Headlamp Housing - Condensation

[Skeeter McSkeet]

I took mine out as well and haven't had anymore issues for a month or more in humid weather and cold. I used some gortex patches from TRS on the holes in my dustcaps, only been on there a week or so, but no issues yet. Supposedly they will let moisture out but not in. Time will tell..

If they fail, I've got plenty of packets left lol.

 

-Skeet

Edited April 20, 2015 by SkeeterMcSkeet

[EastCoast HD]

I took mine out as well and haven't had anymore issues for a month or more in humid weather and cold. I used some gortex patches from TRS on the holes in my dustcaps, only been on there a week or so, but no issues yet. Supposedly they will let moisture out but not in. Time will tell..

If they fail, I've got plenty of packets left lol.

 

-Skeet

Skeet, I think your on the right track.

 

I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I'll repeat what I've been saying all along.

 

The headlight housings require a proper venting system.

 

I've been considering doing exactly what you have done. Drilling a hole into the dust cover and covering it with a breathable fabric.

 

Here is some info from a company that provides venting systems to the automotive industry...

 

http://www.gore.com/MungoBlobs/314/542/02_GORE_Automotive_Vents_Brochure_Exterior_Lighting.pdf

 

Unparalleled Protection of the Housing Interior GORE® Automotive Vents deliver unparalleled protection from the climate, road and vehicle conditions that can negatively impact lighting performance, aesthetics and customer satisfaction. The breathable GORE™ membrane, with pores about 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, effectively blocks ingress of dust, dirt, road debris, water splashes, automotive fluids and other external contaminants from entering the housing and fouling lenses or sensitive electronics. These same pores allow rapid, bidirectional air and gas exchange, to continuously equalize external and internal housing pressures.

 

More Reliable Release of Moisture Reliable pressure equalization is critical, because rapid changes in pressure can compromise lighting performance and lifespan. Without proper venting, moisture can enter and remain in the housing through: • Permeation: when moisture vapor permeates the plastics often used for lenses or housings. • Absorption/desorption: when plastic lamp components attract and release moisture within the housing. • Condensation: can form when moisture increases due to factors such as repeated temperature differentials within, or adjacent to, the housing. GORE® Automotive Vents reliably release moisture that can enter through all these paths, to help avert premature lamp failure and warranty claims.

[mafd2]

Which type would you get? AVS 9,42, or 100? Where do you get it form and do they just sell to distributors??

[bass mechanic]

ill be doing a retrofit HID in the coming weeks i am going to spend some time looking for the factory vents on the housings when i take them out. i will be plugging up any i find drilling my own vent hole with vent hose and filling the housings once sealed up with pure nitrogen. see how that works.

[tnchevy]

Any updates on this issue? Gave my truck a much need washing yesterday and noticed both the high and low beam on my drivers side were fogging up. I need to get the transfer case update, my hvac looked at (ac stays on till I turn off recirculate), and my crappy FM reception looked at so I guess I'll add this to my growing list.

[laminarflow]

I noticed the moisture in my lamps as well. I have a 2015 Sierra with 2400 KMs on it. Always concentrated in front of the LEDs when the temperature dips. I know GMC says this is normal, but it isn't. This is my first domestic vehicle after many years of Japanese and European cars and I have never seen this before. If you don't rid the moisture, pretty soon you'll have algae forming inside. Is that normal? It's like a little greenhouse in there.

 

So, tonight I cracked both lamps and taped a fresh desiccant pack in each assembly. That should take care of it I hope.

 

Thinking that a giant truck would have easily accessible headlamps - boy was I wrong. What a mission. I used to think removing the battery in my Subaru to replace a headlamp was bad. When I read "see your dealer" in the GM user manual with respect to the passenger side headlamp assembly I knew I was in for it. You have to completely remove the air filter. Craziness! Why am I doing this to my 3 week old truck!?

 

Being new to domestic vehicles, I have to say there's so many fiddly things that they just don't get right. Fit and finish in some places is terrible. Like the bank of switches below the HVAC controls - they flop around like wet noodles - who OK's a design like that? Dumb little design errors shouldn't exist on a $60K truck.

[redwngr]

I didn't read the whole thread, and this link was probably posted before, but GM views condensation as a different issue from water leaks. There is some info in link specific to the 14/15's.

 

http://sandyblogs.com/techlink/?p=3195

[theatasigma]

Yeah my bottom third of both lights are fogged up, just noticed this when I picked up gas. What caused me to look was when I was on the highway, the light was going from the normal white to a yellow hue. I thought I had something on the front of the truck. Not sure what is going on, no warnings or codes when I plugged in a reader. Going to call the local dealer (out of town for the weekend) and see if it something that needs to be fixed right away, or I will wait until I get home and bring it to the dealer I bought it from.

[WLC]

Mine fogged for the first time today.RATS! Now the headlights that sucked from light output now look like....Bottom third of lens. I will not vote for GM tomarrow ! LOL.

[650h1]

So this hasn't been fixed yet either? How does GM make trucks like this?

[majorsmackdown]

I had lower 1/3 fog in my headlights on day one. It never went away even after long drives. I told the dealer and they put in new headlights - they were foggy by the time I got home and wouldn't clear on their own.

 

I removed the sealing cap, turned the lights on to help warm them up - and took a heat gun to gently run all the moisture out (took about 10 minutes each on low), put the sealing cap back on and now they're clear. I think part of the problem is they're sealing in whatever the ambient atmospheric humidity is and it's got nowhere to go.

 

I have a headlight rock chip (clear bra) kit - haven't put it on yet - but wonder if that would give it an "insulation" factor that might help - these are the thinnest headlights (plastic surface) I've ever seen.

 

???

Edited November 19, 2015 by majorsmackdown

[nonducorduco]

I just wanted to add my experience to this thread. I'm sure there is plenty of information out there but I had a fogging issue on my driver's side headlamp, pretty bad actually. There was condensation building up to the point that after the required 4 hour time frame from GM (they said moisture should go away by 4 hours) it was still there. I went to my dealer and even thought I had put the HID kit in from theretrofitsource.com, they warrantied my headlight. (the cost of the headlight was 910 if I had to buy it!!) it's been 3 weeks and NO FOGGING issues whatsoever now. there is a slight film of moisture if it is highly muggy out and then gets cool, however, this goes away very quickly as the vented headlights should. Just a note on the HID install, I did place windshield glue on the outside of the hole that i drilled into the headlamp cap and I think this helped, but I can't be sure. Bottom line my dealer replaced the headlamp and now I have no issues. Hope this helps someone!!

[Haus_Z71]

Are the warranty replacement headlights any different than stock? I had condensation today so I'm wondering if replacing mine will be worth it.

[nonducorduco]

 

Are the warranty replacement headlights any different than stock? I had condensation today so I'm wondering if replacing mine will be worth it.

 

I didn't find that they were different in that they look the same. However they don't fog. I guess that's the biggest difference that I have found. And I didn't have to pay 900 bucks.

Edited December 15, 2015 by nonducorduco

[Realrenomatt]

So I have had the foggy headlight problem on my truck since day one. It never fully clears up. I have been to the dealer twice and they tell me that gm doesn't authorize a replacement unless there is water actually pooling in the light housing.

 

I don't see how this condition can be called normal.

 

between this, the exhaust smell in the cab, and trim literally falling off a truck with <1000 km I am starting to regret my $60,000 purchase.