights mate
Just get them changed over and take lots of pics - I am looking forward to your first how-to
The problem is that that they dry out when the fogs have been used for a period of time but the moisture merely evaporates but is still within the fog's housing and without suitable ventilation it just returns as the temperature drops again. :x