moisture in headlight
30 July 2012, 12:47 PM
#2
Some idea of the make, model and year of the car would be good.
If it's coming back, chances are you have a leak, letting water back in. Then it will vapourise when warm and condense again when cool.
Remove light, check ALL round the rim to glass seal fro holes, seal any you find with something like frame sealant.
Look carefully at the lens for any tiny cracks or pinholes. If there are any: plastic lens can be repaired, glass, not so easily. Might have to replace it.
Now check all over the body of the light behind it, looking for cracks, holes etc, fill any you find.
Leave with bulb out, bulb-holder upwards, in airing cupboard overnight, should be it.
Unless there's LOADS in, in which case tip it out, mop up with paper towel and as above.
If it's coming back, chances are you have a leak, letting water back in. Then it will vapourise when warm and condense again when cool.
Remove light, check ALL round the rim to glass seal fro holes, seal any you find with something like frame sealant.
Look carefully at the lens for any tiny cracks or pinholes. If there are any: plastic lens can be repaired, glass, not so easily. Might have to replace it.
Now check all over the body of the light behind it, looking for cracks, holes etc, fill any you find.
Leave with bulb out, bulb-holder upwards, in airing cupboard overnight, should be it.
Unless there's LOADS in, in which case tip it out, mop up with paper towel and as above.
30 July 2012, 01:58 PM
#3
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Some idea of the make, model and year of the car would be good.
If it's coming back, chances are you have a leak, letting water back in. Then it will vapourise when warm and condense again when cool.
Remove light, check ALL round the rim to glass seal fro holes, seal any you find with something like frame sealant.
Look carefully at the lens for any tiny cracks or pinholes. If there are any: plastic lens can be repaired, glass, not so easily. Might have to replace it.
Now check all over the body of the light behind it, looking for cracks, holes etc, fill any you find.
Leave with bulb out, bulb-holder upwards, in airing cupboard overnight, should be it.
Unless there's LOADS in, in which case tip it out, mop up with paper towel and as above.
If it's coming back, chances are you have a leak, letting water back in. Then it will vapourise when warm and condense again when cool.
Remove light, check ALL round the rim to glass seal fro holes, seal any you find with something like frame sealant.
Look carefully at the lens for any tiny cracks or pinholes. If there are any: plastic lens can be repaired, glass, not so easily. Might have to replace it.
Now check all over the body of the light behind it, looking for cracks, holes etc, fill any you find.
Leave with bulb out, bulb-holder upwards, in airing cupboard overnight, should be it.
Unless there's LOADS in, in which case tip it out, mop up with paper towel and as above.
31 July 2012, 10:31 AM
#7
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Same here, had this problem for a while with a Forester.
Just left the back of the headlight screwed off occasionally and that was enough to dry it out but eventually I split the headlight with a heat gun (bit of a long and PIA process) then sealed it with Granville Black:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_255230
I only split it as I wanted to polish the inside as the water had dulled the lens a little bit
No problems since.
The key thing is to look for beading all around where the sealant is pushed out. A part of my headlight didn't have the beading as there had not been enought sealant put into that part, and that is where it was leaking...
Just left the back of the headlight screwed off occasionally and that was enough to dry it out but eventually I split the headlight with a heat gun (bit of a long and PIA process) then sealed it with Granville Black:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_255230
I only split it as I wanted to polish the inside as the water had dulled the lens a little bit
No problems since.
The key thing is to look for beading all around where the sealant is pushed out. A part of my headlight didn't have the beading as there had not been enought sealant put into that part, and that is where it was leaking...
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