Easy fix for Condensation in Headlamps
04-21-11, 01:25 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Easy fix for Condensation in Headlamps
When I first bought my SC400 I had the same problem many of you do - condensation. So, of course I removed and re-sealed them until it was resolved.
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
Last edited by SC_coupe; 05-05-11 at 12:32 PM.
04-21-11, 02:21 PM
#3
04-21-11, 04:52 PM
#6
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: TX
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I wanna know about your wheels, they look like Rota Torques. What color are they? Hyper Black or Hyper Silver? I've got a white sc also and I've been thinking about getting those wheels, but wondered what they would look like on my car.
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04-21-11, 11:19 PM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
That seems like more of a prevention than a fix though, good idea still.
ur headlights look amazing..are they ebay lenses?
04-22-11, 01:30 AM
#10
believe the wheels are Work Emotion CR- Kai Metal coating?
01-03-22, 04:40 PM
#12
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Join Date: Jan 2022
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Left front headlamp with condensation
[QUOTE=SC_coupe;6329762]When I first bought my SC400 I had the same problem many of you do - condensation. So, of course I removed and re-sealed them until it was resolved.
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
Hi. I own a cherry 1995 Lexus SC400 that for the first time showed condensation in the driver's side front headlamp. Tried putting it in the sun several times but the condensation remains. Do you think your method of removing the condensation and then sealing the headlamp will result in permanent solution to the problem? Thank you.
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
Hi. I own a cherry 1995 Lexus SC400 that for the first time showed condensation in the driver's side front headlamp. Tried putting it in the sun several times but the condensation remains. Do you think your method of removing the condensation and then sealing the headlamp will result in permanent solution to the problem? Thank you.
01-03-22, 11:28 PM
#13
[quote=whatabeaut;11195475]
Something out of left field you could try is filling them with water and seeing where they leak, then get all the water out with a shopvac and evaporation, wait a extra day or two for safe measure then reseal the parts that leaked?
This is a super old thread so I doubt the author is gonna chime in but the only surefire way to take care of it 100% is to open them up and reseal them completely.
<--- heres a video that may help.
<--- heres an alternate route if you like the way the ebay headlights look.
When I first bought my SC400 I had the same problem many of you do - condensation. So, of course I removed and re-sealed them until it was resolved.
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
Hi. I own a cherry 1995 Lexus SC400 that for the first time showed condensation in the driver's side front headlamp. Tried putting it in the sun several times but the condensation remains. Do you think your method of removing the condensation and then sealing the headlamp will result in permanent solution to the problem? Thank you.
When I picked up the Soarer, the previous owner had converted to clear lenses, and in re-assembly, the caulking was not up to the job and caused them to leak quite a lot. When trying to remove them, they did not want to come off unless the bumper was coming off too, so I got creative (I do expect some criticism...).
The solution: A/P Armaflex Insulation Tape
http://www.armacell.com/www/armacell...25709E000C39AF
Notice how the water sits than runs off the hood sits in the headlamp seal after you wash the car. It's the water that sits here and seeps through afterwords which is the root cause of the issue. This fix defers the water away from this area and as a result I've had clear headlights since.
I had a roll of a generic equivalent in the garage. This stuff is used to join insulation on refrigerant tubing - and is the same material with an adhesive on one side. It's tolerance to both condensation and heat make it ideal for this application.
What to do:
Make sure its somewhat warm outside, or the adhesive doesn't work all that well. Cut two strips wider than the headlight seal area, and about 2" longer than the top area of the exposed headlamp seal under the hood.
Start fitting one end under the hood/bumper seal so the end will not be visible, and conversely hide the other end under the fender for the same reason. Press it down firmly a few times. It should be positioned so that when you close the hood these strips create and additional seal.
Go drive around for a while and let it get warm under the hood. Pop it open a few hours later after it cools. It will conform to the shape of the hood from the heat, and adheres itself better.
Not visible from the exterior and more more fogging!
Hi. I own a cherry 1995 Lexus SC400 that for the first time showed condensation in the driver's side front headlamp. Tried putting it in the sun several times but the condensation remains. Do you think your method of removing the condensation and then sealing the headlamp will result in permanent solution to the problem? Thank you.
This is a super old thread so I doubt the author is gonna chime in but the only surefire way to take care of it 100% is to open them up and reseal them completely.
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