Moisture in my headlight housing

[iboughtatahoe23]

When changing bulbs, was there anything I could have missed up? Like I didn't clip the bulb in right? Maybe there was an o ring of some sort that fell off? It rained pretty good yesterday and my drivers side housing fogged up. It was hot out to though, mustve been humid to bc my inside of my windshield fogged up good too. have never taken it apart. Just had taken it off the vehicle and changed the bulbs. I did break the bottom clip on accident. But it didn't compromise the the housing or break any seal. Used epoxy to put it back on the housing. What y'all think?

The fog did go away pretty quick so whatever it is leaking must be a decent size leak. It is a OEM housing

 

[mikez71]

I had an issue with aftermarket foglights in my original housings. Seems like new housings fixed my problem.
The headlights are a different bulb/seal, but an imperfection around the seal would do it.
I think you would notice a missing o-ring when installing.. If you can't find it you'll need to take the housing out and put it under a hose.
What bulbs did you end up installing?

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

I had an issue with aftermarket foglights in my original housings. Seems like new housings fixed my problem.
The headlights are a different bulb/seal, but an imperfection around the seal would do it.
I think you would notice a missing o-ring when installing.. If you can't find it you'll need to take the housing out and put it under a hose.
What bulbs did you end up installing?

Just normal halogen sylvania. Which I think what was in it before tbh. Could be wrong. I'll try a bulb from my other hosuing and compare

 

[Joseph Garcia]

If the fog went away and did not return, then it was just a change in humidity within the headlight assembly, when you opened it by removing the bulb.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

If the fog went away and did not return, then it was just a change in humidity within the headlight assembly, when you opened it by removing the bulb.

Ya but I changed the bulbs like a month ago. You're saying like the humidity that was in the air when I was changing the bulbs remain in there? And then when the humidity got higher than that inside the housing it made it fog up?


That does not really explain why my passenger side one did not fog up though. I changed the low beam on the passenger side

There's still some moisture in there as of now.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

I took the bulbs out to see if it will dry the spots of condensation. It all went away and came back next day.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Ya but I changed the bulbs like a month ago. You're saying like the humidity that was in the air when I was changing the bulbs remain in there? And then when the humidity got higher than that inside the housing it made it fog up?


That does not really explain why my passenger side one did not fog up though. I changed the low beam on the passenger side

There's still some moisture in there as of now.

Ok. I tried.

 

[RST Dana]

I took the bulbs out to see if it will dry the spots of condensation. It all went away and came back next day.

You can use a blow dryer to dry it out out, replace the bulb and wait. If you have a leak, it will reappear after you drive in rain. If it does, you will have to replace the housing or go through the steps to reseal it.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

You can use a blow dryer to dry it out out, replace the bulb and wait. If you have a leak, it will reappear after you drive in rain. If it does, you will have to replace the housing or go through the steps to reseal it.

I actually have a backup housing. I tried the high beam from that one and it still fits loose in the high beam socket. Maybe even looser than the old one. So like the o-ring on the bulb isn't sealing all the way or something

 

[RST Dana]

I actually have a backup housing. I tried the high beam from that one and it still fits loose in the high beam socket. Maybe even looser than the old one. So like the o-ring on the bulb isn't sealing all the way or somethingView attachment 434209

Hmm. Maybe something gone wacko with the housing. If the bulb has the oring, you may be tasked with swapping housings.

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

Hmm. Maybe something gone wacko with the housing. If the bulb has the oring, you may be tasked with swapping housings.

Yea I spose :/ just wasn't satisfied with how the aftermarket one flushed up with the bumper... Had a gap under the housing. The OE one fits best of course

 

[iboughtatahoe23]

all right, so some guys are telling me that some housings for headlights are designed to vent in high humidity conditions. So the condensation is normal they say. For me it dries up pretty quickly.


Anyways I grabbed some permatex rtv, to go over the seal. Of course I won't be covering the vents on the housing. But I will go over the seal again just to cover my bases and then that piece that I told you guys about that had broke off on the bottom broke again unfortunately. I got some more epoxy so hopefully it goes good and we can get it back in