Fogging 3R Headlights
Discussion
Did you do any form of drying or de-humidifying before re-sealing?
From what i have read, the problem is the moisture is heated up by the car/bulbs etc and then condenses on the cooler lens. The best way to sort this is to remove the moisture and then seal it in.
However i'm very interested in what you have done as i need to do the same over winter and don't want to waste my time if its still going to fog up.
If you drilled holes to allow it to breathe, i think you would still get misting, it would just dispate quicker? Maybe a small hole in the front of the lens into the airflow, and another small hole at the top rear into the wheel arch would permit adequate air movement. Not sure how much water would get in though with these holes, and i think the light units are susceptable to corrosion.
Matt
From what i have read, the problem is the moisture is heated up by the car/bulbs etc and then condenses on the cooler lens. The best way to sort this is to remove the moisture and then seal it in.
However i'm very interested in what you have done as i need to do the same over winter and don't want to waste my time if its still going to fog up.
If you drilled holes to allow it to breathe, i think you would still get misting, it would just dispate quicker? Maybe a small hole in the front of the lens into the airflow, and another small hole at the top rear into the wheel arch would permit adequate air movement. Not sure how much water would get in though with these holes, and i think the light units are susceptable to corrosion.
Matt
I think you either need to get a good seal with absolutely no moisture trapped inside, or get them well ventilated.
I don't have the standard rear lights, they are the Afterburners, but I presume they all have dumb bucket like covers that are siliconed on to the inside of the clam, requiring cutting them off just to change a bulb?
My rear lights were always fogging up at the slightest provocation, so when I had to take the cover off one to fix an earthing problem (caused by corrosion which was probably linked to the condensation issue I guess) I decided to change the way the covers sealed.
Looking at them, I decided that the best way to deal with them would be to cut an access hole in the cover and fit a removable panel to it that, sealed with a gasket. The bucket part could then be sealed/bonded permanently to the clam and the panel would just fit with a few screws.
I had already tried putting a couple of small pipe vents in the covers to no avail, so I also added a much bigger vent, routed so water wouldn't get in through it. In fact, I routed it through to the inner section of the clam, above the exhausts in the hope that a bit of warm dry air might just help. I also opened up the gaps around the bulb holders so that the space behind the outer lens was vented to the inner space under the covers.
To get a good seal I added a nice flat flange to the opening that I cut in the covers and mated a flat panel to it. I used rubber/neoprene sheet to cut a gasket that would seal between the flange and the cover.
Original fit with 2 small vent pipes (these were routed away, not just tied up as in the photo btw)
Cover cleaned of old silicon, access hole cut out, flange and cover cut to shape
Flange bonded on to cover and grommets added for new vent pipe and wiring entry
Buckets refitted and sealed to clam with vent pipe routed through to centre section
Finished job with new cover fitted to bucket. S/S screws under the button covers.
I did both sides and it seemed to work well, so when a front sidelight bulb went shortly afterwards I did something similar to that. I made a pair of matched flanges and bonded one on to the clam opening and one on to the cover. Both flanges have the same kind of rubber/neoprene seals stuck to them, so no more cutting silcone away to get the cover off, and it fits with the original 7 screws. (bigger S/S ones now)
I didn't put any vents in this yet, but again, seems to work fine so far.
Can't get to any photos of the front cover just now as my photobucket seems to be down but can post some later if anyone wants.
I don't have the standard rear lights, they are the Afterburners, but I presume they all have dumb bucket like covers that are siliconed on to the inside of the clam, requiring cutting them off just to change a bulb?
My rear lights were always fogging up at the slightest provocation, so when I had to take the cover off one to fix an earthing problem (caused by corrosion which was probably linked to the condensation issue I guess) I decided to change the way the covers sealed.
Looking at them, I decided that the best way to deal with them would be to cut an access hole in the cover and fit a removable panel to it that, sealed with a gasket. The bucket part could then be sealed/bonded permanently to the clam and the panel would just fit with a few screws.
I had already tried putting a couple of small pipe vents in the covers to no avail, so I also added a much bigger vent, routed so water wouldn't get in through it. In fact, I routed it through to the inner section of the clam, above the exhausts in the hope that a bit of warm dry air might just help. I also opened up the gaps around the bulb holders so that the space behind the outer lens was vented to the inner space under the covers.
To get a good seal I added a nice flat flange to the opening that I cut in the covers and mated a flat panel to it. I used rubber/neoprene sheet to cut a gasket that would seal between the flange and the cover.
Original fit with 2 small vent pipes (these were routed away, not just tied up as in the photo btw)
Cover cleaned of old silicon, access hole cut out, flange and cover cut to shape
Flange bonded on to cover and grommets added for new vent pipe and wiring entry
Buckets refitted and sealed to clam with vent pipe routed through to centre section
Finished job with new cover fitted to bucket. S/S screws under the button covers.
I did both sides and it seemed to work well, so when a front sidelight bulb went shortly afterwards I did something similar to that. I made a pair of matched flanges and bonded one on to the clam opening and one on to the cover. Both flanges have the same kind of rubber/neoprene seals stuck to them, so no more cutting silcone away to get the cover off, and it fits with the original 7 screws. (bigger S/S ones now)
I didn't put any vents in this yet, but again, seems to work fine so far.
Can't get to any photos of the front cover just now as my photobucket seems to be down but can post some later if anyone wants.
I had already tried putting a couple of small pipe vents in the covers to no avail,
I did both sides and it seemed to work well, so when a front sidelight bulb went shortly afterwards I did something similar to that. I made a pair of matched flanges and bonded one on to the clam opening and one on to the cover. Both flanges have the same kind of rubber/neoprene seals stuck to them, so no more cutting silcone away to get the cover off, and it fits with the original 7 screws. (bigger S/S ones now)
I didn't put any vents in this yet, but again, seems to work fine so far.
Can't get to any photos of the front cover just now as my photobucket seems to be down but can post some later if anyone wants.
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Thanks Graham, looks good!
Gary
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