Sweating Lights

[GMAN]

I found some HID's for GMANjr's Mark. I hooked them up and they work fine. Today i noticed a ton of condensation inside the lights. It was unusually humid today. What do i need to do to prevent them from sweating?

 

[torquemonkey]

Are the vents on the housings open?

 

[GMAN]

Are the vents on the housings open?

What do you mean the vents?

 

[kustomizingkid]

Heres what I learned for dealling with condensation filled headlights.

Remove them from the car.

Pour some rubbing alchohol in the housing and swish it around and then pour it out, this will remove all the junk and water.

Check the housings for any cracks or leaks in the lens to the housing seal, reseal or fix any cracks with any epoxy.

Reinstall the housings and put dielectric grease around the bulbs to help them seal better.

You should be pleased to have nice condensation free headlights. I would recomend testing the rubbign alchol on the housing before though to make sure it won't in anyway damage them. This wouldn't normally concern me but on something as rare as the gen 1 hid housing are, I wouldn't take a chance with them.

 

[KC96LSC]

you should have bought my set.

 

[GMAN]

you should have bought my set.

Greg, you were a little too high for us. Remember, this is a 19 yr old kid on a budget.

 

[KC96LSC]

I understand, Actually what Kustomizingkid wrote should do the trick for you. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Spike]

I have seen a coupe of glass sealed beam headlights with halagon bulbs get moisture inside. I was told they probably had a small cracks that allowed moisture to get in when driving in the rain. whatever cuased it, it will seriously reduce visability by scattering the light beam and is worth it to replace them. The clouding that happens to lexan headlights also reduces visability. I've seen several ads for stuff to repair them but I bought a cheap set of headlight off ebay ir fix my brand X truck.

 

[ground_zero298]

i use alittle blue rtv on my truck fog lights (around the o rings)to keep them sealed. If you have a hand vacuum pump I'm sure you could rig something up to see if they hold a vacuum or not. I would imagine that when the air inside the housings get's hot it expands and escapes out any leaks, and when it cools in sucks the cold moist air back in.

 

[GMAN]

Well, I am still trying to tackle this problem. Humidity is getting into the lights. The had some cracks, but I thought I got them all. My son came back last week, and the lights are still sweating. I am thinking that it is not properly sealed. I am thinking of putting a layer of fiberglass over the entire surface of the housings. Anyone want to chime in? I need suggestions.

 

[BigBoyBoelts]

Maybe try and dunk the whole housing under water in a bath tub to see where the air leaks out, thats where the water is getting in, then dry them and do the alcohol trick.

 

[kustomizingkid]

Did you try what I recomended, because it has worked flawlessly for me.

 

[MrScalia]

Maybe try and dunk the whole housing under water in a bath tub to see where the air leaks out, thats where the water is getting in, then dry them and do the alcohol trick.

love you picture in your signature !

 

[BigBoyBoelts]

Thanks..lol

 

[GMAN]

Did you try what I recomended, because it has worked flawlessly for me.

I tried the alcohol trick. They sweated right back up the very next day. The housings were not in the best of shape. The fiberglass had some cracks in it. Is it a cas of the housings not being properly sealed?

 

[ground_zero298]

If the back of the housings have the cracks in them you could have them rhino lined for probably 10 or 20 bucks. easiest fix I can think of. Maybe a shot of clear on the front of them, but I don't know if it would eventually yellow under the clear. And I don't believe that dunking them under water will create enough pressure to find the leaks in them, if they are small.

Or coat the whole back in some silicone.

 

[GMAN]

Now I like that Rhino liner solution. I will look into that.