My headlight casing in fogging up?

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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 05:19 PM
  #1  
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From: The grande.. Riverdale NJ.. Hopefully moving to skyline village in Lincoln park NJ..yes dirty jersey
My headlight casing in fogging up?

My headlight casing is fogging up and dlr said it is not under warrenty. My bulb went out becuz of it. Can i use culking to seal it up instead of paying 300 for a new casing?
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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 05:24 PM
  #2  
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I did it about 2 weeks ago for the same thing. pm me or on AIM-o2cls
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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 05:52 PM
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From: The grande.. Riverdale NJ.. Hopefully moving to skyline village in Lincoln park NJ..yes dirty jersey
Originally Posted by o2cls
I did it about 2 weeks ago for the same thing. pm me or on AIM-o2cls

I dont know hoe to PM, can u just post how you did it, How do u remove the headlight and did u use chauking?

Thanks a-lot
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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 07:13 PM
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Its ok!!...
1) Remove the bumper. (various easy to find plugs and bolts.)

2) Remove the headlight via 3-4 easy access/visable bolts.

3) DO NOT PREHEAT!!! Put light in oven for 10-15 minutes.

4) After the 15 mins is up pry apart the light @ the seams, being careful with the
tabs as they break easy when heated.

5) Let light dry, do not rub the reflective/chrome pieces as the tend to "rub off"

6) I used door sealer caulk to glue the piece together. Its clear, and dries fast. VERY IMPORTANT!! Make sure you get caulk in all the crevices or you'll have the same problem again.

7) Push pieces together tightly, making sure all tabs are snapped back in place.

8) Place light back in oven for 10 minutes to set.

9) Bolt light back on

10) Put bumper back on

The oven doesnt get hot enough to do any damage to the light or melt the lense, so dont worry about it doing so. This will be a tremendous amount easier than you expect.

To P.M. all you have to do is scroll to the top of the screen and look to your right. There is a tab that says messages. Click it to view your PM screen and messages you've recieved. Ill send you a message now, the tab should say "You have 1 message.
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Old Apr 8, 2006 | 11:38 PM
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what temp do you bake at?

Just curious, how come you have to put the light back in the oven, how does this help it set better?

thank you
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 12:38 AM
  #6  
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i dont understand, why would you tell him to take apart the light and put it back together?

#1: check that all of your bulbs are seated correctly, this can cause condensation.

#2: if this doesnt work, just take ur headlights out. remove all bulbs from light. point a blow dryer into the holes for the lights an dry up all the condensation. you can also heat it from the front of the light. next get some black silicone and lay a tin bead along the seam. use your finger to push the silicone in the seam. wipe off excess and let dry according to silicone. use a razor to clean up any misguided silicone and reintall ur headlights.

WHY PUT THEM IN THE OVEN??
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 02:25 AM
  #7  
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From: The Lone Star State
Originally Posted by CleanCL
i dont understand, why would you tell him to take apart the light and put it back together?

#1: check that all of your bulbs are seated correctly, this can cause condensation.

#2: if this doesnt work, just take ur headlights out. remove all bulbs from light. point a blow dryer into the holes for the lights an dry up all the condensation. you can also heat it from the front of the light. next get some black silicone and lay a tin bead along the seam. use your finger to push the silicone in the seam. wipe off excess and let dry according to silicone. use a razor to clean up any misguided silicone and reintall ur headlights.

WHY PUT THEM IN THE OVEN??
I completely dried out my light with a blow dryer ont he outside, but it in the garage, next day they were fogged up again. Our headlights are NOTORIOUS for breaking seals and fogging. A blowdryer will not work, in any case. If condensation got in there once, it will get in there again. Once again, this is a common problem. Trust me, I tried every method possible besides putting it in the oven or buying a new one. In my case, I had UNVISABLE water INSIDE the seal, a blowdryer would not have dried them up.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 02:26 AM
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Originally Posted by TeamMidnightinvasion
what temp do you bake at?

Just curious, how come you have to put the light back in the oven, how does this help it set better?

thank you
OOPS!! Thats an important step, its 200 degress (no preheat). I figured it would set the glue, that and 2-3 members told me to do it. I guess you might not HAVE to.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 09:48 AM
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if you left the light in the garage without any bulbs in it, it will form condensation.

i say use the blow dryer to clear out the condensation, then put a layer of silicone over the seam, make sure your bulbs are seated correctly, and that's it. no need to take them apart. if anything, chances of it not resealing properly are enhanced if you break the entire seal.

good point.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 11:20 AM
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Im gonna do this next week.
What brand/name silicone to use when i seal the headlight back up? Thanks
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 12:18 PM
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From: The grande.. Riverdale NJ.. Hopefully moving to skyline village in Lincoln park NJ..yes dirty jersey
So I guess it just dont happen to me..
Thats F'ed up the Acura would not warrenty the caseing.

Where can i get a new low beam HID on the net and how much?

xenonfactory.com <----Call these guys. The can most def. help you out. I bought my 6000Ks from them. Im sure there are cheaper options. Search the black market. i just sold my old ones on there. Check ebay too.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 01:25 PM
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Here's what happened to me recently. Turn Signal Lights were replaced and one of bulbs wasn't screwed in properly (thus, moisture got in when my car was washed). So what I did is just waitied for the weather to warm up outside (60 degrees last week) and then set my car out in the sun. I then pulled the turn signal bulb out to allow air to flow freely. After a few hours, the water evaporated, then i put the turn signal back in.

But, I didn't have a problem with a seal. So if your seal is somehow broken, then what i did won't work obviously.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 03:01 PM
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From: The grande.. Riverdale NJ.. Hopefully moving to skyline village in Lincoln park NJ..yes dirty jersey
Originally Posted by sham
Here's what happened to me recently. Turn Signal Lights were replaced and one of bulbs wasn't screwed in properly (thus, moisture got in when my car was washed). So what I did is just waitied for the weather to warm up outside (60 degrees last week) and then set my car out in the sun. I then pulled the turn signal bulb out to allow air to flow freely. After a few hours, the water evaporated, then i put the turn signal back in.

But, I didn't have a problem with a seal. So if your seal is somehow broken, then what i did won't work obviously.

Thats the thing, I dont know if a bulb is not screwed on correct or if its a seal.
It started fogging up right after Acura replaced a bulb 4 me.
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 03:31 PM
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https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177270
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Old Apr 9, 2006 | 06:41 PM
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OMG....I just spent the past month racking my brain trying to figure out where the condensation was coming from even after 2 reseals!! I bought a spare set of headlights off e-bay so I could keep my car on the road while i figured it out. I discovered the condesation was coming from the seal between the ballast and the headlight casing! According to my local acura dealer that's where the problem was on most CL headlights.....give it a try...
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 09:30 AM
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From: The grande.. Riverdale NJ.. Hopefully moving to skyline village in Lincoln park NJ..yes dirty jersey
Originally Posted by Dutch_RENAMED
OMG....I just spent the past month racking my brain trying to figure out where the condensation was coming from even after 2 reseals!! I bought a spare set of headlights off e-bay so I could keep my car on the road while i figured it out. I discovered the condesation was coming from the seal between the ballast and the headlight casing! According to my local acura dealer that's where the problem was on most CL headlights.....give it a try...

DO I have to take off the bumper to get to the ballast?
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 10:58 AM
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yes.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 11:37 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by StonedCL
DO I have to take off the bumper to get to the ballast?


It's really easy. 5-10 mins tops.
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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 02:20 PM
  #19  
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it's not that bad to get the ballast out. just remeber to seal where the ballast and the casing join.....don't trust the rubber seal!
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 03:45 PM
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when I opened my garage door today I noticed my left headlight was all fogged up. It wasnt like this the night before, so it happened overnight in my garage. The condensation is uniform from the corner lights to high beams. I ran my car for 20 mins. with the lights on and it cleared up the water in the center of the housing but all 4 corners still have it bad.

I had my mechanic install 6000k bulbs over 2 months ago and the car has been through heavy rain so i doubt it could be a problem from that

HOW MUCH OF A RISK AM I RUNNING TO DAMAGING MY BULBS IF I DO NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY?

i might just save $ to buy a new housing instead of going through the trouble of fixing the problem myself
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Old Apr 12, 2006 | 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by MSW 6SP
when I opened my garage door today I noticed my left headlight was all fogged up. It wasnt like this the night before, so it happened overnight in my garage. The condensation is uniform from the corner lights to high beams. I ran my car for 20 mins. with the lights on and it cleared up the water in the center of the housing but all 4 corners still have it bad.

I had my mechanic install 6000k bulbs over 2 months ago and the car has been through heavy rain so i doubt it could be a problem from that

HOW MUCH OF A RISK AM I RUNNING TO DAMAGING MY BULBS IF I DO NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY?

i might just save $ to buy a new housing instead of going through the trouble of fixing the problem myself
I wouldn't let it stay in there too long if it's really wet. It's more than likely due to the bulb install. It's probably not seated right or something. Take the headlight off and inspect it, and re-tighten accordingly. That's what I'd do.

Or... I say again to you people... https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177270
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