headlight condensation!

[primetime]

A simpler and quicker DIY fix is this. Take the headlight assembly off your car. Obviously remove the bulbs. Take a hair dryer and blow the hot air into the vents and holes that the bulbs would normally go into. Do it for about a half an hour or so..It will dry up the condensation. Then put the headllight assembly back on your car. Mine had pretty bad condensation one time and thats what i did. I've never had it come back again.

[Quicksilver]

Why would anyone want to do this if you have a warranty???

Originally Posted by primetime

A simpler and quicker DIY fix is this. Take the headlight assembly off your car. Obviously remove the bulbs. Take a hair dryer and blow the hot air into the vents and holes that the bulbs would normally go into. Do it for about a half an hour or so..It will dry up the condensation. Then put the headllight assembly back on your car. Mine had pretty bad condensation one time and thats what i did. I've never had it come back again.

[primetime]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

Why would anyone want to do this if you have a warranty???

By all means if you have a warranty get it replaced but some others reading this thread might need the info for future purposes, since some members are out of warranty...

[JCL]

Leaving aside the discoloured plastic lens, which is an entirely different problem....

Fogging is normal. The headlights are sealed on top from rain, but they are not totally sealed, they do have drains. If the only time that they fog is after a car wash, for example, with a direct spray aimed at the headlight, and they clear themselves in a short time then there is nothing wrong with them. If they are continually fogged after a light rain, and stay that way, then they should be replaced. It is a judgement call.

I had one replaced that wasn't bothering me very much, but the dealer did it anyway when I went in for an oil service. The other one had fogged occasionally, always cleared itself quickly, and I never did anything with it.

Dealer interpretations will vary, based on the amount of hassle they get when the put the claim into BMW, and on how much (or little) they get paid for the labour by BMW.

Now, since this is a two year old thread, back to the poster with the problem:

The discoloured plastic needs to be replaced. Some have tried polishing compounds, but not sure it is worth it.

[StanF18]

Looks like good ol' Bavarian Motor Werks screwed the pooch with the design of the headlight housing, specifically the seal. I have had this problem 3 times already on a 2006 E53, with the eventual results being a blown Xenon bulb, and this last time it was a blown turn signal. And obviously I'm not the only one with condensation issues.

It's definitely a warranty issue and the dealer did address it, but very annoying nonetheless.

Might not just be an E53 issue, as a buddy of mine just had the same problem on his 2004 330xi.

[ripp222]

If BMW (or Hella) designed the headlights so that they could be disassembled, perhaps my "film" could be wipped away. So after 2 BMW dealers and multiple requests to speak with the BMW Service Rep (AMM), the headlights were replaced... compared to my ealier pictures, a touch better eh?

[euro96]

Originally Posted by ripp222

I have a potentially different "fogging" problem...
I have not seen any droplets form on the inside of the plastic lens, but I have a definite area directly infront of the Xenon beam where the plastic is no longer clear. It appears there is some type of film that has collected in front of the beam. It's almost in the shape of a donut.
Any one else out there with this issue?



I've outlined the area in the below photo...

i have this problem...in one of my headlights
i am out of warranty, and i really dont want to have to buy a $600 replacement

can i take the headlights apart, and have the inside waxed/cleaned up? or are these headlights sealed permanently? I dont think the hairdryer method will work for this type of problem, since its not really condensation

any opinions guys?

[ripp222]

What year is your X5? I seem to recall only up to model year 2002 could you stick the headlights in the oven to warm the adhesive to the point where you could pull the lens cover off.

Perhaps you could remove the bulb assembly from the rear and do some minor cleaning with a long Q-tip?? That would at least confirm my theory about a film on the inside of the lens.

[euro96]

mine is an 04 with 48k.....kind of annoying since the warranty is out