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Headlight Condensation

11K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  thanatoid 
#1 ·
Hi, only owned the car for a month. Offside headlight suffered significant condensation which I cleared quickly with a hairdryer but it’s come back very quickly. Again dried out today and have left the top cap off tonight after a sidelight failure warning! Any thoughts on the likely water ingress location?
 
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#2 ·
Yes, there's a few articles about dealing with the headlight 'gum' that holds it all together perishing/deteriorating leaving holes for water/vapour ingress, have seen/heard of folk doing the low oven approach and when gently warmed separating, cleaning and then rebuilding with new gummy stuff.

The alternative is make it more amenable for it to escape when warmed - depends if leaving the cap off is viable or if it gets seriously wet there.
Downside of that is it can streak or have tears, not really good for lights...

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=....64.psy-ab..0.16.1300...0i131k1.0.I_iZOIc9eRc

Good Luck.
 
#3 ·
Thanks, I must be getting significant water ingress to get the condensation I have today. Even with keeping it adequately ventilated I think I need to make an effort to find leak and fix before I get permanent damage to the very expensive and complicated adaptive xenon headlights!!!
 
#4 ·
Hi, only owned the car for a month. Offside headlight suffered significant condensation which I cleared quickly with a hairdryer but it?s come back very quickly. Again dried out today and have left the top cap off tonight after a sidelight failure warning! Any thoughts on the likely water ingress location?
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I put a post on ref condensation on my 4 series in August/September, can only get worse and have now noticed read near side starting. Car is 10 month old now. Local BM dealer taking it in.
My mate has the same issue on his 3 series and has had 7 rear clusters installed but his dealer not acknowledging the headlights so it has been left in the hands on BMW UK.
 
#9 ·
Blimey not a good track record, I’ve had it a bit on previous E39s but not like this! I guess there will always be a trade off with modern materials, plastic lens, sealants etc compared to glass, rubber seals and pressure. Hi tech lightweight throw away society now!!!
 
#12 ·
Hi All, after a long trip in the rain it’s clear water is getting in! Took the headlight off today with a bit of bumper jiggling lol! No obvious points identified yet although a few of the rubber u hoses are missing, can these be bought separately? Any thoughts on most obvious place for water to get in??? Gonna deal around edge and reduce halo led seal, looked intact but damaged now, what type of flexible sealant is this? Sorry for all the question just worried I will wreck whole headlight with this water ingress!!!
 
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