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  1. #1
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    Moisture in headlight?

    So I just got my car back from the bodyshop. They did a great job on the bumper but they didn't fix this issue of moisture/condensation in the headlight? I thought they were going to fix it. I asked them about it and they said they didn't see any visible damage? Ok but obviously there is damage or there wouldn't be any water in there right?

    They told me I should keep an "eye" on it and it could be a bad seal. Am I missing something here I thought fixing this was part of the job? Anyway I'm not sure what to do? You guys got any recommendations? I was going to dry it out with a blower for now and possible put a silica pack in there.

    I'm not comfortable taking the whole light out because you supposedly have to remove the bumper which is brand new and freshly painted. It did come out flawless but the light issue is taking away from the great job they did?

  2. #2
    Super Member LEDetailing's Avatar
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    Re: Moisture in headlight?

    When you have the obsession like we do, a small thing like moisture in a light assembly becomes your focus. Frustrating, and this is the difficult part about collision repair. A lot of times body shop will miss something or overlook it. I’m sure the plastic has lost its seal. Was it involved in a crash? If so, talk to your insurance company and maybe they will fix. Show them photos once the moisture starts forming.

  3. #3
    Super Member JKDesign's Avatar
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    Re: Moisture in headlight?

    Almost all modern plastic housing headlights get moisture in the (on the inside of the) lens depending on temperature/weather/time of year. If you are getting actual pools of water/condensation building up and collecting in the bottom of the housing- that is a different story- that is not supposed to happen and should be addressed.

  4. #4
    Super Member Desertnate's Avatar
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    Re: Moisture in headlight?

    Quote Originally Posted by JKDesign View Post
    Almost all modern plastic housing headlights get moisture in the (on the inside of the) lens depending on temperature/weather/time of year. If you are getting actual pools of water/condensation building up and collecting in the bottom of the housing- that is a different story- that is not supposed to happen and should be addressed.
    Agree. I would also say, if the entire housing is fogged up that's an issue as well. Many housings have a small vent/drain in the bottom of the housing somewhere. I've seen a little condensation build up after a vehicle has sat in high humidity environments for periods of time without the headlights on.

    When I took delivery of my new car, there was a small spot of condensation in one of the headlight housings. After using the headlights for the first time, that moisture evaporated and has never returned for over four years. We've had other vehicles which did the same. If they sit in humid conditions they may get a SMALL ammount of moisture, but running the lights and/or DRL's will cause it to evaporate.
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  5. #5
    Super Member Calendyr's Avatar
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    Re: Moisture in headlight?

    If you can't see any cracks anywhere on the headlight, you can be almost certain it's a bad seal.

    There are several videos on Youtube on how to fix this issue. You will need to dry the headlight out using heat and ventillation, then fix the seal. If you do find a crack, you can use Silicone to fill it up.

    This is a little bit time consuming, but it's not difficult to do.

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