Anyone else got condensation in the headlamps? One of mine has it quite bad but with less than 50km on the clock, I'm not sure if it will sort itself out or I should be heading to the dealership to get fixed under warranty.

 

A bit of condensation in modern headlights is normal as these are not sealed units. This condensation should go away after the lights warm up - 15 minutes of driving or so.

Although I couldn't find an Acura TSB, here is one for VW and Audi.

Nissan states the following in their owner's manuals

"Fog may temporarily form inside the lens of the exterior lights in the rain or in a car wash. A temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the lens causes the fog. This is not a malfunction. If large drops of water collect inside the lens, contact a NISSAN dealer."


Infiniti has a TSB that states


Service Bulletin Number:
ITB-03-051C
NHTSA Item Number:
10032304

Summary:
INFINITI: EXTERIOR FOGGING. WATER IN THE EXTERIOR LAMPS. THIS IS GENERALLY NOT DUE TO A DEFECT. ALL CURRENT EXTERIOR LAMP ASSEMBLIES ARE VENTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE (NOT SEALED). IN THE AIR SOMETIMES TRAVELS INTO AND OUT OF THE LAMP ASSEMBLY THROUGH THESE VENTS. NECESSARY TO ALLOW FOR EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF AIR FROM TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS (WARMER OR COLDER) WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE LAMP. CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS MAY CAUSE MOISTURE TO CONDENSE. FOGGING/CLOUDINESS SHOULD DISAPPEAR OVER TIME WHEN THE LAMP IS IN A DRY ENVIRONMENT.


If there is excessive moisture (i.e. actual water droplet that don't go away) then you might want to go to the dealer but condensation is normal.

 

Head to the dealership.
You should have zero condensation.

 

Completely incorrect. I guess you didn't my post.

Logically, the "no condensation" position makes little sense.

Modern headlighting systems are not sealed units and air gets in. Air includes moisture and this with form condensation in cold weather. As the lamp heats the air, the humidity lowers and the condensation goes away.

Only the old sealed beam headlamps are immune from condensation.

 

uhhhh I dunno... Brand new car should have no condensation. I have experienced zero condensation in my 2013 rdx

- have you replaced any bulbs? perhaps the new bulbs are not sitting correctly
- do you get condensation after it rains?


I have replaced my HID bulbs with a different color temp, and still no condensation. Took the whole headlight out, and the thing looked pretty sealed to me

 

It depends on how much condensation. Do your car windows fog up in the morning? That's condensation and any non-sealed container is going to exhibit condensation.

If there are actual water droplets in the housing then there may be a problem but the headlight housing is affected by moisture and humidity just like your glass of cold lemonade on a hot day.

The rule of thumb for most manufacturers is that if there are no droplets of water and the housing mostly clears after 15 minutes of running the lamp then it is normal.

Two days ago my wife's car had a foggy windshield in the morning and mine sitting right next to it was fine. Is her car defective?

Last night I came home earlier so I parked in the spot she was in the night before and she parked in my spot. This morning I had a foggy windshield and her's was clear. Is my car defective?

 

I noticed it after an early morning Tim's and supermarket run. So the car probably didn't go more than 15 minutes. I will keep an eye on it, and if it continues take it to the dealership. Thanks all for the replies.

 

The 3rd gen Type-S headlights are also not sealed.. Around the DRL, which is the same structure as the foglight on older base TL's, there is free air to the front of the headlight unit. Everything else is sealed.

 

Not to highjack the thread but on a '13 RDX how the hell do you get the white cover off to change the bulb. Does it spin off? CCW? CW? Mine won't budge!

 

I would head to the dealer and make them fix it.

Condensation in any light is an automatic inspection failure here in Virginia. Check your local laws.

 

I don't think that Ric G has condensation. He just randomly picked a post to ask a headlight question.

But most people seem to have forgotten everything they learned in school.

Modern headlights are NOT sealed beam units. If you can change the bulb without exchanging the entire housing then it isn't sealed beam.

If it isn't sealed then some moisture may enter the housing. That moisture will "burn off" once the lights have been on for a while. That is considered normal and will NOT fail inspection.

Actual water droplets, on the other hand, are an indication of a bigger problem - either a missing seal or a largish crack.

Modern housings often have a rubber plug (or a plastic plug with a gasket) that holds the bulb in the housing. The wires usually pass through that plug. Water (not condensation) often enters in that area if:

1. the bulb was replaced and the plug wasn't properly reseated, or
2. the plug was modified because the owner used different bulbs that had different wiring and they cut a hole in the plug to feed the wires through.

Bottom line - Condensation is OK, water droplets are not.

Please show me where the car would fail with condensation in VA.

The inspection manual (section 140) states that a car should fail if:

4. Moisture or water buildup in headlamp is such that it affects the aiming pattern.

That is far different from condensation.

 

I was referring to the OP, not Ric G.

 

Got it. So you were answering a 2 year old question

 

Well shit.... I guess I was! Didn't at all pay attention to that little date thingy on the left.

 

Condensation inside the headlight housing is not a desirable attribute.

As a test, I parked the car outside in freezing weather for a few days and washed it yesterday. It is Okay so far.

 

I have never seen condensation in a headlight unless there was a large breach in the lenses... I wonder if the silicone was not applied correctly?