Water in headlight

[The_Laird]

As the title, I noticed that I have water/condensation in my o/s headlight (see photo). Is this a case of the rubber seals going? If so, are they still available? If not, is there something else that I should be looking at?

I have a spare pair of lights and have just ordered a headlight restoration kit, so I might just clean up the spare set and swap them as the ones on the car are a bit yellow.

[briang9]

Watching this one with interest as I have same problem

[HPsauce]

Me too, occasionally. I tape silica gel bags on the back of the bulb access covers; seems to work.

[monkeyboyuk]

Last time I had this was on my d3, a bulb change had the lamp carriage not seated back correctly allowing moisture in, maybe as simple as that if had any bulbs changed?

[Adrian E]

There's a lot of info in this thread on dismantling the bi-xenon headlights (I think it was intended to add it to one of the stickies)

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9336

Seals were available at the time - I suspect now it'll be luck of the draw if they're available....

[The_Laird]

Well, I had a play about with a spare headlight and it appears to my unprofessional eye that they aren’t really sealed at all. There is no ‘goo’ on my glass and the rubber ‘seals’ don’t look like they’d prevent water ingress. And, as I use a pressure washer to clean my car, and I’ve not noticed this issue before, I did wonder where the water/condensation had come from.

But, whatever the cause or source of the water, it’s gone away of its own accord!

[MikkiJayne]

FL1 (oe early) Xenon Plus have a rubber seal around the lens, whereas FL2 / later versions have some ultra-sticky butyl rubber goo, presumably as they decided the rubber wasn't enough.

[ainarssems]

I think it's a cost cutting measure moving from rubber/foam thingy to butyl, to permanent seal.

If you look at older headlights with glass lenses including PF 8 they all had foam/rubber seals and clips holding them on for easy of replacement if glass brakes. But you rarely see lights with glass lenses having wate/condensation. Move to plastic/polycarbonate was to reduce manufacturing cost, weight and damage/replacement needs but at first still used old method of rubbery gasket and clips. But they are extra parts parts that need to be manufactured and fitting and logistics support so they moved on to butyl which can come in a roll or just heated up and squeezed out of nozzle. They still kept clips, presumably too hold on lenses even if gets hot. Later still they moved on to permanent sealant, similar stuff to windscreen sealant, often called PermaSeal, still kept clips out of habit or possibly to keep lenses in place while sealant sets. But more recent lights get away without clips alltogether as another cost saving, maybe enabled by faster setting sealants. You still get water/condensation with PermaSeal, I don't know what the reason is but I don't think it's the lens seals.

I have done replacements on both butyl and PermaSeal, butyl is a bit messy but not too hard and PermaSeal is a bit more challenging. I have pair of lenses for Q7 headlights waiting to be fitted but I just keep coming with excuses and delaying it as not looking forward to dealing with permanent sealant.

[Ronin]

Is the rubber/goo stuff on the headlight side or the outer lens side?

I know new lenses can be ordered from tradition, or at least one side..