G4 Owners Club

Condensation in Hella xenons..... Any cure?

https://forum.g4ownersclub.com/Topic31232.aspx

By Farmer Chalk - 12 Jun 2014

Anyone on here cured this problem... All of my xenons on the roof have had condensation behind the lens... I've taken them off and using a hair dryer dried them out ... Before replacing them I've used silicone sealant around the outer rim to seal them further thinking it may have been caused by water ingress around the edges. Looked great until came out this morning and all of them have slight condensation behind them again despite them being fully dried out and no rain overnight...

I can only imagine that it is condensation from the atmosphere chilling on the inside of the lamps. I don't want to seal the bulbs because of heat issues but am just wondering if anyone has had similar issues and how they cured the issue ?
Thanks
By Gazdiver - 12 Jun 2014

No TBH i gave up, i just every now and then do exactly what you did or stick them on the Rad overnight, i think the big round lump on the side of the unit has a pressure valve in it might be two way which means its always gonna suck ambient air with moisture back in

  
By Farmer Chalk - 12 Jun 2014

Might have to buy some of those little desiccant bag things and shove them in the units...
Thought it was just me as all the others I've seen didn't have the same issue...at least I now know I'm not the only one! Thanks Gaz....
By Brendan - 15 Jun 2014

Take the glass out lol
By arw911 - 22 Jun 2014

Dessicant bags are the answer.
But, you have to trace any gross leak first, likely to be a dirty/unseated seal. The units have to breath but not 'gulp'!
I have fixed the Xenon headlamps the same way - found the shrunken O rings that no longer squeezed into the receiver. I put 2x 2oz bags in each carefully into the base, one but the turn lihgt andthe other under the HID driver. Not had a condensation  drop since, they been in for a year or so now and I have been swimming at Eastnor Castle down their canal routes.
There is an American dealer notice to do the same, if customers complain ref LA417001 Head lamp condensation - its 1.4MB, so don't know if we are allowed to attach a file that big.
The only ones I have not been succesful yet with is the Fogs - as the bulbs twist lock straight on to the reflector - there is nowhere to put a dessicant bag without it being in view.
By AntV8 - 22 Jun 2014

There is an American dealer notice to do the same, if customers complain ref LA417001 Head lamp condensation - its 1.4MB, so don't know if we are allowed to attach a file that big.


Attach away!!
By Farmer Chalk - 23 Jun 2014

On the Hella xenons I have tried to reseal the joint between the lens and the reflector body around the entire circumference then placed them back in the lamp body...therefore the only way the condensation is coming in is via the bulb opening at the back of the reflector .
Didn't want to seal that up as I presume it's got to let the air out when illuminated.... I can only think the water is coming from the atmosphere and it's condensing on the inside of the cooled outer lens at night.....
Driving me potty! Anyone know where I can buy those bags?
If I had paid over £200 per lens new I'd be pretty unhappy!
By DurtyDisco - 27 Jun 2014

Farmer Chalk (6/23/2014)
On the Hella xenons I have tried to reseal the joint between the lens and the reflector body around the entire circumference then placed them back in the lamp body...therefore the only way the condensation is coming in is via the bulb opening at the back of the reflector .
Didn't want to seal that up as I presume it's got to let the air out when illuminated.... I can only think the water is coming from the atmosphere and it's condensing on the inside of the cooled outer lens at night.....
Driving me potty! Anyone know where I can buy those bags?
If I had paid over £200 per lens new I'd be pretty unhappy!


If you paid over £200 per new lens I would say you were stitched up... The part code from Hella for the genuine replacement glass and reflector is 1F3 161 825-071 £53.18 inc VAT RRP.... I got a new one last year from Germany to replace a broken one....
By Farmer Chalk - 27 Jun 2014

Okay what I meant to say was per lamp not per lens... Check them out on ebay! Nuts!
By DurtyDisco - 27 Jun 2014

The lamp body and ballast tend to be ok, tends to be the glass & reflector that either get broken of cracked......

I've not seem many hella luminator's on ebay to be honest, there was some guy selling Warn spotlights for silly money, in fact I think he may still have them.