Condensation in headlights

[mikichan]

Greetings,

 

 From 6 days i am  proud owner of Superb 3 190DSG L&K and i love this car. 

 

I am worried only about one thing - everynight after i stop the car i get  condensation in the headlights. I don't have this problem during the day when only the day lights are on.

 

Tomorrow i will call the dealer to see what they will tell me about it.

 

Anyone with similar problem ?

[glosrich]

Very common this time of year. Air in the lights is hot, outside is cold.

Unless you have a puddle forming inside it's not a fault.

[mikichan]

Very common this time of year. Air in the lights is hot, outside is cold.

Unless you have a puddle forming inside it's not a fault.

I thought so too, but for example here today was 19 degrees Celsius ( I am not from UK ) and  again it had condesation.

 

I must admit that it was nothing compared to the day i got the car. The temperature was lower.

[pgeldard]

Yep, I picked up my car last Friday in Leeds (UK) - exactly the same spec as yours mikichan -  and by the time I was home an hour or so later I also had condensation in both headlights.  It's very noticeable, reaching half way up both headlight unit.  I've had friends and family making comments already!  Within another hour I could see a small amount of water inside each unit.  I've never had this on any of the 4 brand new Skoda's I've been driving around in for the last 18 months or in any of my other previous cars for that matter.  

 

I'm keeping a careful eye on it in case the units haven't been sealed correctly.  Very interesting that you've posted this at the same time.

Edited 7 March, 2016 by pgeldard

[Nick_H]

The Xenons are not sealed units. This has been done to death on all the forums. Do a search. It's perfectly normal. This really is a case of 'they all do that sir' ....

[pgeldard]

Wow I certainly wasn't expecting to hear that it's by design and that it's perfectly normal.  It looks absolutely terrible on a brand new car Nick and like water must be coming through the front of the unit.

 

Well I'll still keep an eye on it as I've not seen it in any other car that I've had with Xenon's before.  Thanks for the view from across the forums though.  Very interesting.

[dstev2000]

Mine has done it a few times now. 

 

For the headlights to never fog up, the light fitting would need to be 100% gas tight and be filled with dehumidified air or dry Nitrogen, the complete lack of moisture would prevent condensation occurring on the relatively cold surface of the perspex light covering.

 

Neither of these solutions is practical. 

 

I would consider normal fogging to be a thin layer of condensation on the inside of the headlight's perspex lens. If there's heavy condensation that is running down the inside of the lens and/or signs of water pooling in the bottom of the light unit, that is probably the sign of a leak.

 

Also, I would expect both headlights to fog up in the same way under most circumstances.

If one light is fogging up and the other isn't (with the exception of one light being in the sun and the other in the shade for example), I would also class this as a sign of a water ingress issue. 

 

Back in the days of glass Fresnel lenses and halogen bulbs, the front of the headlight used to get so hot that any moisture used to evaporate and that was the end of it. Xenons run so much cooler than halogens and therefore don't allow the condensation to warm up and evaporate. LEDs are no doubt even worse than xenons, unless they now heat the external lens or something. 

[pgeldard]

Just a quick update guys.  No more condensation since those first couple of trips at the beginning of last week.  Possibly just the car settling down.  

 

Anyway apart from that I am absolutely loving the new car!

 

[mikichan]

Just a quick update guys.  No more condensation since those first couple of trips at the beginning of last week.  Possibly just the car settling down.  

 

Anyway apart from that I am absolutely loving the new car!

 

IMG_3853.JPG

 

Very nice  and i am happy for you.

 

Hope mine also will be fine soon.

 

It looks great  pgeldar !!! My car is with the same wheels, but  it is magnetic brown with beige leather.

[Juvehero]

Just a quick update guys. No more condensation since those first couple of trips at the beginning of last week. Possibly just the car settling down.

Anyway apart from that I am absolutely loving the new car!

IMG_3853.JPG

You're really getting your money's worth from those rear parking sensors!!

Lovely looking car BTW. What colour is that again?

[Matt Pez]

Just a quick update guys.  No more condensation since those first couple of trips at the beginning of last week.  Possibly just the car settling down.  

 

Anyway apart from that I am absolutely loving the new car!

 

IMG_3853.JPG

We had a similar issue with SWMBOs Leon which is fitted with LED headlamps, first few days we had it the condensation was quite bad but after a few days regular use it disappeared, I just put it down to general lack of use for several weeks between owners so I guess even new cars are subject to damp storage at this time of year for several weeks between manufacture and delivery.

[pgeldard]

You're really getting your money's worth from those rear parking sensors!!

Lovely looking car BTW. What colour is that again?

Ha ha yes they are very handy! Not quite had the bottle to use the auto parking yet but the sensors are getting some use.

And yep it's the Quartz Grey. Looks fab when it's all cleaned up and the wheels are sorted.

Why wouldn't you buy a Skoda these days eh. ;-)

[philpix]

I have condensation in the nearside headlight glass. I'll give it a few days to see what happens.

[Nick_H]

IMG_0997.JPGI have condensation in the nearside headlight glass. I'll give it a few days to see what happens.

 

It's OK Phil. Mine does it from time to time. It's because they arnt sealed units. It goes away. Did it more last year in cold weather. Cant remember it happening at all over the summer. I was concerned at first...

 

Edit to say : And its as much as yours in fact it happened a couple of days ago.

Edited 11 October, 2016 by Nick_H

[philpix]

It's OK Phil. Mine does it from time to time. It's because they arnt sealed units. It goes away. Did it more last year in cold weather. Cant remember it happening at all over the summer. I was concerned at first...

 

Edit to say : And its as much as yours in fact it happened a couple of days ago.

Cheers Nick 

[drewellis]

I have this issue on my Superb just along the bottom of both headlights where the running lights/indicators are. Just bought it, picked it up Friday morning so I guess it's been sitting around on the forecourt etc. I'll keep an eye on it but have attached photos in case anyone can tell me it shouldn't be this bad.... 

[Mickey43]

On 2/12/2017 at 22:38, drewellis said:

I have this issue on my Superb just along the bottom of both headlights where the running lights/indicators are. Just bought it, picked it up Friday morning so I guess it's been sitting around on the forecourt etc. I'll keep an eye on it but have attached photos in case anyone can tell me it shouldn't be this bad.... 

Mine was like that.  Took it back to the dealer who dried it out and although it still "fogs" occasionally it doesnt have the "droplets" any more.  

[JWvrs25]

Try silica gel sachets. It was suggested to me by another member and worked great on my fabia headlights.

Not sure whether you will be able to place them anywhere tho in those lights.

[RGKTSi]

On 14/03/2016 at 21:44, pgeldard said:

Ha ha yes they are very handy! Not quite had the bottle to use the auto parking yet but the sensors are getting some use.

And yep it's the Quartz Grey. Looks fab when it's all cleaned up and the wheels are sorted.

Why wouldn't you buy a Skoda these days eh. ;-)

Off topic. Looks stunning in quartz grey, same as mine when it arrives. Reading these posts on the condensation I shall be more laid back if this common on xenon headlights on the Superb. Our Octavia FL does it so seen it before. 

[drewellis]

6 hours ago, Mickey43 said:

Mine was like that.  Took it back to the dealer who dried it out and although it still "fogs" occasionally it doesnt have the "droplets" any more.  

 

6 hours ago, clarendon462 said:

Try silica gel sachets. It was suggested to me by another member and worked great on my fabia headlights.

Not sure whether you will be able to place them anywhere tho in those lights.

Thanks for this info. At the moment it has gone completely but it keeps reappearing in the mornings after cold nights. Will ask dealer to take a look when they have it in for fitting mud flaps.