Condensation in headlight

[chris c]

After washing my car on Sunday it seems to have developed a lot of condensation in one of the headlights :thumbdwn:

Is this a common problem on the fabia, will it eventually dry out or do I need a new one ?. I can't see it clearing at the moment with the current weather conditions :confused:

[drewy]

suspect faulty seal just check seal at bulb holder if not would require new lamp because it will corrode reflector/alter beam pattern which would fail mot if alot of condensation and left to long

[aixlad]

I had this in the near side headlight from new, and when it cleared I found water marks on the inside of the glass. Put up with it for a while, then arranged to have it replaced under warranty during the first Service. Unfortunately the dealer that fitted the new headlamp proved to be absolutely useless beyond imagination; failing in every respect to justify their consumption of oxygen, and effective use of skin and bone (I'm talking utterly useless b*stards here!). A quick call to Skoda Customer Services ( ) who over a 4 week period persuaded the dealer to pay for my car to go to another dealer's so they could fix all the hopelessly hideous headlight related faults that the blessed dimwits had caused! So, if I was you I'd take it in to have a new headlight fitted as it seems to be a common fault if you read past posts on this site. However, if you happen to live in Redditch, you are without doubt better off tolerating the fault rather than taking it to your local friendly dealership. :thumbdwn:

[VRStu]

It's not a fault as such. The Fabia headlights are vented to allow the heat to dissipate. They do suffer from condensation but switching the headlights on should dry it out. I took SWMBO's back shortly after we got it and the dealer showed me the Skoda Bulletin about it.

[aixlad]

It's not a fault as such. The Fabia headlights are vented to allow the heat to dissipate. They do suffer from condensation but switching the headlights on should dry it out. I took SWMBO's back shortly after we got it and the dealer showed me the Skoda Bulletin about it.

Personally I don't think that a misted up headlight is acceptable, because it looks unsightly, leaves water marks on the inside of the lens, must surely interfere with the beam pattern, and may well have a detrimental effect on the expected life of the internal components, such as bulbs, reflector surfaces, and electrical connections. Let's face it, with all that moisture in there how long will it take before wildlife (moss, bacteria, tadpoles, mushrooms, sticklebacks, etc.) start to make it their home? I believe that in our cases the headlamps are poorly assembled and should be replaced under warranty, it's ridiculous to accept this fault. If you look at previous posts, it nearly always seems to be the N/S headlight that mists up :confused: I never get any condensation in any of my headlights now, which is how it should be.

Does anyone on here know if an undamaged and working, but misted up headlight lens would constitute an MOT failure?

[BeezerDiesel]

I think a misted headlamp would fail an MOT if a tester looked at it closely enough.

And yes, my N/S Xenon headlamp is nicely misted up too at the moment....two weeks of ownership and it looks like my first trip to my local dealer could be imminent (when/if I've got time before Xmas).

[VRStu]

Perhaps I should clarify my previous post. I wasn't saying that I find it acceptable, merely just pointing out that there is in fact a service bulletin out as Skoda are aware of it. If it is severe and your dealer agrees to change it then you are laughing.

[aixlad]

I think a misted headlamp would fail an MOT if a tester looked at it closely enough.

And yes' date=' my N/S Xenon headlamp is nicely misted up too at the moment....two weeks of ownership and it looks like my first trip to my local dealer could be imminent (when/if I've got time before Xmas).[/quote']

Yes I agree, (for motorists) the VOSA site states -

Is the headlamp free of condensation?

If the beam pattern is blurred and the examiner cannot determine a distinctive cut off point, this is a reson for failure. Try leaving the headlamps on for a short time to 'burn off' the condensation.

I noted on my faulty headlamp that the condensation only cleared from the central area of the lens if the lights had been used, the now larger droplets of moisture were very noticeable in the corners of the lens. I suppose it's open to opinion whether the MOT tester would accept a headlamp which is obviously suffered from the ingress of moisture. My guess is that most of them would fail it because it's so obviously a defect which will never get any better.

Is the headlamp reflector corroded or deteriorated?

Just have a look through the glass and replace it if it is corroded or deteriorated.

I don't think it's possible to replace the reflector surfaces on modern vehicles as the headlamp units are usually sealed during manufacture. If you have a misted up headlamp I think there is a good chance that by the time the MOT is due the trapped moisture may have affected the efficiency of the reflector surfaces.

[Joolz_vRS]

Doesn't appear that condensation in headlights has been discussed for a while! One of my factory xenons is well misted-up and the headlight doesn't get hot enough to dry it out! Any ideas?

Note: At the moment my headlights are on almost constantly during my 1 hour each way commute, so leaving them on for a long time doesn't seem to work!!

Joolz

[john_grant358]

Mine did this when i was driving through flooded roads alot, left it for a week and it had sorted its self out. Dealer will change if its faulty under warrenty

[sms]

has it got a condensation drain on it? check its pointing down and is clear, that will also help too.

[cjb]

Check the cover on the back is fitted properly.

[Fabia_TDI]

Did a DIY misted headlight fix on my mates 5 year old Seat Arosa a few weeks ago. Had to take the battery out (not sure you would in your case), taped some kitchen roll on a rod made from a wire coathanger, popped the back cover off and swabbed away all the water from the inside. His problem was caused because the bulb was changed and the cover was not put back on properly. Obviously you want to get the dealer to look at it first but the DIY approach is probably easier than trying to take them to the European Court of Human Rights if they won't/can't sort it.

[SkoDave]

Having just purchased my vRS, have been avidly reading the manual and it does state that slight misting in the headlights may occur under certain conditions. I'm not saying this is acceptable, it may just be a way for Skoda to cover their asses because they know it happens, but that's what the manual says.

[dsmithmobile]

I was advised before that a way of stopping this is to put a silca gel pouch as found in shoe boxes into the back of the headlight to absorb any moisture,have not tried it but it might work

[ap0gee1978]

Check the cover on the back is fitted properly.

Can't believe this wasn't mentioned until the 12th post! It is almost certainly the problem because the back covers of the Fabia's headlamp clusters are so fiddly to put back on due to the engine bay having so much stuff in it - even the dealer messed it up last time mine was in for service! It will stay put if only three of the four clips are in place, even though you need 4/4 to gat a watertight seal. The bottom clips are actually lugs that sit in little brackets, and the top two are 'clips' as such. You need to engage the inboard bottom lug first, then the outboard bottom, then rotate the cover forwards to engage the two clips on the top at the same time. If one clips in before the other, you've done it wrong. Unfortunately, it's so fiddly that some people try to force them on and break one or more of the clips. There is actually a hole for a screw if you want to try this, otherwise you will need a new cover.

Hope this helps!

[Joolz_vRS]

Thanks all for the advice. Due to the power pack for the xenons, vertical alignment kit etc, everything is very fiddly to get at so it could be at least one of the covers has not been replaced correctly.

Took the car over to the local dealer today. They advised me to take the headlight out, take off the covers and dry it out. (Its no longer under warrantee so I won't get them to do it as yet). But without having a close look in daylight, I'm not sure if I'm really up to the job!

Will keep you posted

Joolz

[ap0gee1978]

Unless they're running with water, the heat of the lamps will dry them out eventually - the seals for the unit will keep water out (if fitted correctly, of course! ) but won't trap any vapour.

[sms]

carefully using a hairdryer or heat blowing object blow the front of the light and once warm should evaporate out too.

[Leeland]

When viewing my vrs at dealership same thing, foggy nearside lamp, was assured this was due to it's recent pressure wash. When picked up car 1 week later was ok, and no probs since. Curiously when I picked up my car there were two others, one an octavia, on the forecourt with the same thing, and both nearside only. Had door-seal leaks to worry about after that so haven't given it much thought since. :irked:

[munrodave]

I had a similar problem after mine got a bit wet in the July floods, and what I did to remedy it was to unclip, but not remove, the back cover of the lamp unit while the car was parked in the garage. This allowed a bit of air to circulate and it did eventually dry out.