NCT due and condensation inside headlight?

magicray

I've been told that my car will fail based on condensation inside one of my headlights - any idea how to dry it out easily before I bring it in ?

The light works fine btw

Thanks

Hal1

The seal is probably gone or there is a crack in the headlight. If it's just the seal, you can use try and dry it with a hair dryer or get some silica gel that comes in packaging. Try the main dealer for the seal if it's not too expensive.

gerarda

My car recently failed for the same thing. The morning of the retest I ran the engine with the lights on high beam to try to dry it out and made sure the lense was clean and it passed.

magicray

Thanks, as far as I can see there is no cracks but yes the seal could possibly be gone, its an 05 car
Just hope that there are a few dry days before I bring it in but will try the hairdryer and headlights first if its still damp inside

Where would I put the silica gel - inside the light overnight maybe ?

gerarda

Are you able to get the silica gel back out after you drop it in? Usually the hole in the back of the lense is only big enough to accommodate the bulb housing?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Take the bulbs out and get a hair drier or heat gun and heat up the glass lens till the condensation disappears. It'll get you through the rest but will ultimately return in wet weather.

Be careful if using a heat gun to put it in a low setting.

I had the same problem a few years ago on a civic. I done the above and then dropped one of those little silica satchets into the light housing (thru the bulb hole) Just be careful if you have projectors lights, you need to put the silica into the main housing and not into the projector lens!

biko

OP doesn't mention what car it is but condensation inside headlight is common for e36.
When I had a e36 I just took the cap off the back of the light. The condensation would evaporate as soon as the light were turned on.

CJhaughey

biko wrote: »

OP doesn't mention what car it is but condensation inside headlight is common for e36.
When I had a e36 I just took the cap off the back of the light. The condensation would evaporate as soon as the light were turned on.

Honda Accord 03-08 are the same, I think its down to the covers on the back being too sealed.
Get an empty bottle and put the cap on, condensation will form. Try it without the cap and it will just dry out.

magicray

Thanks again all, its an 05 toyota avensis

bazz26

magicray wrote: »

Thanks again all, its an 05 toyota avensis

Very common on that model from memory unfortunately. Very possible that the clip on the backplate of the headlight is damaged or broken when a bulb was replaced. If the backplate doesn't close properly then condensation forms on the inside of the lense.

corks finest

gerarda wrote: »

Are you able to get the silica gel back out after you drop it in? Usually the hole in the back of the lense is only big enough to accommodate the bulb housing?

Plenty more f room for hairdryer, from back of light