condensation in headlight
#1
condensation in headlight
getting condensation in one headlight, is there a fix for this or just purchase a new one.
seems as though the seals are leaking however can’t find the spot. any recommendation would be appreciated
thanks
seems as though the seals are leaking however can’t find the spot. any recommendation would be appreciated
thanks
#2
I've never removed a Cayenne headlight to look, but presumably, you should be able to fix any sort of leak pretty easily unless the bezel has cracked from age and under-hood heat... if the plastic in the bezel is failing, the only fix will be a replacement.
Most any seam separation causing a leak can be repaired with outdoor-grade silicone sealer. If the housing itself is cracked along a hairline, the drippiest super-glue will fix those... these "wet" super-glues actually get drawn right into the cracks.
If you have some means of blowing smoke into the headlight under some modest amount of pressure, if you do this with the assembly removed from the Cayenne, you should see the smoke leaking out along a separated seam or crack. The problem might also be some sort of failure of the seal around the electrical connectors. Note if you have a 955, many of them seem to have problems with the insulation on the wires getting brittle, cracking, and falling off right near the headlight connector, so inspect those carefully. And inspect any weather sealing around electrical connectors and lamps (if there are even some sort of lamp socked for these headlights (again, I've not removed one for a look-see so not sure).
Once you seal the headlight assembly, you have to make sure it is dry as the desert inside so there's no future chance for visible condensation. There are a number of ways to achieve that... use a hair dryer CAREFULLY... the highest heat level is pretty darn hot and might damage the plastic, blow warm dry air in half of one hole so air can escape from the other half of the hole (or from a second hole if there is one). Some people have put the lenses in the sun for a number of hours.
After the headlight is fully sealed
Most any seam separation causing a leak can be repaired with outdoor-grade silicone sealer. If the housing itself is cracked along a hairline, the drippiest super-glue will fix those... these "wet" super-glues actually get drawn right into the cracks.
If you have some means of blowing smoke into the headlight under some modest amount of pressure, if you do this with the assembly removed from the Cayenne, you should see the smoke leaking out along a separated seam or crack. The problem might also be some sort of failure of the seal around the electrical connectors. Note if you have a 955, many of them seem to have problems with the insulation on the wires getting brittle, cracking, and falling off right near the headlight connector, so inspect those carefully. And inspect any weather sealing around electrical connectors and lamps (if there are even some sort of lamp socked for these headlights (again, I've not removed one for a look-see so not sure).
Once you seal the headlight assembly, you have to make sure it is dry as the desert inside so there's no future chance for visible condensation. There are a number of ways to achieve that... use a hair dryer CAREFULLY... the highest heat level is pretty darn hot and might damage the plastic, blow warm dry air in half of one hole so air can escape from the other half of the hole (or from a second hole if there is one). Some people have put the lenses in the sun for a number of hours.
After the headlight is fully sealed
#3
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Cayenne headlights also get marking inside the fronts of the lenses that's something other than condensation. You can tell because light heat applied to the outside of the lens or blown in through the back, once opened up, doesn't temporarily remove it. People have successfully removed it by carefully reducing alcohol into the assembly, swishing it around the inside of the lens, then evaporating it back out.
If you zoom in on this photo you can see this marking I'm talking about in both these front headlights, but it's not condensation. If you can't get the photo zoomed in enough to see it, send me an email to petza914@gmail.com and I'll send you the hi-res photo.
If yours turns out to be cracked and you do have actual condensation, I bought new headlight housings as part of my widebody build and would sell the driver's side if that's the one you need. It's just the housing though, as I swapped over all the guts to the new housings, and still has the marking on the inside of the lens. Passenger side has already been sold.
If you zoom in on this photo you can see this marking I'm talking about in both these front headlights, but it's not condensation. If you can't get the photo zoomed in enough to see it, send me an email to petza914@gmail.com and I'll send you the hi-res photo.
If yours turns out to be cracked and you do have actual condensation, I bought new headlight housings as part of my widebody build and would sell the driver's side if that's the one you need. It's just the housing though, as I swapped over all the guts to the new housings, and still has the marking on the inside of the lens. Passenger side has already been sold.
#4
thanks, my cayenne is a base 2005. bought it new back in the days engine still good, just minor, non mechanical things starting to happen. looking to upgrade to the macan, however wife still like the cayenne. not sure what year to get.