Condensation in front light

[Farsider]

Hi all,

After all this wet mild weather, I'm getting condensation right above the Daytime LEDs inside the headlights on both sides.

To be expected or faulty? Doesn't appear to cause a problem other than it looks a bit sheet.

[spacenase]

I've noticed the same on mine over the past couple of days.

 

I don't think there is enough to cause a problem, but I'll ask the dealer next time I go if it's still there.

[Sheldon.Cooper]

condensation inside your headlights sounds like a faulty seal and not to be expected.

 

Shouldn't cause any issues but will look bad and eventually stain the inside of the headlights and make them look very sheet.

[PekoSI]

According to the manual this is normal to some extent of course.

Quote:

''The headlights may mist up temporarily. When the driving lights are switched

on, the light outlet surfaces are free from mist after a short period, although the

headlight lenses may still be misted up in the peripheral areas. This mist has no

influence on the life of the lighting system.''

 

Still worth checking with the dealer I suppose just to be sure.

[vrs red]

According to the manual this is normal to some extent of course.

Quote:

''The headlights may mist up temporarily. When the driving lights are switched

on, the light outlet surfaces are free from mist after a short period, although the

headlight lenses may still be misted up in the peripheral areas. This mist has no

influence on the life of the lighting system.''

Still worth checking with the dealer I suppose just to be sure.

We have the same thing at Ford. A technical service bulletin was released stationing it was a 'natural phenomenon' due to temperature differences inside and outside of the lamp !

[vrs red]

http://www.etis.dealerconnection.com/tsb/tsbView.do?regionalNumberYear=2011&regionalNumberSequence=7&language=en&country=US

[Farsider]

That link requires a username and password

[Wassers]

I have the same issue on my VRS (had it a week now), so would appear to be a common issue. I agree, whilst it probably doesnt affect performance of the headlight.... it doesnt look good.

[vrs red]

Sorry, have copied the text.

Condensation is a natural physical phenomenon. It appears when there is a large difference in temperature and humidity between the inside and the outside. For example at the window glass in wintertime.

Vehicle lamps become very hot when activated and must be designed as an open system for pressure compensation and maintenance work. Therefore moisture can soak into and escape again. Depending on the ambient conditions, this moisture is visible in cooler regions of the lamps.

While driving the vehicle with activated low beam the moisture escapes through the venting system automatically. Due to the heat inside the lamp the moisture evaporates faster in the area of the light beam than in not directly illuminated areas of the lamp. Depending on weather conditions and power of the lamp bulb it could take days for these border areas of the lamp to dry. This does not affect the function of the lamp.

NOTE: Condensation can NOT be avoided by installing a new headlamp / rear lamp / fog lamp. There is no damage of the lamp due to condensation.

NOTE: The evaporation time (condensation clearing time) depends on ambient humidity, type of lamp bulb and vehicle speed.

Incorrect installed service covers, defective gaskets, wrong mounted vent hoses, cracks in the plastic housing could lead to water ingress into the headlamp / rear lamp / fog lamp. This is visible on the bottom of the lamp.

Water ingress into the interior especially dampness in the rear footwell / luggage compartment could also lead to moisture inside the rear lamps. To properly diagnose check via the OASIS database <VIN Enquiry> <Warranty Repair History> if there are recent repair histories regarding water ingress into the interior. If required, dry the floor covering of the vehicle and make sure that all possible root causes for water ingress into the vehicle have been eliminated.

General information:

Typical situations for moisture are:

• after long periods of rain

• large temperature changes (for example when the vehicle exits underground parking in wintertime)

• after carwash; cleaning with high pressure

• during driving, when the lamps cools down very fast due to airstream

• after parking the vehicle, the heat dissipating from the engine heats the reverse side of the lamps and this causes moisture to form on the inside of the lamps due to different temperature levels

[TwoTone]

Just a quick tip, the air ventilation on the back of the light might be clogged by dirt, or temporaroly clogged by frozen water. All head lampa have those air ventilation tube in the back (faces downwards) and the headlight can get a bit foggy if that happens. If it does not clear up, i would see if it is possible to clean that up, or it might just simply be faulty seal. If the headlight has ever been repaired its a good chance its the seal, and if you ever took the front off the light yourself you can guarantee its the seal it is not uncommon for the lights to get a littlebit foggy at some point during the year when the temp inside the light is much higher than outside temp. The ventilation regulating the humidity is sometimes slow, if a constant problem ... check ventilation on back of the light

But, im not the dealership.

[Bogdan81]

Happened to mine also, and the strange thing is that it doesn't happen to all cars. The dealer said, when I get into this, to go directly so that they can see it and will change the headlights???. Sounds too positive to be true, and I may agree to have little condensation because of different causes, but when half of the headlight has condensation this looks like a problem. Not all the cars get into this, so for sure is not something normal.(is not the same as the car's windows , it happens to everyone to have condensation)

[andyvee]

Mine mist slightly, but every car I have had (apart from ones with sealed headlights like proper minis) has suffered to some extent.

If it is only slight I wouldn't worry about it, if the entire lens is covered or you can see water droplets you have a problem.

You can always blow some warm air from a hairdryer through the vents to try and shift any atmospheric moisture.

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

[Farsider]

So my headlights were clear today. Went for a 20min drive with dipped beams on and this how they mist up:

Sorry for the low quality. These images were taken about 20 seconds apart. The below image is with the iPhone flash on to highlight the fog.

[andyvee]

It's only condensation from the moist atmosphere. The fact that it is hot inside the light means it condenses on the cold glass. Get one of those silica gel packets you get in with electronic goods, attach some thread to it, remove the sidelight bulb and leave the gel packet in the headlight overnight to absorb any excess condensation?

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

[Bogdan81]

These were mine after raining for few days and temperature below 4 celcius. Same happens if washing the car but never happened before winter. There were 10 cars washed same time as mine and none of them had condensation..which means something is wrong with these headlights as the physics apply no matter what car

[Karvy]

Picked my vRS up this morning; the car was stood in the show-room waiting for me. By the time I got home, with an outside temperature of ~6 degrees, my headlights looked like those in the pics above, with a strip of condensation ~1.5" tall, just above the DRLs. Have used my headlights late afternoon and the strips have reduced but not gone completely.

[andyvee]

They will do, as Tom would say, it's not unusual.

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

[kalpat]

These were mine after raining for few days and temperature below 4 celcius. Same happens if washing the car but never happened before winter. There were 10 cars washed same time as mine and none of them had condensation..which means something is wrong with these headlights as the physics apply no matter what car

But were all the cars the same make & design. Maybe the others have different ventilation. Differing conditions can cause lesser or greater condensation. The physics do apply but all factors have to be the same to draw definite conclusions.

[ahaavi]

Anyone had the same problem in the vRS front foglights?

[Neily03]

Anyone had the same problem in the vRS front foglights?

 

I get a tiny bit every now and then but nothing to worry about.

[waiting]

My VRS was picked up on Friday and once I got it home the headlights had fogged up, just as above. I hadn't found this thread then and so contacted the dealer who was worried enough to ask me to come in on Monday. I have also noticed some decolorisation on the passenger front arch. It's very minor and runs down the edge of it, however I have noticed it and will now for ever know it's there and so they will look at that to.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nookiebear]

This was an issue on a couple of Audi's I owned previously and is a common problem, often exacerbated when the breather tube from the headlight gets blocked (quite often by creepy crawly things that make their home in it - most frequently if you park you car alongside your garden or live in the country, and less likely if you park in an urban city centre or concrete garage).

 

It's covered frequently on the Audi forums, and VAG's point of view is that light fogging is to be expected through changes in humidity, temperature and other weather conditions.

 

Light fogging appears to be defined (by VAG) as when a very thin amount of opaque static condensation forms on the inside surface of the light housing, which when it evaporates leaves no visible marking - but if it forms into actual water droplets which then run down the inside of the light housing (which generally leaves streaking), you have cause to raise the issue with your dealer.

 

I had this occurrence, in both cases in the right hand light housing, of both my Audi A6 and Q7, initially as light fogging for which the dealer told me there was no cause for a warranty claim, but which after progressing to being full-on water droplets running down the inside of the light housing, the dealer obtained authorisation from Audi/VAG for a replacement headlight (in both instances).

 

Seems to be a problem in particular with the modern plastic/polycarbonate lights, not helped by the fact that most modern bulbs give out far less heat to help dry out any condensation in the light housing (remember the old days of glass headlamps with filament bulbs, which when you put your hand on them after they'd been on for a while, felt warm… well try it on a modern headlamp and in most cases there's generally no heat differential whatsoever, even on some of the halogens due to the cool running technology/heat dissipation techniques used).

Edited 5 April, 2014 by Nookiebear

[pipsyp]

Most VAG cars ive had have suffered with this to some degree, its normal so long as its not actually filling with moisture and sloshing about....then you probably have a moisture ingress issue care of a dodgy seal.

[Gambo]

Don't agree that's normal tbf never had it on any car I've ever owned.

[pipsyp]

Don't agree that's normal tbf never had it on any car I've ever owned.

Warm air meeting cooler air in damp conditions in something thats not hermetically sealed (none of the lamps on these cars are entirely air-tight....they'll have some IP rating I expect but they'll be ingress resistant rather than ingress proof) typically means some mild condensation.

The pictures Ive seem above are pretty typical of this, really is nothing to worry about. Its also exaggerated by the fact the lamp units are completely clear and such condensation is very easy to see. A headlamp swimming in water on the other hand would be a problem.

Edited 6 April, 2014 by pipsyp