As nearly half of all car owners now feel compelled to fix their own cars with the help of the internet, you’re not alone in your search for help online. One problem that many car owners report but simply live with the discomfort of is the problem of moisture in headlights. This might seem like a minor annoyance, but it can lead to shorting of your bulb or diffuse lighting during stormy nights when it matters most.
Here is everything you need to know about getting rid of this problem once and for all.
Why It Happens
One of the strangest things that happen to a headlight under the right conditions is that it will get covered in condensation. Moisture on headlights is a condition that middle school students will learn about in the average science class.
Headlights generate heat and as your car deals with a variety of temperatures and weather conditions and it comes into contact with water and moist air. Your warm headlights have small vents to keep the casing cool, but it also means that while your car is off, you take in moisture.
When the outside cools and the air inside stays warm, that’s when condensation is created. This condensation will often appear the morning after your car was parked in the evening. A properly sealed headlight won’t allow moisture to seep in, but if your headlight casing is cracked or isn’t properly sealed, you’ll have this problem.
Water in headlights is a problem that can be fixed by most savvy vehicles owners with the right tools, the right instructions, and a basic understanding of how your car works.
Gathering Your Tools
If you’re determined to fix this problem on your own and rid your life of condensation, you need to start by getting the tools that you need together. The right tools for the job will cost you less than it would to take your vehicle to the shop and allow you to fix your car whenever you need to.
Get yourself a socket and a ratchet. This will make it easy to unbolt the screws around your car’s headlight.
Before you go and buy a massive set, look at your owner’s manual to see what the exact size that you need is. Some older cars just need a screwdriver to take off the screws.
If you’ve ever bought a pair of shoes from a shoe store, you’ll be familiar with the next piece of equipment: silica gel packs. Silica gel can go a long way to remove moisture from your headlights permanently by sucking in and gripping moisture. This is one of the cheapest options for permanently solving future issues with moisture on your headlights.
The last piece of equipment that you need is a lint-free cloth. Using this cloth to eliminate dampness from the interior of your car will take away your current issues without scuffing your lenses up.
The DIY Solution
Now that you’ve got everything you need to get the job done, you need to go through and fix your problem step by step.
Start by taking apart the headlight’s assembly. Removing the screws with the socket and ratchet in a clockwise direction will give you access to what’s underneath. Take a look at your manual before you start in case they have any additional tips.
Now take that lint-free cloth to wipe down the built-up moisture. Wiping the moisture that’s in the headlights now allows you to start with a clean slate when you need to keep your headlight’s moisture free in the future.
Drop the silica gel pack in before you put the assembly back together. These packs will absorb moisture that gets in there in the future. These packets shouldn’t be in the way of the bulbs, however, as they’ll keep you from getting the brightness you need.
Now, put it all back together and reinstall your headlights. Putting the headlight back where you detached it from and re-inserting the screws should be easy now that you know how it’s done.
Deciding To Replace It
Are you worried that it might be time for a replacement of your headlight? Moisture doesn’t mean that you need to replace your bulb, but if you touch it or find that moisture has gotten on the bulb, you could be dealing with problems.
If you’re seeing more than an average amount of moisture inside the headlights, it could be that your gaskets or your housing are cracked. These can be replaced easily and inexpensively, but in most cases, you should replace the whole unit rather than just a small component.
The seal on a rubber gasket is what keeps water from seeping into your headlight and shorting it out. It also allows the bulb to breathe without overheating. Over time, rubber dries out and you could end up facing a gasket that’s torn, cracked, or no longer able to keep water out because of age.
If you decide to replace the lens or the housing, replace the bulb at the same time. For best results, replace both bulbs on either side so that you don’t end up having to make multiple trips to the auto parts store later on. When your safety is at risk, take the opportunity to fix problems ASAP.
Moisture in Headlights is a Temporary Problem
While some car owners think that moisture in headlights is a permanent issue with no real solution, it turns out that it’s actually very easy to fix. The DIY guide above should be able to solve your problems. If not, an auto body specialist will help you fix it cheaply and easily.
If you’re considering switching to LED, check out our guide for tips on what to expect.
