Condensation in Headlamp....help please.

[Troopy]

Yesterday I stupidly changed my sidelights as one was broken and forgot to put the rubber cap back on the back of the unit, drove to get dinner came back and it clicked that i'd forgot...put it back on and now because the heat from the engine has escaped into the unit whilst the cap was off... it's all misty

How can I get it out? Thinking hairdryer may be the only way?

And for all those who may have this condensation problem, make sure the rubber cap is on properly as it could well be the fix lol.

 

[mikey123]

Same sort of thing happened to me. (Fitting HID's and gromet fell out off hole in cap)

I stood for around an hour with the hairdryer on my headlight with the cap off so the condensation would go out the back. NOTHING!

Then tryed masking the light up, turning the lights on AND the hairdryer. NOTHING!

Then same again with cap on, NOTHING.

Going to take the bumper off and brig the light inside and chack for a broken seal.

 

[Troopy]

Thanks Mikey, that's not good news, really can't be arsed to take the bumper off, hopefully you can just give it a clean and hey presto!

I'll have a go with a hairdryer tomorrow and see what happens, never had any condensation in mine before so hope it is just me leaving the grommit off and not the lights seals!

 

[GlassJaw]

This is a ******* of a problem.

A hairdryer won't work as the heated water has nowhere to evaporate to so will just condensate the light unit further.

The only way I managed to fix this on my old 182 was to check all the seals and keep it garaged whenever possible for about month or at least every night.

 

[daz]

You need a couple of these, leave one in each headlamp for a while -

Those should absorb any moisture.

:thumbup:

 

[Troopy]

Nice one Daz, i'll try find one, definitely seen one recenty lol!

 

[mikey123]

Are you serious about them daz??

 

[daz]

Yes deadly serious Mikey, perfect way to absorb any trapped moisture

 

[Troopy]

Daz, I owe you big time, managed to get my hands on a thin one (similar looking to sugar sachet shape) and put a paper-clip through it (making a T shape so it wouldn't fall in the headlight) and left it in the sidelight housing overnight and bam.....condensation gone Thanks!!

 

[mikey123]

Ive been meaning to try this since i read the thread!
Got my hands on 3. paper clip idea is very good! No doubt it would have fell in haha!

 

[daz]

Daz, I owe you big time, managed to get my hands on a thin one (similar looking to sugar sachet shape) and put a paper-clip through it (making a T shape so it wouldn't fall in the headlight) and left it in the sidelight housing overnight and bam.....condensation gone Thanks!!

Excellent news mate, glad it worked!

Seriously, anyone having issues with condensation then try this. I work on multi million pound machinery installations and they rely on industrial sized bags of silica crystals to keep the control gear moisture free whilst in transit!

If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for issues like this! :thumbup: