Moisture in Drivers Side Headlight

DJSirkit13 · 11-04-09, 10:46 AM

I have moisture in my Driver side Headlight. It was fine until I installed the LED parking Lights I had Aftermarket HIDS put in about a 3 months ago but never had a Moisture problem until I opened it for the LEDs.

I tried using a vaccum and a hair dryer and some Desiccant. but it doesn't seem to be helping. I made sure the rubber seals on the dust cover are there the one on the DRL dust cover fell out, but i placed it back in there before reinstalling the cover.

Any other ways of geting the moisture out without having to replace the headlight.

Im willing to take the headlight out to dry but don't knw how any DIYs you know of.

Thankyou

DJSirkit13 · 11-05-09, 02:05 PM

comeon somebody help
this is driving me nutz.
i want to fix it before it gets to cold out here and the moisture starts freezing inside.

Thankyou any help would be greatly appreciated

someboy · 11-05-09, 05:11 PM

Did you try using the blow dryer and blow air directly into the headlight??? Through the light bulb openings? Or you can take the light bulb out then get a stick or flexible wire then wrap a small towel at one end then insert it into the headlight to try to wipe the moisture off??? Or park the car in garabage, make sure you took 1 or 2 of the light bulbs out, don't seal the holes off, then put a heater in there and turn it up! When the room gets really warm the moisture should evaporate. these might not be the brightest ideas, but Hope they might help

ELL Y · 11-05-09, 06:05 PM

Is it condensation, or moisture from say, a recent rain or car wash that got water through the seals?

If it's just some water that accidently got in there, use a hair dryer and blow into the headlight as long as you can. Or take the headlight out and just bake it for a few minutes. takes the water right out. replace the seals and you should be good to go

Also, make sure that your headlight's vents aren't clogged or anything (the little white caps filled with yellow foam). a headlight that is sealed too tightly will give way to condensation with temperature changes inside and outside the assembly.

xuningshen · 11-05-09, 07:02 PM

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-s...headlight.html

here was a recent thread about it. how i did it successfully.

so i hair blow dry'd it out.
removed all the old silcone,
made sure the gromet sat flush on the cover,
then i siliconed the hell out of it.
waited for it to dry before moving the cover back in place.
i put a big silica gel packet that suck up moisture in there.

ELL Y · 11-05-09, 07:07 PM

^
The problem with silica gel is that it saturates quickly, and is rendered useless until baked at about 300 degrees

I wouldn't recommend removing the seal, unless of course you took apart the headlight once already and that's what is causing your problems

DJSirkit13 · 11-06-09, 04:40 PM

i never took the headlight a part before. I tried blow drying all the moisture out but it comes right back.

Im confused if its jus condensation or water inside.
The reason i say that is cuz sometimes it is jus light condensation on the lens and other times i could see drops of water inside the housing.

Im scared to take it apart and on how to reseal it.

What should i use to reseal it with?
And to take the headlight of the car how many bolts are there and do i have to pull the bumper off?

someboy · 11-06-09, 05:06 PM

u don't need to reseal it with anything because the glue that was origionally inside will reseal itself. however, you do need to Bake it open and bake it back close ( high temperature cause the glue is liquify). it is no easy process, i don't recommand doing it yourself if you don't have any experience. i think the easiest way is just to buy a new headlight and replace the one you have right now.

ELL Y · 11-06-09, 07:51 PM

I would recommend taking out the assembly and just making sure it's fully dry before putting the covers on. That doesn't mean just blow drying it until it looks like it's gone and then putting the covers on. The warm moist air will just cool and deposit the liquid right back on the lens. You gotta let it sit for a while.

You can reseal it with some butyl-like compounds. But I wouldn't think that would be the problem, since you never touched the actual seals. But doing it yourself, as someboy above has said, is pretty difficult and messy (based on my experience). Try leaving a cover off, or drill a small hole in the back and thread some aquarium tubing or something to allow for better ventilation in the assembly. I ran my first HID kit in this car with holes in the cover without a problem

Removing the headlight is fairly straight forward. Take off the front bumper. There are a few bolts on the top and side. Disconnect the wiring harness and you're set.

xuningshen · 11-06-09, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELL Y

^
The problem with silica gel is that it saturates quickly, and is rendered useless until baked at about 300 degrees

I wouldn't recommend removing the seal, unless of course you took apart the headlight once already and that's what is causing your problems

the silica gel packet i have is 2" by 4" long. just try the steps that i said and u should be good. worked for me.

http://www.silicagelpackets.com/sili...ket-tyvek.html

thats simliar to the one i used. don't go taking your headlamp fixture apart. why? u never took it appart in the first place, the factory seal shouldn't be leaking. our cars are to new. u just drilled holes in the back cover for the bulb wires and power wire to the ballast.

i was going to do the same exactly thing. because even tho i blow dry'd out the whole low beam lamp and it "looked" free. i would close it and seal it up good and the moisture would be back the next morning. but then i did exactly what i said in my post and now its gone and hasn't been back for a month or two now.

just really blow dry it out good, alot more even once al the moisture "looks" gone. and then if your lucky to get a hot sunny day let it sit out for a while with the back cover off before u throw in the silica packet and close it up again.