Headlight condensation, NCT tomorrow

dnme

Hi friends,

I have NCT tomorrow. I have had a lot of work done on car and recently noticed that the headlights have a lot of condensation in them. I have been running the car with lights on full to try and dry them out. This works temporarily but after a while the condensation returns.

The car is a Megane and the lights are a nightmare to access. Even changing a bulb requires going up through an access panel in the wheel arch. I cannot afford to replace the lights as I have already spent a lot of cash on the car.

Is there anything I can do to get these lights dry for the test (10am tomorrow morning)?

Midnight_EG

I remember a friend of mine drilled a little hole in the bottom of each lamp, not sure if it's legal but it worked!

peasant

A hairdryer blowing in hot air through the access panel (with the bulb removed) might just dry the lamp enough to make it through the NCT ...no guarantees though.

In the long run you're looking at getting new headlamps

stealthyspeeder

My Mazda 3 MPS had this problem on the drivers side, assuming that there are no cracks to the casing or holes drilled in it, the way to solve it is to "bake" the headlight, so you can take it apart, dry it out, and "bake" it again to reseal it, using fresh silicone based sealant.

I didnt have the nerve to try this on a car I was going to be trading in, but if you have the time and know how, would be a lot cheaper than a new unit.

Hal1

I had the same hassle with headlight condensation before my last nct. I tried to dry it out and used some silica gel sachets from some packaging to remove some moisture. This helped to clear it up but it failed the nct as the beam pattern was scewed, and I had to buy another headlight for the retest.

merc3ps

I've used the hairdryer trick. Do it tomorrow morning.

If that takes too long the just use the main beams and see if you get away with it.

teelinboy

Concur with Peasant about hairdryer - just don't hold the dryer too close or have too hot (might crack lens), be patient and take your time and it does work.

Driving to NCT centre with dipped headlights on will also help keep condensation at bay....As others suggest seek more permanent solution afterwards if you cant get it fixed properly now.

dnme

Thanks for all the replies, I bought a hair dryer this evening and had a go. It takes ages to affect the condensation with it. I combined running the ful beam and using the hair dryer.

I am gonna get up early in the morning and get back out there with the dryer again.

Also it's a Megane so it is possible to leave it running without the key card...... So, when I arrive at the NCT centre tomorrow, I'll park it up but leave it running with headlights on full. I'll still be able to go into the reception hand hand over the key.

My mechanic says that a lot of cars are suffering this condensation problem lately, I winder did the big freeze crack / rupture the seals in a lot of headlights? I'm guessing that's what hapened mine.

peasant

gt112 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies, I bought a hair dryer this evening and had a go. It takes ages to affect the condensation with it. I combined running the ful beam and using the hair dryer.

You're doing it wrong. All you're doing is heat up the lamp enough for the condensation to evaporate and become invisible steam. As soon as the lamp cools down (over night) you will be back to square one.

You need to take out the bulb and blow into the lamp, replacing the damp air with dry air. That way it will take a while for enough water to get into it again to re-form the condensation.

If you can't get the hair dryer round the back, at least take the bulb out while blowing from the front ...the dampness needs somewhere to escape.

dnme

Thanks peasant,

Its almost impossible to even get at the bulb never mind get a hair dryer in at the back of the lamps. I remember once spending one and ahalf hours trying to replace a bulb, its seriously awkward and tight.

I'd be worried that if I remove a bulb in the morning, I will not be able to put it back.

peasant

In that case you'll just have to get up that bit earlier tomorrow and repeat todays "blowjob" before you embark to the NCT

dnme

and the depressing thing is, I just wanna sell the dam car. I have spent 2k on a brand new fuel system, then had the alternator reconditioned, then spent 250 on tyres, tie rod and tracking.

I need the NCT in order to sell the car and try to get my money back - and after all the heartbreak I have been through.....I am gonna be caught out by a bit of condensation

Bumpstop

Nct why the hell does anyone get one, they have to bring you to court to get the points, and with the recession and everything thats not gonna happen. Last year 3 people got points for no nct, I bet they actually annoyed the fire guard in some other way.

Anyway Argos sell an electric pump for blowing up air beds it comes with a fine nozzle which can be inserted into where the bulb goes to blow out moisture due to condensation ( the pump is quite bulky and may not fit into the area required, a bit of small bore hosing((straw)) may be required ), you can also buy cans of compressed air from electronic suppliers which will do the same thing.

It's only a short term solution and really drilling a hole is the only permanent solution. anyway hope this helps.:)

Absurdum

Bumpstop wrote: »

Nct why the hell does anyone get one

apart from the legal requirement bit, it's a cheap and handy check-up of your car

fuelinjection

why have NCT ?
why have tax ?
why have insurance ?
why have brakes that work ?


Anyway I would just drive to the NCT with the headlights on full-beam and if it is close to where you live, then get out earlier and take a 30 minute drive on the roads. Should be ok, but if you want to sell it, it would be problem that I would look for so maybe get it fixed after the NCT. The "new seals" solution is a good idea.

JHMEG

gt112 wrote: »

I have been running the car with lights on full to try and dry them out. This works temporarily

There's your answer. They only need to be dry temporarily, ie for the test.

dnme

Well just to let everyone know....

I failed the test. The lights passed fine but I failed shocks, rack & pinion, clutch and brake pedal rubbers.

Still, at least I dont have to buy expensive headlamp units.

fuelinjection

gt112 wrote: »

Well just to let everyone know....

I failed the test. The lights passed fine but I failed shocks, rack & pinion, clutch and brake pedal rubbers.

Still, at least I dont have to buy expensive headlamp units.

Well at least you know what to fix.
I would suggest driving over the border for major work as my friend got a new suspension spring fitted in a BMW for 150 sterling. Not a bad price.

JHMEG

gt112 wrote: »

Well just to let everyone know....

I failed the test. The lights passed fine but I failed shocks, rack & pinion, clutch and brake pedal rubbers.

Still, at least I dont have to buy expensive headlamp units.

Jeez, what year and what mileage?

dnme

when I say rack & pinion, I dont actually know, theres a little play in the wheel, my mechanic will sort it. its a 2004 Megane, 123k

Cosmo K

I'd say the inner tie rod ends are gone, common Megane problem.

dnme

yeah, we actually did the tie rod (on the ofending side) on wednesday as I had tried to get the car tracked and they brought wheel play to my attention.

now, I was with the mechanic when he did the tie rod and I physically felt the wheel afterwards and it felt very stable to me so I am a bit confused by this.

BTW, my tester was the image of Barry from East Enders and I had to laugh when he called me after the test and lo-an-behold he had an English accent:) (Galway btw)

dnme

you may notice my username has changed during this thread, I lost my original "dnme" during the boards crash and only got it back today, I think they have merged it with my temp username "gt112"

Cosmo K

dnme wrote: »

BTW, my tester was the image of Barry from East Enders and I had to laugh when he called me after the test and lo-an-behold he had an English accent:) (Galway btw)

:D:D

True!!!!

Bumpstop

fuelinjection wrote: »

why have NCT ?
why have tax ?
why have insurance ?
why have brakes that work ?


Anyway I would just drive to the NCT with the headlights on full-beam and if it is close to where you live, then get out earlier and take a 30 minute drive on the roads. Should be ok, but if you want to sell it, it would be problem that I would look for so maybe get it fixed after the NCT. The "new seals" solution is a good idea.

I am not suggesting the above. I just don't like the idea of the NCT test it's useless, It has achieved nothing is down to a lot of personal interpretation, Read the tester handbook. Most really bad cars won't go near a nct test . Things are about to get more stringent after April.

Why don't they NCT the roads out where I live, I have spent 80 Euros getting my car tracked twice. 2 tyres worn out due to bad tracking total cost over 180 Euros. because of POXY potholes. Paint work damaged by flying stones from their lousy repairs.

So you will excuse my lack of tolerance of the NCT.

Just to add, how have they made themselves untouchable, their lousy repairs break up the road more. A 14 inch pothole appears bursts your tyre and buckles your wheel, and you have no comeback ?????

john hanrahan

brilliant idea they should nct the roads

i have broken tie rod ends track rods steering rod and wishbone since christmas its madening and expensive

i think the strut mount is gone now

megane 05

dnme

Bumpstop wrote: »

Why don't they NCT the roads

+11111111

The car manufacturer has to obey stringent regulations regarding safety and standards.

The car owner has to pay tax and keep the car in a safe roadworthy condition, not to mention pay insurance and more tax on fuel.

The only party in the mix who gets away with anything is the road manufacturer / keeper. Everyone has to maintain standards except the authorities in charge of the road.

fuelinjection

I am not a big fan of britain by any means but their roads are all wrecked from the long hard winter we went through, and they are similar to us in weather so that is why I use them as a comparison.

How can the brits fix their roads in 3 weeks after all the damage done to them over the winter ???
The answer is they cannot, and the same is true for us. It will take a long time to sort out the potholes and craters we have here in Ireland now. Sad but true, they cannot just mend them overnight. By the way I agree with claiming against local councils for damages to your car/motorbike.
In britain they pay out millions every year to damages from bad road maintenance.

In Ireland you pay road tax, if the road breaks your car/bike, then they pay you. Fair ?