"HoustonRunner" (houstonrunner)
03/20/2019 at 09:39 • Filed to: None
1
24|
"HoustonRunner" (houstonrunner)
03/20/2019 at 09:39 • Filed to: None | 1
| 24 |
[Update 2]
New idea - there are two 3" diameter dust caps that give access to the lights on the back of the housing. In the picture the hair dryer is sticking into the lower one, and you can see the back of the HID pack where the upper one if off.
I’m thinking about drilling / cutting a reasonable sized hole in one and then covering it with something that will allow moisture / air out but not dust in. I think it should be high temp and flame resistant, just to be safe. Ideas on a material (hopefully one that I could find easily or have around the house) ?
Then tape it on with electrical tape and see how that does. I figure if my other option is replacing the whole thing there is no risk in cutting up the existing one.
[Update]
Well, that didn’t even last 12 hours. Now to decide if I try to take it off and try to find the what is likely a tiny crack, or just order a new one so I only have to do the disassembly-reassembly once. Looks to be about $870 because it comes as an assembly with the LED’s and HID included with the enclosure.
[Original]
To remove the condensation from my headlight. Updates to come later.
CalzoneGolem
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 09:04 |
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You gonna curl or straighten them afterwards?
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HoustonRunner
> CalzoneGolem
03/19/2019 at 09:20 |
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With the humidity in Houston it is just *impossible* to keep them straight.
random001
> CalzoneGolem
03/19/2019 at 09:20 |
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Nice.
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CalzoneGolem
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 09:25 |
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Ah yes. I hadn’t considered that.
ttyymmnn
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:07 |
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Looks to be about $870
facw
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:10 |
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That’s irritating. I had fogging in my S40, but just popped a vent hose off the back and waited for a dry day (in Ho uston, so that took a while), and it eventually cleared out (then Harvey got much more than the headlight enclosure wet .)
Urambo Tauro
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:16 |
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How about a d esiccant packet, tied to some string for easy removal?
Chariotoflove
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:16 |
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On my Mazda, fogging happened due to bad seals on the unit. A new seal was something like $40. Any chance it’s that and not a crack?
Ash78, voting early and often
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:21 |
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I was going to reiterate “Just wait for a dry day” and then I remembered Houston.
My backup plan was what Urambo Tauro already mentioned -- some sort of desiccant, like a packet, or some Damp-Rid granules or whatever.
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HoustonRunner
> Chariotoflove
03/19/2019 at 11:32 |
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Good idea, though I don’t see any seals when I do internet research.
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HoustonRunner
> Ash78, voting early and often
03/19/2019 at 11:32 |
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Yeah. To get a dry day I’d need to wait for that one day in the middle of the winter.
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HoustonRunner
> Urambo Tauro
03/19/2019 at 11:33 |
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Possibly, though it is tight in there and I’d be a little worried of the high heat from the headlights.
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Chariotoflove
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:39 |
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Could be a different set up. Calm the dealer service and ask if this happens much and why?
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Urambo Tauro
> HoustonRunner
03/19/2019 at 11:42 |
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I was thinking maybe just leave it in overnight; see if that’s enough. Or longer, if you can go a day or two without driving it.
Michael
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 09:47 |
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There’s probably a puddle in the bottom that a hair dryer won't evaporate. You might have to remove the light and dump it out
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HoustonRunner
> Michael
03/20/2019 at 09:51 |
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Didn’t think about that, thanks. I’ll figure that out this weekend.
Oddly enough I can’t find a decent set of steps on how to remove that whole assembly. When I Google it almost all of the results are about replacing halogen ones with HID, and the videos I watched don’t have to remove the whole assembly.
RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 10:00 |
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What car? Couldn't find a used replacement somewhere cheaper than new?
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HoustonRunner
> RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/20/2019 at 10:50 |
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2015 Suburban LTZ. Not a lot of used ones around, and if I end up going the route of replacing it I'll bite the bullet and get a new one. Don't want to buy a used ones then have the same thing happen again.
You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 11:23 |
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... then covering it with something th at will allow moisture / air out but not dust in.
Most headlight assemblies have a hole covered with a patch of Gore-Tex for this purpose. Somewhere on the headlamp casing there should be a small white sticker covering a hole. That sticker is actually Gore-Tex or a similar membrane to keep water out but allow water vapor to escape the headlamp housing. It’s possible the membrane fell off and water can get into the headlamp. If you can’t find an open hole that was used for venting (probably ~1/8" diameter) you could drill one and cover the opening with Gore-Tex tape.
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HoustonRunner
> You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
03/20/2019 at 11:38 |
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Sweet, didn't know Gore-Tex tape existed.
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 11:40 |
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Pulling the headlight is a must. Then take some distilled water and dump it in there swirl it around and dump it, then let dry overnight, or do your hairdryer trick there. Grab some flowable clear silicone sealant and clean out the exterior seal edge with brake clean or electrical cleaner, or rubbing alcohol and let it dry. Add the silicone and let it flow and sit for the day. Should be good to go after that. I’ve done this repair on a couple Cadillac headlights and works like a charm. And also had to do it on some aftermarket lights for my Dakota. That flowable silicone is cool stuff, but it will flow and drip out so set your headlights to cure accordingly.
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You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 11:43 |
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After reading your comment I had a moment of panic. It turns out you can buy it from Amazon. No idea how this compares to the OEM stuff that is factory installed, but it should work for a repair.
Censored
> HoustonRunner
03/20/2019 at 11:44 |
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This is counter intuitive, but it worked for me (in the STL area of the US). My wife drives an equinox which has notoriously horrible headlight housings. I just drilled a hole in the bottom of the unit where the water was pooling in the bottom. They stayed moisture and haze
free for 6 years until she hit a parked car. I don’t really remember what size hole, but it was somewhere around .25".
Monkey B
> You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
03/20/2019 at 17:26 |
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this makes coming here all the sweeter...I’ve been in the car business a long time and this is the first I’ve heard of this.