Hello,
yesterday I Washed the car and right after I found condensation or water drops inside the headlight. Any hint on how to fix this ?
Does this require a headlight replacement ?
So I left the headligths on for 15 minutes and it dried inside.
But I'm worried they'll get foggy inside over time.

 

2 pieces are glued together being the glass lens and the reflector . Recommend taking out only one assembly at a time or you'll get lost like me to match the contour . Hint is the V brand label is right side up and the large clip on the chrome ring is also up . You can wash out with soap and water but don't rub on the reflector as it rubs off easily . Put some penetrating spray on the attachment palls before popping them off with a large screwdriver .

 

I don't know what is "special" about the outer headlights on the X300, but those seem to consistently be the ones that get condensation and the lens adhesive eventually fails. The inner headlights almost never seem to fail.

My only guess is that the heat from the bulb compromises the lens adhesive over time since the low/dipped beams are on more often and in some cases all the time for cars with DRLs.

.

 

Hi xjfourty,

I've run into this on our XJ40s and just dealt with the same issue on an X100.

Sometimes drying the lens by turning the bulb on can cause dust or minerals in the condensation to bake into spots on the inside of the lens, so I don't recommend it. Another option is to remove the lens as Lady P suggests, pour in some denatured alcohol and swish it around to mix with the water, then pour it out. You can either allow what remains to evaporate naturally or use a hair dryer to accelerate the process, though this may increase the risk of more spots forming.

To prevent future water ingress, something that worked for me on XJ40 lamps was to apply clear silicone sealant around the perimeter of the lens in the gap between the chrome trim ring and the glass lens:



Wearing rubber gloves and using paper towels, I worked the sealant deep into the gap, then wiped away all the excess so only a thin bead remained in the gap. The sealant was virtually invisible when it cured.

The back side of an X300/X308 lamp is different from an XJ40's: the chrome ring is deeper and there's a gap between the chrome ring and the white plastic reflector support or frame. It might be prudent to fill this gap with silicone sealant as well:



I can't recall, but if those smaller cylindrical protrusions with transluscent caps are vents, you would want to take care not to inadvertently plug them with sealant.

Cheers,

Don