mandyfig

Had a lot of rain recently and my pass headlamp naturally collected condensation...so I decided to "dry" it out. Fairly easy and takes 30 minutes. You will need 2 hair blowers.

Step 1

Take off cover, 4 plastic screws, be gentle, they break off easily, take your time.

mandyfig

This is the HL before drying:

mandyfig

Step 2:

Unbolt the washer filler tube and set aside so you have space to work around the bulb connectors.

Take out the DRL Lamp, be gentle, wrap it up with clean cloth and tie it with rubber band, set it aside:

mandyfig

Step 3:

Take off the Side marker bulb and then the signal light bulb, same, wrap in clean cloth and set aside.

mandyfig

Step 4:

Get your hair blowers ready, I used a stubby one to blow hot air on the DRL hole. Then another blower aimed at the top of the HL. In 15 minutes, all water collected have evaporated.

See result:

mandyfig

Step 5:

Carefully re-install bulbs. Re-install washer filler neck and cover.

Then pray you do not get much rain..............

Or else, replace headlamp assembly. Cost is $350.00 plus you have to take down the bumper cover, fender liner. One of these days, maybe I will. For now, 30 minutes will get the water out.

Last year had to do it once.

Good luck with yours.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Is yours out of warranty already? Or does the dealership just not want to replace it. I still think it is hard for Lexus to say it is normal when in the past they replace it routinely and in fact the invoice would say warped/damaged headlight seal so that doesn't sound normal too me. Anyway, I'm surprised the heat and water didn't leave some water marks. On mine, when I had condensation and it would dry out, the dealer knew I had a problem because it left some water marks inside the lens. In fact, I knew that would happen so i actually took the hairdryer and purposely dried it out leaving the dried water marks before I took it in

mandyfig

The dealer says out of warranty...I tried. I missed it by 2 months.

mandyfig

After 2 days...it is back....with a vengeance...water all over....I am tired of this crap!

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

Try this trick and see if it works for you. After you dry it out again, take some vaseline and line the entire seal area. Use a liberal amount. It is mostly clear so you wont see it, but it does repel water so it might work. I learned this on the BMW forums on how to seal up those aftermarket angel eye headlights that often leak.

mandyfig

I will definitely try this out, however the SEAL areas are not that accessible. I will check on it, though. Thanks for the tip, I hope it helps. It is so frustrating to see the water inside the HL.

biff44

Why not try this before gooping it up:

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-permat...i-1419004.html

You do not have to remove it, just let it flow into the cracks. Obviously, it needs to be dry when applying.

mr2tosc4

iTrader: (1)

Lexus really makes crappy lamp assemblies, over at the SC forums (1st gen) we have this major problem and if you search you'll laugh at all the solutions we came up with. The lamp needs to breathe, there are breather hoses in the back of the unit that get blocked trapping moisture inside. What some did was to open the unit and reseal with silicone, some inserted silica gel packs, some fabricated their own breather hoses with a tiny bov filter, and some drilled holes on the bottom of the housings.

I'm pretty sure I'll encounter the same problem with the rx that's why at 49k miles I'll just have them replaced, leak or no leak

mandyfig

That's why it is so confusing...they have to breathe...and yet they are sealed...almost like crazy! I will check the 1st Gen SC though....at least enjoy the stuff ya'll came up with.

But I see this crap all over the place....sometimes they are on tail lamps, side mirrors and of course HL. A co-worker has his Jaguar with the condensation, too....!!

mr2tosc4

iTrader: (1)

They are sealed, but seals get weak over time, water will come in eventually. If the breather hoses are blocked, the trapped water would take a long time evaporating through the seals it managed to seep into. Toyota saw this coming so they put breather hoses at the back of the unit.