a question about headlights
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 26
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From: GA
a question about headlights
Hello all,
I recently bought a used 2013 GS. When I bought it there was condensation in the driver side headlamp. This wasn't too big of a deal for me because I got a really good deal on the car. I can usually repair the leak by taking the light housing out and drying it then reseal it using clear silicone. However, I also noticed that the led DRL strip is not coming on. I have read the the whole headlamp needs to be replaced if they go out. So before I pull the trigger on a new light housing I was wondering if there is something like a fuse or ballast that could cause this to happen. The passenger side one works fine just the driver side is out.
Thanks
Frank
I recently bought a used 2013 GS. When I bought it there was condensation in the driver side headlamp. This wasn't too big of a deal for me because I got a really good deal on the car. I can usually repair the leak by taking the light housing out and drying it then reseal it using clear silicone. However, I also noticed that the led DRL strip is not coming on. I have read the the whole headlamp needs to be replaced if they go out. So before I pull the trigger on a new light housing I was wondering if there is something like a fuse or ballast that could cause this to happen. The passenger side one works fine just the driver side is out.
Thanks
Frank
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: GA
No, still have the issue. Haven’t had a chance to pull the bumper off yet. Nothing really helpful here or from what I could find.im hoping it is something repairable because i really do not want to spend 550-1k on a headlight
check the easy stuff first like the bulb access panels, making sure they are installed properly, or the bulbs themselves!
it's very unlikely they leak from the factory. what's likely is that they were damaged somehow or the panel wasn't replaced properly causing condensation (leak).
to the OP, what probably happened was the connections shorted and blew the LED strip as water intruded.
to my knowledge there is no specific ballast or fuse powering them so yes a new headlight is likely what you're facing.
it's very unlikely they leak from the factory. what's likely is that they were damaged somehow or the panel wasn't replaced properly causing condensation (leak).
to the OP, what probably happened was the connections shorted and blew the LED strip as water intruded.
to my knowledge there is no specific ballast or fuse powering them so yes a new headlight is likely what you're facing.
The entire headlight is on the same fuse. Most of the electronics is in a separate compartment within the headlight. The led is within the visible housing so the condensation worked it's way down to the led and probably shorted it out.
you would need to replace it unless you plan on opening the headlights and replacing the led or doing surgery. Another solution is turning the drls off, so both sides are the same.
I would not buy a new headlight the lens would be visibly clearer than your other one. Buy a used one close to the same year so the lenses have about the same wear.
you would need to replace it unless you plan on opening the headlights and replacing the led or doing surgery. Another solution is turning the drls off, so both sides are the same.
I would not buy a new headlight the lens would be visibly clearer than your other one. Buy a used one close to the same year so the lenses have about the same wear.
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Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: GA
Yea I am hoping I get lucky and it’s not shorted out but I’m not holding my breath. I plan on taking the headlight out and letting it dry out very well then I’ll go from there it doesn’t have any standing water in it and LED circuits are usually very low voltage so hopefully it is just shorting to ground. I also see a connector hanging down inside my grill that doesn’t seem to be connected to anything. I am hoping that is the front connector shown on diagrams on the headlight which I believe may control the LED. I tried to find a wiring diagram to no avail — hopefully I can get the oppertunity to pull it apart in the near future
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Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: GA
The entire headlight is on the same fuse. Most of the electronics is in a separate compartment within the headlight. The led is within the visible housing so the condensation worked it's way down to the led and probably shorted it out.
you would need to replace it unless you plan on opening the headlights and replacing the led or doing surgery. Another solution is turning the drls off, so both sides are the same.
I would not buy a new headlight the lens would be visibly clearer than your other one. Buy a used one close to the same year so the lenses have about the same wear.
you would need to replace it unless you plan on opening the headlights and replacing the led or doing surgery. Another solution is turning the drls off, so both sides are the same.
I would not buy a new headlight the lens would be visibly clearer than your other one. Buy a used one close to the same year so the lenses have about the same wear.
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