Water in headlight?

[RussR]

Hey Guys & Gals,
Sorry if this is the wrong spot, but i'm having a few issues with my recently purchased AU2. Basically i'm getting water in the passenger side headlight, and it is shorting and blowing the bulb. Is it a sealed unit? is there a replaceable rubber or something? to inspect it according to to the book i have to take the grille & bumper off, and i'd prefer to get a rough idea on what to do before i spend half a day doing that.

Thanks for all the replies in advance

[Robe]

My AU has replaceable elements. I thought they all did. You get to them via the engine bay, and yes there are rubber boots that seal them in.

If the boots and retaining clips are properly in place it would probably be useful to pull the whole unit and check for cracks, damage or seams opening.

My cheap fix of choice would be silicone sealant. Second worst case option - wreckers.

[AU dude]

A quick fix to stop the condensation of water inside the headlight is to remove that rubber seal. I was fiddling around with the light because of the water in it and I accidently hooked it all back up and forgot about the rubber, and left it off (I was very dark at the time and couldnt be bothered) I drove around the next day and the water seemed to have evaporated. So it worked for me.

Cheers

[The Dok]

Originally Posted by RussR

Hey Guys & Gals,
Sorry if this is the wrong spot, but i'm having a few issues with my recently purchased AU2. Basically i'm getting water in the passenger side headlight, and it is shorting and blowing the bulb. Is it a sealed unit? is there a replaceable rubber or something? to inspect it according to to the book i have to take the grille & bumper off, and i'd prefer to get a rough idea on what to do before i spend half a day doing that.

Thanks for all the replies in advance

It's a common problem with AU headlights, they have a polyurethane type seal which requires controlled heat to soften & allow the lens to be removed, so in short it's not really a DIY job to re-seal the lens, which is usually the moisture entry point. It's not necessary to remove the bumper (except XR) to remove the headlights. Changing the bulbs is easy, however, if they keep blowing, it's best to have the headlight re-sealed to rectify the issue.

[RussR]

Thanks Dok!

my only other question is with removal of the headlight, according to the book theres two bolts under the bumper? with the bonnet up theres two bolts on top, do i just undo these after removing the wiring, remove the grille and it's off?

[The Dok]

Originally Posted by RussR

Thanks Dok!

my only other question is with removal of the headlight, according to the book theres two bolts under the bumper? with the bonnet up theres two bolts on top, do i just undo these after removing the wiring, remove the grille and it's off?

Yep 4-10 mm bolts, but there's only 1 under (behind) the bumper, it's directly below the high beam plug (but under the headlight), it can be a bit of a biach as you can't really see it due to the design of the tag so you have to go by feel mostly, but I've done it plenty of times so just be patient with it. :voldar02:

[5tumpy]

Mine was doing this, it turned out that the plastic around the headlight bulb had corroded and had begun to disintergrate, it literally crumbled when I pulled it out. I bought new ones, after market as they were cheaper, and haven't looked back...

[The Dok]

Originally Posted by 5tumpy

Mine was doing this, it turned out that the plastic around the headlight bulb

Plastic around the headlight bulb????? Perhaps you mean the rubber cap/s? The only "plastic around the headlight bulb" or actually on it is the plastic connecting plugs, which even if melted (some do) still won't allow moisture entry.

[pjjt]

Sorted this today on my SY Terri, Left headlight totally fogged up with moisture (yes pressure washed engine in weekend....) assume same for BA/BF. Open bonnet and find closest rubber boot behind headlight (easy to find, just feel for about 3" soft rubber oval with wires coming from the middle of it). There is a white square bulb connector. Need to squeeze the horisontal side release tabs of this and pull backwards to unclip it (can be fiddly and needs a good pull). Then pull out the rubber boot. What is left is the pin connectors of the bulb, you DONT need to remove the bulb. Now you need to blast air at the connectors as there is a gap into the lens itself. I used a makita handheld blower with the rubber tube. Position this on the bulb connectors and let er rip. If you see the condensation inside the lens wobble you know air is being forced in (and therefore /moisture/humid air out). I used a zip tie to keep the blower on and let it run. 3 batteries, 2 beers and 1/2hr later condensation, and the water that had dripped to the bottom of the lens, is gone. Now I am going to clear silicone the gap between the clear lens and the black housing as it has totally degraded. I am going to reconnect the bulb to the white connector without the rubber boot for a few days just to be sure the moisture has been removed and then put it back on. Any ? or advice on what I have done please pm me