Headlights misting (68plate facelift vrs)

[vrs'burks]

Hi all

 

I've done a search and found a couple of threads about headlights misting across the bottom where the DRL's are located. . . It also seems to be an issue on the superbs too. . 

 

But I've only had the car a few months, now the temperature outside is dropping, I've come out to my car tonight and all 4 light clusters look like this. . 

 

From what I've read this is considered "normal" . . But it is going to drive my ocd mad, it genuinely devalues the look of the car for me. . I also have a 56 plate fabia that I have owned 10+ years and never had anything like this. . 

 

So . . It is normal? Or should I run it past the dealer i bought it from?

 

Thanks.

[langers2k]

Looks normal to me... I've added pics from the Skoda TPI (2043148/5) regarding this.

 

Misting is fine:

 

Big droplets aren't:

[vrs'burks]

10 minutes ago, langers2k said:

Looks normal to me... I've added pics from the Skoda TPI (2043148/5) regarding this.

 

Misting is fine:

 

Big droplets aren't:

Thanks for this! Really helpful, all be it disappointing 😪

 

Having a TPI it's a well known issue with skoda then?. . 

 

Hopefully it won't worsen, I'm guessing by the time it could become bad (big droplets) it would be outside warranty period and skoda will stick up the middle finger if asked for replacement under warranty...

[langers2k]

It's common these days, if you google for almost any brand (Skoda, VW, Audi, BMW, Ford etc etc) and headlight misting you'll get plenty of results...

 

It should come and go depending on the weather etc.

 

Bit more from the TPI:

 

General reasoning
• With the headlamps there are often complaints about “steamed up lenses”. Because of the headlamp circulation system air from the outside flows through the headlamps.
• The steaming-up of the headlamps can be compared with the misted windscreen, which is, however cleared by the “defroster vent”.
• Condensation of humidity on lens occurs also during the heating up phase when the engine warms up the rear side of the headlamp and the lens is simultaneously cooled by the ambient cold air.
• The steaming-up is an optical phenomenon, which doesn't affect the headlamp function (light performance) and doesn't lead to corrosion in the headlamps.
• Steaming up due to parking in humid environment (affected are mostly both headlamps): when heat is generated by the engine and the front part of the headlamp is simultaneously cooled down results in a temperature difference causing the condensation of humidity inside the headlamp. The steaming up can be already less intense already after the vehicle has arrived at the workshop. This can be used as an example of the environmental influence.
• The open ventilation system (needed for pressure compensation) creates different “climate zones” in the headlamp; very warm areas, where the lens is warmed up by the light and relatively cool areas where the lens is cooled down by the slipstream.
• Under these circumstances, water condensation may occur on the inner side of the lens at high air humidity and temperature differences between the inside of the headlamps and the outside (sometime when driving) especially in cold seasons and/or wet weather.
• This can happen e.g. after a car wash, steam cleaning of the engine or the front end, overnight temperature changes and so on.
• By using lenses made of clear glass this phenomenon is easier visible than on lenses with patterns.
• This phenomenon is physically related and can therefore occur on every headlamp, fog lamp or tail light.
• Inform the customer that information concerning steaming up of the headlamps is to be found in the Owner´s Manual in the Chapter " Headlamps".

 

Further reasoning for halogen / xenon headlamps/lights:
• If the headlamps are steamed up, the light discharge surface of the lens should be free after the dipped light is on for 5 - 10 minutes with sufficient ventilation (country road/motorway). The remaining surfaces may still be steamed up after the journey.
• The demisting time of the headlamps depends on the ambient temperature, vehicle speed (the headlamp is faster ventilated at higher temperatures) and the relative air humidity.

Further reasoning for LED / Full LED headlamps/lights:
• Lights with LEDs do not warm up the light cover even when they are switched on, as the proportion of infrared rays is zero in their light.
• Ventilation and the resulting demisting is ensured in this case only by the difference of pressures (caused by the difference of temperatures), occurring during a longer drive. The more the engine compartment is warmed up, the easier the humidity leaves the headlamp through the diap