V12V - Front light unit condensation

V12V - Front light unit condensation

Author
Discussion

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Saturday 12th December 2015
quotequote all




Got the car back yesterday with the new headlights fitted and so far so good smile

No steaming up for me and its a perfect day for the first test.

BamfordMike

1,192 posts

157 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
Good news, hope the fix works for you.

Was it the same fix as this Zag had? I didn't think it would be long before the kit was made available mainstream after a trial on a few cars.

So i'm lead to believe by owner and after talking to dealer staff, the kit was factory conceived and fitted by Cheltenham under warranty. Seems to cure the problem.

The kit took a 'T' off from Aircon system, the dry air feeds each headlamp.





You cant see too well from the pics, but the pipework running along the front is the feed to each lamp




and the pipework shown here is the outlet, put in an area where high airflow draws the Aircon / dry air through the circuit.



is a little prototype looking but i guess the kits now look more production

classic vanquish has similar idea, but whereas the Vanquish has a hole in the front part of the light, in the fix the zag had the dry AC air was flowing in the back part of the lamp only, but as i said, it does seem to work.

here is classic Vanquish lamp, and picture underneath where pipe exits underside






edited for accuracy

there is no difference whatsoever between V12V lamp and Zag, the Zag only difference is surrounding carbon 'cowl'



Edited by BamfordMike on Monday 14th December 11:30

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
No, I was offered that fix but insisted on new replacement headlights.

BamfordMike

1,192 posts

157 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
Flugplatz said:
No, I was offered that fix but insisted on new replacement headlights.
ok, i think that was offered to Zag also but the thinking was seeing that because there had been no design iteration, misting was just as likely to reoccur on same but new, so choice to make an improvement was taken.

would be interesting to know if keep going until a pair of lights that dont mist is the answer or opt for A/C dry air solution.

steveatesh

4,900 posts

164 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
I just had a new light fitted around four weeks ago. It's misting. As far a i can see they all do and as i have said before I'm fairly sure that it is mentioned in the handbook as being normal.

Whether it causes LED failure is another story though.

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
before pics...











JohnG1

3,471 posts

205 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
BamfordMike said:
Good news, hope the fix works for you.

Was it the same fix as this Zag had? I didn't think it would be long before the kit was made available mainstream after a trial on a few cars.

So i'm lead to believe by owner and after talking to dealer staff, the kit was factory conceived and fitted by Cheltenham under warranty. Seems to cure the problem.

The kit took a 'T' off from Aircon system, the dry air feeds each headlamp.

You cant see too well from the pics, but the pipework running along the front is the feed to each lamp

and the pipework shown here is the outlet, put in an area where high airflow draws the Aircon / dry air through the circuit.


is a little prototype looking but i guess the kits now look more production

classic vanquish has similar idea, but whereas the Vanquish has a hole in the front part of the light, in the fix the zag had the dry AC air was flowing in the back part of the lamp only, but as i said, it does seem to work.


edited for accuracy

there is no difference whatsoever between V12V lamp and Zag, the Zag only difference is surrounding carbon 'cowl'


Edited by BamfordMike on Monday 14th December 11:30
Hi Mike,

So if I understand that right, AML now sell an aftermarket kit of hoses and whatnot to dry out the front headlights. Is this a proper AML part number kit? If so, do you know roughly what the kit costs and how many hours labour are needed to fit it?



BamfordMike

1,192 posts

157 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
JohnG1 said:
Hi Mike,

So if I understand that right, AML now sell an aftermarket kit of hoses and whatnot to dry out the front headlights. Is this a proper AML part number kit? If so, do you know roughly what the kit costs and how many hours labour are needed to fit it?
I'm ready to be corrected here, I dont think the kit which comes direct from mothership (well, it did for Zag, dealer fitted under instruction from factory) can be bought, it is offered as a measure when all else fails and misting is annoying to point of owner not being able to live with it (they might all do it, but that doesn't mean an owner has to accept it, especially when under 3 year maker warranty) and reaches point of stalemate when a number of prior lamp swaps were unsuccessful and owner is becoming 'intolerant'.

andy_mc

Original Poster:

160 posts

151 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
On my way home tonight I really noticed the front lights were very poor at illuminating the road ahead. I was pretty sure they needed some serious adjustment. Until I got home and saw at least 50% of both front units were misted up.

I don't know enough about this lights to tell if the brightness of the bulbs will burn through the condensation without any issues - and its bad alignment - or I am severely impacted by this moisture.

Any thoughts ?

BamfordMike

1,192 posts

157 months

Monday 14th December 2015
quotequote all
andy_mc said:
On my way home tonight I really noticed the front lights were very poor at illuminating the road ahead. I was pretty sure they needed some serious adjustment. Until I got home and saw at least 50% of both front units were misted up.

I don't know enough about this lights to tell if the brightness of the bulbs will burn through the condensation without any issues - and its bad alignment - or I am severely impacted by this moisture.

Any thoughts ?
yup, despite not looking the best when parking up, beam impairment was main reason situation became a must fix for Zag.

V8V Pete

2,497 posts

126 months

Tuesday 15th December 2015
quotequote all
BamfordMike said:
JohnG1 said:
Hi Mike,

So if I understand that right, AML now sell an aftermarket kit of hoses and whatnot to dry out the front headlights. Is this a proper AML part number kit? If so, do you know roughly what the kit costs and how many hours labour are needed to fit it?
I'm ready to be corrected here, I dont think the kit which comes direct from mothership (well, it did for Zag, dealer fitted under instruction from factory) can be bought, it is offered as a measure when all else fails and misting is annoying to point of owner not being able to live with it (they might all do it, but that doesn't mean an owner has to accept it, especially when under 3 year maker warranty) and reaches point of stalemate when a number of prior lamp swaps were unsuccessful and owner is becoming 'intolerant'.
So Mike, are you considering offering this "performance upgrade" at Bamford Rose? I imagine it would be quite popular and presumably not too challenging to do. Strange that AML did it with Vanquish 1 but then didn't on the Gaydon cars. In Vanquish does it run off the aircon or just ambient air?

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Tuesday 15th December 2015
quotequote all
andy_mc said:
On my way home tonight I really noticed the front lights were very poor at illuminating the road ahead. I was pretty sure they needed some serious adjustment. Until I got home and saw at least 50% of both front units were misted up.

I don't know enough about this lights to tell if the brightness of the bulbs will burn through the condensation without any issues - and its bad alignment - or I am severely impacted by this moisture.

Any thoughts ?
That is why I changed mine. I thought i was driving on side lights!!

BamfordMike

1,192 posts

157 months

Tuesday 15th December 2015
quotequote all
V8V Pete said:
So Mike, are you considering offering this "performance upgrade" at Bamford Rose? I imagine it would be quite popular and presumably not too challenging to do. Strange that AML did it with Vanquish 1 but then didn't on the Gaydon cars. In Vanquish does it run off the aircon or just ambient air?
yeah, strange how classic Vanquish system was dropped, misting lamps on Vanquish isn't an issue. The Vanquish system does plumb into HVAC / cabin, but I'm not sure if its just 'a' flow of air that is helping because its difficult to understand how much 'dry air' makes up total airflow.

only place I'm aware to get kit fitted is dealer.

V8V Pete

2,497 posts

126 months

Tuesday 15th December 2015
quotequote all
BamfordMike said:
only place I'm aware to get kit fitted is dealer.
Yeah, but if you can engineer a clutch/flywheel you can engineer this kit, can't you?

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Wednesday 16th December 2015
quotequote all
Well I suppose 5 full days wasnt bad!

Both headlights fully steamed up today frownfrownfrown

Quarterly

650 posts

118 months

Wednesday 16th December 2015
quotequote all
Flugplatz said:
Well I suppose 5 full days wasnt bad!

Both headlights fully steamed up today frownfrownfrown
oh no! irked

Flugplatz

1,952 posts

245 months

Wednesday 16th December 2015
quotequote all
But unlike the previous lights they are now totally clear so I guess this is the "Normal" cycle I read many owners are totally used to.

Funny because late 00's |I had a couple of V8's back to back and don't remember them doing it at all.

northernmedia

1,988 posts

138 months

Tuesday 29th December 2015
quotequote all
Mine are looking particularly bad following a short drive this afternoon. It's not been used for about a week, unsure if that makes any difference?
Going in for it's 2nd service on Monday, should I get the dealer to replace for new ones as a matter of course?
(Still under warranty)




andy_mc

Original Poster:

160 posts

151 months

Tuesday 29th December 2015
quotequote all
andy_mc said:
On my way home tonight I really noticed the front lights were very poor at illuminating the road ahead. I was pretty sure they needed some serious adjustment. Until I got home and saw at least 50% of both front units were misted up.

I don't know enough about this lights to tell if the brightness of the bulbs will burn through the condensation without any issues - and its bad alignment - or I am severely impacted by this moisture.

Any thoughts ?
Car is booked in with the dealer to look at this. They immediately said they'd put in Gel packs. It will be interesting to see what difference this might make. Am thinking they'll need a lot of Gel to absorb what I am seeing.


cayman-black

12,648 posts

216 months

Tuesday 29th December 2015
quotequote all
northernmedia said:
Mine are looking particularly bad following a short drive this afternoon. It's not been used for about a week, unsure if that makes any difference?
Going in for it's 2nd service on Monday, should I get the dealer to replace for new ones as a matter of course?
(Still under warranty)



Well if you see Flugplatz lights its not worth it. His are brand new!