Automotive optics refers to a security system, providing the driver with a clear orientation at any time of the day. But even in new cars, there may be a problem with fogging optics. If the headlight sweats, what should the driver do to fix the unit on his own, adjust the head lighting.
There may be several reasons why headlights sweat:
- clogged breather in the ventilation system;
- the light bulb is incorrectly installed;
- cracks in the structure;
- depressurization of the seams;
- breakdown of the hydrocorrector;
- design marriage.
The monoblock ventilation system is necessary for high-quality heat dissipation, which is generated by a burning light bulb. The air heats up faster due to the work of the reflector. On the back of the headlamp there are several air vents covered with flaps and valves.
When the optics are turned on, warm air inside the headlight comes out, after turning off the bulb, cold air gradually enters the unit. Natural circulation takes place. If the breather in the ventilation system is clogged, heat is not dissipated in a timely manner, condensation forms in the headlamp.
Headlights with installed standard LEDs and xenons sweat less often than halogen ones. Xenon lamps generate a minimum amount of thermal energy, the unit heats up minimally, there are one ventilation ducts in such structures, less often two.
What causes the headlights to fog up:
- Cracks in the monoblock. Throwing or plastic will sweat if microcracks appear in the structure (accident, incorrect installation). In this case, moisture will constantly penetrate the part.
- Depressurization of seams. The seal deteriorates after an accident, if the headlamp assembly is moved, or when the sealant loses its elasticity. When assembling domestic VAZ cars, white silicone glue is used, which becomes brittle after 18 months. Car owners of Lada Kalina are faced with a problem: the headlights of their cars sweat more often than others.
- Incorrectly, a crookedly screwed light bulb displaces the location of the cartridge block, moisture will penetrate into the case and lead to condensation settling.
- Manufacturing defects. The design can be curved, with unverified geometry, this is the problem of counterfeit headlights. The original optics is sealed, does not capture air from the outside, the internal system is ventilated through two breathers with a membrane.
- Failure of the hydrocorrector. Installed for some designs of headlights, for example, on VAZ cars. If the hydraulics break down, water seeps in and the headlight sweats.
Do-it-yourself fogging
At home, eliminating fogging of headlights is possible when the reason why condensation has accumulated is found. Microcracks in the plastic of the headlight cannot be seen, because the surface of the structure is corrugated, there are decorative bends, etc. The structure sweats over the entire surface. To check the unit, you need to remove the headlight from the car:
- disconnect the terminals from the battery;
- disconnect the bulbs;
- clean the case;
- check the sealing of the seams.
If the headlights fog up from torn seams, you must completely remove the old glue, dry the headlamp from condensation, and degrease the surface. To avoid the question of how to glue the headlights, use a silicone-based sealant.
Depressurization of the docking seam of a plug-in turn signal is one of the most common causes of sweating. It is necessary to check the seam between the glass and the body, contact exit points, plugs, drainage channels.
Dip the optics into the basin with water. If bubbles are observed, there is a crack in the block. If the glass is cracked, the item will sweat systematically regardless of the weather and temperature. It is necessary to seal the place with a colorless sealant.
If the headlights in Japanese cars are fogged up, then when you inspect the inside of the case, you will see only one breather and two sealed plugs. The part cannot "breathe" correctly, hence the constant sweating. It is necessary to make an optimal air release of the body - drill an additional hole.
How to remove moisture from the headlight without removing the part
The natural drying of the headlamp through the ventilation system should take place after a maximum of 20 minutes. After you have turned on the optics, you can dry the headlamp without removing it from the car if condensation rarely appears. For example, after the car has stood for several hours in a rainstorm.
If the glasses sweat periodically - advice on how to remove moisture yourself in a few minutes:
- Open the plugs on the inside of the headlight, check the breather. Air exchange will go faster.
- Blow out with a hairdryer, directing a stream of warm air to the place where the light bulb is replaced.
- Without removing the part from the car, put a bag of silica gel into the body from the inside.
The reason for the collection of condensate is natural and not related to cracks in the headlight or a defect in the unit.
If moisture systematically enters the unit, it is necessary to find a place for depressurization. Often this is a loose fit of the light bulb to the body due to a worn gasket. After blowing out the unit with a hair dryer, replace the gasket and check the tightness of the fasteners.
You can clean the drainage channels without removing the optics from the car: get the breather through the hood or crawl under the bumper. In the Infiniti model, a membrane is installed in the breather, which prevents dust from entering the headlight housing. Over time, the membrane becomes clogged, the ventilation system fails.
The canals are cleaned with a thin wire. Some manufacturers make one ventilation hole in the case, but for convection it is necessary to have two channels in the case. Experienced mechanics in this case recommend making ventilated plugs, this will prevent the glass from sweating:
- Remove the standard plastic plugs.
- Drill two holes with a diameter of 2-3 mm in the plugs.
- Insert a polyester thread into the hole as a ventilation tube.
- Cut the thread.
- Coat the edges of the backing with sealant.
If external checks have shown that the case is intact, ventilation proceeds normally, but the unit is sweating, it is possible to determine the place of moisture ingress only after dismantling the unit from the car.
Danger of fogging
If the headlights sweat from the inside, the danger to the driver and pedestrians is obvious: the illumination of the road is distorted. In addition to safety concerns, the defect will prevent the driver from undergoing an inspection. According to the traffic rules, any malfunctions in the lighting system are excluded. In addition, a sweating part will lead to the following problems:
- Corrosion of the internal parts of the unit.
- A halogen lamp may burst if a drop of moisture falls on its hot surface.
- The wiring contacts will short if a large amount of condensate systematically accumulates in the part.
- The appearance of the car suffers: fogged up optics are simply ugly.
Today there are enough ways to dry the headlight in the garage without removing or with dismantling and full self-diagnosis of glass and housing. In 70 cases out of 100, it is enough to simply re-glue the structure to restore the insulation. If the unit is damaged after a strong impact, it is better to replace the optics with a new one.
A car is a great helper in everyday life, but sometimes incidents happen to it. All of them, one way or another, are associated with careless operation or poor quality of spare parts. Any mechanism may fail at any moment. Take, for example, lighting, without which, according to the new laws, it is now impossible to move around during the day, let alone overnight.
Car headlights ensure safe driving in the dark, so they require constant care. Moreover, this is not just a replacement of bulbs or a battery, but also the correct adjustment of the light beam, which can blind the drivers of oncoming cars. In addition, there should be enough lighting for you so that the roadbed can be seen without any problems. However, not all so simple! Often, even the most commonplace cause, such as fogging, can significantly reduce the performance of your headlights.
In this case, water condensate forms inside it, settling on the glass. Since water itself is a lens, the light beams passing through it and then through the glass scatter and decrease in length. This is a fairly common problem, so car owners have long found the reasons for its appearance and solutions.
For successful repairs, as well as maintenance of any unit, you need to know its structure. The headlamp is an emitter of light, and not chaotic, but a clearly directed stream. It is achieved thanks to the constituent elements that make up the device:
The entire headlight is housed in a plastic or iron housing that is mounted on the vehicle's frame. These three main elements (deflector, lamp, diffuser) provide good visibility when driving in the dark. They function as a whole and are located in a space isolated from the environment, which excludes the ingress of moisture and debris.
Car headlight device
Manufacturers of components and assemblies are trying to improve them to the maximum. This is accompanied by new technologies, as well as the use of various materials. In our case, this can also be observed on the example of light diffusers. If earlier they were made of glass, now plastic has come into fashion. So 2 types of headlights appeared:
- glass - they were installed on cars of the last century, however, and now such can be found;
- plastic - a more modern option, which is popular among all cars produced.
It was not by chance that the second type turned out to be the leading one, since it has a lot of advantages over glass. First of all, it is a low production cost, as well as a high formability, thanks to which we can see headlights on a car of different geometries.
Glass (left) and plastic (right) diffusers
The most important reason for the switch to plastic was safety. After all, broken glass is a potential hazard in an accident. Testing tests carried out by experts have shown that less use of such materials is desirable in the manufacture of the machine. Soon, a decision was made about the manufacture of plastic diffusers for headlights, which has survived to this day. However, there is one problem that catches all drivers - tarnishing. Under the influence of the sun, this material acquires a yellow tint, which prevents the passage of light. True, this is restored by ordinary polishing.
Headlights can also be classified according to the lamps used. They are different and have their own advantages and disadvantages:
- halogen - inside the glass flask there are 2 filaments and a buffer halogen gas - a mixture of iodine with bromine. They are the most durable and most common car headlights;
- xenon - instead of halogen, the lamp contains xenon and 2 electrodes, between which an electric arc jumps. It is because of it that a bright white light appears, the energy capacity of which is 3 times greater than in the previous case. Because of this, xenon must be installed exclusively by a specialist so that it does not interfere with oncoming traffic;
- LED - white light, strongly reminiscent of daylight, consumes very little current, and small diodes allow you to decorate the headlight in different styles.
Comparison of car headlight bulbs
The last two types of lamps are the most relevant, since their light is several times higher than that of halogen, and the power consumption is much less.
Automotive optics, like any unit, can fail, despite the fact that it is not understandable. After all, the headlight comes from the factory sealed, that is, during assembly, the diffuser is tightly glued to the edge of the reflector with a special compound that does not allow air to pass through. This prevents moisture and dust from getting inside the optics, because with a dirty deflector, the luminous flux power is much lower.
In addition, the headlight can fog up. This is due to poor sealing, due to which water gets into it. When an incandescent lamp creates a high temperature, the moisture evaporates, and then, as it cools, small droplets form on the glass and reflector.
Headlight fogged up from the inside
To fix this problem, you first need to understand what caused it. It is clear that the headlamp fogs up due to the broken tightness, but it is not known exactly what place connects it with the environment. It can only be assumed that air with moisture can penetrate through sealed places, the insulating elements of which are outdated and have lost their properties. Simply put, a gap has appeared between the gasket and the part, through which unwanted substances enter. The reason for this phenomenon is often:
These are the main reasons due to which the headlights fog up, but all of them, in one way or another, are associated with a violation of the seal. That is, in order to eliminate the problem, it is enough to remove all gaps and leaks. In the event of a crack in the diffuser, all that remains is to buy a new one, but it will still need to be installed correctly. In general, such things are not understood, but are bought assembled, and only in pairs. This means that if the optics of only one headlight is damaged, then it is better to buy two new ones at once, since they cannot be repaired.
A fogged headlight, in addition to inconvenience, delivers a lot of other ensuing consequences, due to which the optics becomes unusable. As a rule, it is impossible to avoid them, since the presence of moisture in the case already indicates a violation of the integrity of the case. As a result, metals begin to corrode and seals to deteriorate. Simply put, the headlight begins to shine much worse and eventually stops working. True, until this moment there will be a number of consequences that will make the car owner suffer until the replacement itself:
- Weak light. As a result of fogging, a layer of water is deposited on the diffuser. It is known to refract light by itself, which makes it more diffused. In this case, we will see on the road not a clear ellipsoidal spot, but a faint large cloud.
The left lamp shines worse than the right
- Oxidation of contacts. This happens due to the fact that under the influence of moisture inside the headlight, metal elements begin to corrode. Most often this happens with contacts, on which an oxide subsequently forms, which interferes with the passage of electric current. The consequence of this can even be disabled optics.
Oxidized contact
- Destruction of the deflector. The presence of moisture in the housing is unfavorable not only for metal, but also for reflective elements. The deflector generates steam when heated. If you repeatedly expose it to a reflector, it begins to fade. The light begins to reflect poorly and this situation cannot be corrected in any way, except for replacing the headlights.
Destroyed headlamp deflector
- Destruction of lamps. It happens very rarely and, as a rule, due to the fact that water directly falls on a hot light bulb. That is, this is only possible if there is obvious damage to the diffuser or housing.
Burst car lamp
Every driver can find these consequences. Often they will be associated, of course, with corrosion, since water and oxygen are powerful oxidizing agents. True, at present, almost all headlights are made of plastic, due to which the appearance of rust is excluded.
Before troubleshooting the causes of fogging, it is worth mentioning that The car headlight cannot be repaired.
Even at the factory, it is firmly glued with a sealant, which is enough for the entire service life. And since the presence of condensate indicates a depressurization, its integrity is in any case violated. However, moisture can also appear due to poor ventilation. 
Manufacturers specifically provide it for air circulation to prevent fogging. That is, you first need to check the channels, and then repair them according to the specified algorithm:
All restoration actions are aimed at eliminating defects in the headlight itself. In some cases this is possible, but in some it is not. For example, if the seal between the diffuser and the reflector is broken, then this problem can be solved with a sealant. However, nothing can be done with the crack. In case of serious destruction of the optics, it is better to buy a new one right away, so as not to rack your brains.
Attention should be paid to ventilation. Often it is because of it that headlights sweat in most cars. It is not uncommon for it to be drowned out from the factory. In this case, you can carefully drill a small hole that is enough to circulate air inside the case. But you also need to not overdo it, since you can only aggravate the situation.
- There were demons - we do not deny it. But they self-destructed.
Georges Miloslavsky "Ivan Vasilievich changes his profession"
Generally speaking, absolutely all headlights and other car lights are a priori leaky. It cannot be otherwise: when heated, the temperature inside any headlight can easily change by 100 degrees! From minus 35, achievable in winter even in Central Russia, to 60-70 degrees with the headlight on in the summer, in the sun. In addition, the rear of the headlight is located in the engine compartment, where it is usually quite hot. At the same time, the air in the headlamp naturally expands, and therefore one cannot do without exchange with the external environment.
Where there is contact, there is always room for fogging. For example, if a cooling headlamp sucks in humid air - say, at a sink, then the transparent cap (previously it was a diffuser), according to the laws of physics, has the right to become somewhat cloudy. Well, if the headlight has defects, then the chances of it fogging up are much higher. The once beloved Volga of one of the authors began to attract attention by the fact that the headlight glasses behaved differently - one is more transparent than the other. Soon everything became clear: during a visit to the service, one diffuser fell off by itself!
Is fogging dangerous? Undoubtedly. It distorts the light distribution, which interferes with both the driver (the road illumination falls) and other road users (blinding them).
At the same time, high humidity inside the headlamp housing destroys the coating of the reflectors. Well, there is nothing to say about an electrician: water and contacts will never reconcile.
If the headlight is working properly, then there is nothing to be afraid of. The fogging will disappear as quickly as it appeared. The headlight, as we have already noted, "breathes" - in cheap designs a tube directed downward is provided, and in more modern cars special breathers with small filters are used for ventilation.
But in any case, any lighting devices are protected from accidental ingress of moisture. If, of course, they are serviceable.
Fog lamp Kia cee "d. Two breathers are clearly visible. One for each section.
Fog lamp Kia cee "d. Two breathers are clearly visible. One for each section.
What faults can cause fogging? Everything is simple here: more often than not, the ventilation is simply clogged with dirt. Cracked headlights also "walk on their own." Some cases of fogging are associated with unprofessional disassembly / assembly of the headlight.
In such cases, there is only one piece of advice. Repair the headlamp until all joints are sealed, so that only the standard "breathers" remain. If this does not work, then the headlight must be replaced. No desiccants in the form of silica gel or pieces of diaper will help a faulty headlamp.
And yet, how dangerous are drops of water in the headlight? We set up a simple experiment: using a syringe, we pumped 20 ml of water into the optics of the editorial Largus - that's quite a lot. They lit the headlights, waited, then turned them off - well, yes, the caps were dim. The light distribution has become ugly. However, after a couple of days, after a relatively short run, the effect disappeared: the water safely disappeared into the atmosphere. Which, in fact, was required to be proved.
Of the useful tips on anti-fogging, we will mention, perhaps, only one: be careful when washing the engine compartment under pressure. A strong jet can rip off the "breathing caps" and cause trouble, after which you will have to tinker with the headlamp or replace it altogether.
Tell us in the comments if you have encountered fogging of lighting devices and how you fought this phenomenon.
Problems with fogging headlights can occur on any type of transport. Initially, they do not pay special attention to condensation in the headlights, considering this phenomenon not particularly significant, therefore, the elimination of the defect is postponed "for later". But we should not forget that the problem can worsen, there will come a time when an insufficiently lit road in front of the car can cause an emergency, the presence of moisture can even disable the lighting fixtures or cause a short circuit.
Naturally, fogging of headlights cannot be considered the norm, the reason for this is, firstly, a significant decrease in the quality of lighting, it will become what can be obtained from a dirty headlight. That is, it will be quite difficult to notice a pothole on the road, or even a pedestrian.
In any case, it is not recommended not to pay attention to the problem with foggy headlights - sooner or later this situation will entail more complex problems.
The headlight sweats from the inside, which is affected by fogging, what is the danger
Headlamp fogging can cause water to build up inside the headlamp. Since metal parts are afraid of moisture, symptoms of corrosion will soon begin to appear, and in the future, the metal parts of the headlight will begin to deteriorate.
Many manufacturers today strive to replace metal parts of headlights with plastic ones, however, metal glass is still the material for making lamps.
The proximity of water with a heated lamp may end up in the end with the lamp simply bursting.
The lamp can also burn out if water gets on its contacts, which is a good conductor of current. Fuses may also burn out if at this moment the car is on the road - there is a threat that the further path will have to be overcome in the dark.
Constant moisture in the contacts will cause the lamps to burn out constantly.
Condensation in the headlights, headlights sweat, reasons
Misting of headlights is observed due to the appearance of condensation in them and its settling on the inner surface of the lampshades. To eliminate this phenomenon, you will need to find out how moisture can get inside the headlight, because visually the lighting device looks sealed.
Steam fogging can be caused by the following:
- cracks appeared on the plastic housing of the headlight
- there was a destruction of the sealant connecting the body with the glass part of the headlight
- minor cracks appeared on the glass surface
- leakage at the wiring site
- clogged ventilation ducts
As a result of faults that are completely different in nature, we get one result - a violation of the tightness of automotive optics. But since the reasons for the appearance of condensation can be different, then different methods of eliminating them will need to be applied.
Headlights fogging can be observed both on cars that have already been repaired, and on completely new ones. Moreover, negative manifestations can be observed even if there are no objective reasons that could cause the appearance of condensation.
incorrect design of headlights
In some cars of Chinese and domestic assembly, where there were serious complaints about the quality of this assembly itself, fogging of the headlights was quite common.
The main reason for this is imperfect design. It is assumed that the assembly should result in a sealed structure, i.e. there should be no access to the airspace inside the headlamp from the outside.
An improperly made headlamp traps air from the outside of the car, and its humidity is often quite high. An elevated temperature inside the headlamp and a cooled glass surface from outside are good reasons for condensation to form. Modern cars are no longer equipped with such "blown headlights", but for cars of an earlier release, such a malfunction was typical.
the headlight has a fistula
Such a phenomenon as a "fistula" is formed if, when pressing on a headlamp, for example, during an accident, it does not break completely, but moves away from the body a little. Outside humid air and sediment water will be drawn into the formed small hole.
headlight glass microcrack
For the same reasons, microcracks can form on the surface of the glass, as a result, the appearance of fogging.
It should be noted that microcracks are so small that it is rather difficult to notice them with the naked eye. However, the troubles arising from their presence will be obvious.
the hydrocorrector is out of order
Although this reason should be attributed to specific, but not impossible. Some types of headlights are equipped with hydraulic correctors. By turning the knob on the control panel, you can increase the pressure, from which the illumination level will be increased, or vice versa, if necessary, it can be reduced in the same way, by turning the knob in the opposite direction.
If the hydraulic corrector breaks down, fluid flows out into the headlight, as a result, we observe fogging. Most often, the owners of domestic VAZs suffer from such a breakdown.
If moisture enters through the non-return valve
Information about the tightness of car headlights should be slightly clarified, because most lighting units in modern cars are equipped with check valves, the task of which is to release excess air that expands when heated by lamps.
If condensation appears inside such headlights, make sure that the check valve caps are present and check that it is working properly.
We watch the video on how to clean the ventilation duct of the headlight:
The desire to save a little on repairs after an accident leads to the fact that car owners decide to install non-original spare parts on the car. And the lighting elements are no exception, because the cost of the original headlight sometimes turns out to be simply unaffordable.
Problems arise if a low-quality Chinese fake is installed. It is sometimes difficult to locate the place of damage; during an external examination, defects are not found.
There are two options here:
- look for damage to the headlight
- purchase and install a new one, if not original, then at least more expensive and high quality.
In order to obtain the desired result as a result of the repair, experts recommend:
- at the first stage of work, thoroughly dry the headlight - moisture remaining inside will cause fogging again
- if removing the headlamp is problematic, you can use a hairdryer, the hot air emanating from it allows you to rid the headlamp of moisture.
Humid air can enter the headlamp if there is no rubber or plastic gasket in the place where the light bulb adheres to the body.
We are looking for a fistula in the headlights, 100% method for determining a fistula
To accurately determine the presence and location of the fistula, you will need to remove the headlight. Next, pour water into a large container, lower the headlight into it. Observing the process of the appearance of air bubbles will show the exact location of the fistula.
It should be noted, then we dry the headlight, we treat the marked place with a sealant. After the first layer has dried, you will need to apply the second. This procedure will help get rid of condensation inside the headlight.
The budget option for repairing a crack in the headlight glass
Since glass defects are sometimes very small in size, special lighting devices can be used to detect them.
If a chip or crack is found, then the correct option would be to replace the cracked headlamp glass with a new one, but it is not always possible to buy it - in most cases the glass is sold together with the headlamp, in this case extra costs cannot be avoided.
A way out of this situation can be a tint film. In this case, you should choose a transparent film. The adhesive base of the film will allow you to cope with the task without any problems, while all existing cracks will be reliably sealed, and the glass itself will stop collapsing further.
If the crack is large enough, then glass replacement cannot be avoided.
To reduce the cost of repairs, you can try to find the original headlamp on parses, but you should look at the degree of glass wear - you may have to polish the glass.
Methods for drying fogged up headlights
If they do not want to complicate the repair process, experienced drivers use the method of "dry" elimination of condensate. It is especially relevant if the headlight fogs up periodically. You will need to remove the plafond from the lighting device, loosen the fasteners of the lamps, unscrew them from the holder, but not completely.
Condensation should not appear after this procedure. If it is observed, you will need to use other methods to eliminate it.
Silicone sealants that can be used to seal headlights
If the above process of drying the headlights turned out to be ineffective, then you still need to spend time on a thorough inspection and identifying a gap, cracks or chips.
If found, silicone sealant can be used. It goes on sale in cylinders and is available in any auto shop.
Applying the product is a fairly simple process, it will be easy for every motorist to handle it. If there are problems with determining gaps or chips, it is better to immediately contact the professionals - the masters will easily determine them using optical or laser special devices.
All that remains is to carefully seal the detected defects with silicone.
It should also be borne in mind that the life of sealants is not always long enough, i.e. problems can arise precisely due to the fact that the sealant has lost its original qualities.
In this case, gaps can be formed both visible to the human eye and practically invisible. Most often, middle-class cars assembled in the Middle Kingdom or on the assembly lines of domestic car factories suffer from such problems.
If there is a suspicion that a sealant is the culprit for the problems, there is only one way out, careful application of fresh silicone on all suspicious seams.
Polishing the headlights, as using polishing to eliminate microcracks on the headlights
If a crack is found on the glass, then a polishing method can be used. This will require a grinder and a soft attachment to it. As a result of polishing, the edges of the cracks seem to "catch" each other.
Synthetic transparent sealants
The second rational option would be to use a special transparent synthetic composition for treating the cracked surface; it is also implemented in car dealerships.
Such compositions are applied easily, dry quickly, do not allow moisture to pass through, and most importantly, they do not interfere with the penetration of the light beam.
At the same time, one should not forget about the rules for applying the material - violations of the technology for applying the synthetic composition will make your work useless.
What to do if water gets inside the machine
It is not necessary to exclude this option from practice. In this case, the work will be long and painstaking; it will be necessary to seal the lighting fixtures from the inside. if there is no experience in performing such work, it is easier to contact the masters of the service station. In addition, such work may require the use of special equipment.
During the renovation process:
- the lighting unit is dismantled
- disconnects from the car's electrical circuit
- the gaps, fasteners, technological holes are sealed with the help of seals, gaskets, sealing compounds.
Certain difficulties in performing work can create design features of a particular car model.
The car is under warranty and the headlights are fogging up
It is not surprising that headlights fogging is never observed in cars such as Porsche, SSC Tuatara or Koenigsegg Agera R, middle class cars are susceptible to it, it is in such models that there are often defects in design, and when they are assembled there is a possibility of violation of production standards.
If the fogging of the headlights is observed on a brand new car that has not yet been in an emergency or has not accidentally rested its headlights on the curb, then the only solution would be to file a claim with the manufacturers.
The defect must be rectified during the warranty period free of charge. Of course, the manufacturer has the right to conduct an examination - after all, sometimes inexperienced drivers are the culprit for the problem.
If there is no service center in the village where you live, then you can contact the manager of the car dealership where the car was purchased, or the dealer.
Pro tip: if all the above methods don't work, what to do
There is one more, so to speak, "folk method", which suggests pouring brake fluid into the headlight from fogging up steam. Indeed, it will attract water molecules and the condensation will disappear. But the brake fluid will also attract dirt and debris, and eventually the glass from the inside will be covered with a dirty film and will no longer be transparent.
A piece of silicone gel placed in the headlamp will not give a positive result for a long time - it absorbs moisture well, but it expands quite actively, over time it can become so large that it will interfere with the access of light.
You should also remember those tips that can be truly useful and universal, these are:
- polishing the headlights, but there is no guarantee that after driving on uneven roads from shaking and vibration cracks will not appear again
- the use of modern transparent compositions, moisture-proof, characterized by good optical properties
- replacement of glasses.
Those. it will need to be changed periodically, otherwise it will interfere with the normal operation of the lighting system.
Many car owners have encountered fogging headlights and lamps. If condensation, which has appeared on the glass of lighting fixtures from the inside, disappears soon after the headlight or lamp is turned on, it is treated as an unfortunate misunderstanding. However, moisture cannot always be dealt with so easily, and then it turns into a problem that has at least two serious consequences.
First, when mixed with dust, which can also enter the headlamp or lantern, moisture initiates corrosion, from which metal parts and electrical connections suffer. This can lead to damage to the mirror coating of the reflectors to the extent that it is necessary to replace the reflector, damage to the motors of the electric correctors, xenon headlight ignition units, bulbs and other components.
Secondly, the quality of light that the headlights should provide is deteriorating. Each droplet is a miniature lens that refracts and diffuses the light beam that the headlamp should form. As a result, the illumination of the road deteriorates, which in itself does not contribute to traffic safety, and also makes the driver strain his eyes and get tired faster during the trip.
There are cases when fogging of headlights became the reason for refusal to pass a vehicle inspection, for which there is a solid basis in the traffic rules written in the list of faults, which prohibits participation in road traffic of vehicles if there are objects (liquids) that were not provided for by the design inside the optical elements of their lighting devices.
We talk about the reasons for fogging and how to get rid of this problem with Yuri Borisenok, specialist in the repair and adjustment of automotive lighting equipment:
I can not only tell, but also show why the headlights and lanterns fog up. For example, recently the owner who brought Infiniti from Russia contacted me with this problem.
Immediately, attention was drawn to the fact that the sweating headlamp was exposed with gaps, which should not have been if the car had not been in an accident. Once there was a blow, it means that the headlight housing could be damaged and lose its tightness.
I lifted the hood and I see that the headlight is not even bolted to the body. And they did not screw it on, because the hole in the headlight ear did not coincide with the base hole for attaching the ear to the body. If they started to pull the eyelet with a bolt, something would break. As a result, whoever did the renovation left this place as it is.
But in another place, the repairmen did their best. From the impact, the cross-member of the wing attachment went 2-3 centimeters, so the factory attachments did not match. Instead, two new holes were drilled for non-standard bolts and nuts. Since there were signs of an accident, I started looking for a crack on the headlight housing.
It didn't take long to search. From my experience, I can say that in no less than 90 percent of cases, it is damage that causes fogging of headlights and lanterns. Whether it will be possible to cope with this problem depends on the nature of the damage. A crack or a small chip can be repaired with a soldering iron, sealed or covered with silicone - there is a lot of owners here.
What is noteworthy in this case is that not only a crack appeared on the headlamp from the impact, but the fastening ears also broke off. It can be seen that they were restored, but why the crack on the case was not repaired is a question. This often happens: the headlight is being repaired, but they are doing it thoughtlessly. The ear was restored, but they gave up on the fact that there is a crack - it is small and does not seem to affect anything. But just through it, in the rain and during washing, water got into the headlight.
The rest of the reasons for fogging relate to problems with the ventilation of headlights and lanterns or to a factory defect in sealing the joint between the glass and the body, leaky fastening of bulbs, electrocorrectors, casings that cover the compartment where the lamps are located.
In particular, in this Infiniti had to remove the vapor barrier from the headlight breather. Lighting devices are equipped with breathers so that the housing is ventilated from the inside and so that the air that has expanded from heating has the ability to leave the headlight. When the headlamp cools down, and the air inside is compressed, that part of it, which was forced out during heating, returns to the headlamp through the ventilation ducts. The purpose of the membrane is to prevent humid and dusty outside air from entering the headlight. Air passes, moisture and dust remains on the membrane.
Over time, the membrane becomes clogged. The headlight stops ventilating, and this is also the reason for fogging. If you try to blow through the membrane, and it will try to inflate like a balloon, then it must be changed. But try to find a repair kit.
Therefore, they usually follow a simple scheme - the membrane is removed altogether. Such membranes are an example of Japanese engineering sophistication. It turns out that there are a lot of eccentrics in Japan too. In addition to the fact that the membrane performs its function only for a few years, and then becomes unusable, in the headlights of Japanese cars you can often see only one breather, although, in my deep conviction, there should be at least two of them - in the lower part of the headlight and in the upper one. so that convection takes place. At the same time, on the casting of the headlamp housing, there may be space for two or three air release valves, but for some reason they are muffled. Then you can drill a hole - the headlight will begin to "breathe" normally, which helps to cope with fogging.
Non-Japanese manufacturers usually do not suffer from this. On their headlights and lanterns, the breathers are provided as much as needed, the breathers themselves are a simple rubber U-shaped knee, sometimes with a piece of foam rubber inside. So, when removing the membrane, there is no need to be afraid that dust will flow into the headlight. The experience of other manufacturers shows that a simple breather without any membranes does its job well - the headlight is ventilated and does not sweat, dirt does not penetrate into it, the breather itself is practically eternal.
As for the factory defect due to a leaky fastening of the casing covering the compartment where the lamps are located, again I recently had one Volkswagen.
There were signs of an accident under the hood, but when I removed the headlight and began to examine it, I did not find any damage on the body. He assumed that the leak appeared at the junction of the glass and the case. I don't know what kind of sealants some manufacturers use to glue glass to the body, but often after a while the sealant dries up, cracks appear in it, and when you start to detach the glass, the sealant spills out like dust.
True, in this case, the sealant had nothing to do with it. I poured water into the headlight - it does not leak anywhere. This means that there are no leaks between the glass and the body. I dried the headlight, collected it and began to pour water on it from the outside until condensation appeared on the glass from the inside.
He dried the headlight again and carefully opened the lamp compartment. There were traces of leakage on its lid.
The problem was caused by the "chewed" rubber seal. In my opinion, this is a constructive flaw. It was possible to firmly install the lid only after several attempts - the elastic all the time tried to wriggle out and "run away" from its place. I have no doubt that when you need to change a burned-out lamp in a headlamp in order to hermetically close the lamp compartment, the headlamp will have to be removed - you can't do it right on a car, no matter how hard you try.
Even in this Volkswagen, water was in one of the fog lights. With her, everything turned out to be simple.
I took off the "fog light" - I found a hole in the upper part of the case. I sealed it with silicone - the water stopped flowing into the headlight. Generally speaking, it is not always so easy to cope with the problem. It happens that you find several obvious reasons, you eliminate them, but the headlight continues to fog up. This means that there is something else that is not visible to the naked eye. You need diagnostics, and in case of fogging, it consists only in pouring water into the headlight or in pouring the headlight outside and then looking for leaks. After fixing the problem, it is important to completely dry the headlamp using a household hair dryer, and if carefully, then a technical one. At the same time, if moisture can be easily removed from the inner space of the headlamp housing, then for hidden cavities, which are electric motors and other units, a prolonged "roasting" with a hair dryer will be required.
Our verdict
The main reason for fogging lighting equipment is mechanical damage to headlights and lanterns. In addition, lighting devices can fog up in case of problems with ventilation of the case and sealing the junction of the glass and the case, due to the leaky fastening of light bulbs, electric correctors, casings that cover the compartment where the lamps are located. It is possible to defeat fogging, but for this, in each specific case, you need to find all the reasons due to which water penetrates into the device.
