I have permanent condensation in the headlamps. What is the cause, what is the cure?
Can I cure it myself?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 14/01/2008 at 18:44
|
Cause - poor sealing or water vapour allowed in when rear hatch opened, eg for lamp changing.
Cure - Pick a dry day and park your car with the headlamps pointing towards the sun. The low sun angle at this time of year is a help. Remove rear hatches and leave lamps on full beam until all traces of condensation have gone. Make arrangements to keep the battery charged either externally or by journey planning.
Check sealing gaskets and location of gaskets in slots on rear hatches and replace after securely taping a dry silica gel pack on the inside of each hatch. Ensure that the wiring is not fouled.
If your lights don't leak, this should fix the problem. If it comes back and the hatches are secure, check the lens to body seal.
659.
|
My Passat has this occasionally. First make sure that a rubber cover has not dropped off the rear of the headlight. I lost one.
Removing any cover and playing a hairdryer into the interior is a fast way of drying it out. I've found that changes in temperature, humidity etc. have a lot to do with it and my headlights do not have a leak as such.
|
|
Leave on as said, but if you put ordinary A4 paper over the lenses, they get hotter and quicker, if you leave the rear covers off, all steam should escape.
|
|
|
|
Many thanks for advice from 659,Scunner, and Hamsafar. Still waiting for dry sunny day.Might have a go with hairdryer this weekend
|
The other cause of this problem, in the current weather conditions, is driving through deep flood water.
I'm going to have to attend to a headlight on youngests KA, as she tried to drown it the other day somewhere near Cheltenham.
|
When the second headlight started to show heavy condensation for no reason and the first one was still getting worse I realised that the fault was failing lense to body seals and not some casual cause that would go away - but how to prove it? Took it to a main dealer as it was still under warranty. The response was interesting -
"No problem Sir, it happens to all headlights - we see it often here. We will put a blanket over the lenses and put the main beam on for 10 minutes, that will clear it - problem solved!"
10 minutes pass.... "Not quite finished, just a few minutes more"
20 minutes..... "Nearly done now Sir, just clearing a few spots from the corners".
30 minutes..... "Sir,it looks as though the plastic has melted in parts ! ( There are now a few opaque patches on the lenses - due to overcooking?) We are going to give you two new headlamps under warranty."
Good result. (They have to show the manufacturer that they did try!)
|
|
|
|
|
