For most car owners, the problem of fogging headlights from the inside is considered global. Even despite such apparent insignificance, fogging of any type of headlights (halogen, xenon fog, etc.) is considered a rather dangerous phenomenon that can lead to tragic consequences on the road in dark time days. So let's take a look at the most common causes, on which the headlight sweats on the car, and we will talk about effective methods for their elimination.
What causes fogging car headlights
When the cause of fogging of the headlights of the car from the inside is not established, and the driver does not know how to solve the problem, further movement in such a car with the onset of darkness becomes an emergency.
Headlights vehicle fog up due to the accumulation of condensate, which refracts the light flux and prevents it from completely passing through the glass.
This is exactly the case in which the headlights of the car shine with a diffused, and not directed and adjusted light; since most of the beam is converted into thermal energy, and its remaining miser is refracted, passing through drops of condensate, practically not illuminating the road. This problem needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
Additional trouble for the motorist is caused by dust that constantly accumulates on the surface of the headlights. In this case, there can be no question of fully moving by car at night, since after 2-3 km of the way you will have to make stops to clean them. Note that it will not work to completely remove moisture from the inside of autolights without disassembling them. Any attempts to remove condensation without disassembling the headlights will not lead to the desired result, since moisture will still remain inside the lighting fixture. And this is the real reason for the failure of an element of the lighting system. Below we will consider how to get rid of fogging headlights.
The concept of "warranty case"
Possible cause of front fogging lighting fixtures in a car may be hidden in non-observance of the technological sequence during their production or during installation. This is just what it is warranty case. If, during the period of operation of a newly acquired vehicle, it was repeatedly noticed that the headlights fog up, you need to contact the car dealership that sold the car to put it in for warranty repairs.
Note that the newly acquired lighting unit (rear or front) also has its own guarantee period, during which the seller is obliged to replace the lighting device if its incorrect operation was noticed (including fogging). Warranty repair and headlights are not replaced if they are damaged due to the fault of the car owner.
Reasons why car headlights sweat
So, it's time to determine the causes of fogging headlights from the inside. To completely eliminate this unpleasant phenomenon, inner part headlights must be dry. Even a minimal amount of liquid will cause condensation to accumulate in the front lights of the car.
Consider why the headlight is sweating in the car:
If we consider physical process fogging of optics from the inside, we can say that it is accompanied by the transition of liquid under certain conditions from one state of aggregation to another. For example, if the air temperature inside the headlight drops, the moisture in it tends to take the coldest place in this case- this is glass that is covered with small droplets.
How to get rid of fogging car lights
Eliminating such a phenomenon is quite simple. The main thing is to know and perform a certain sequence of actions:
- open the lamp covers and pull them out a little;
- it is necessary to briefly turn on the dipped beam to warm up the optics, and then turn it off;
- leave everything as it is in a warm, dry box or garage overnight.
In the morning, the problem should completely dry up. But, if the formation of condensate was repeatedly noticed, you can get rid of it in another way. For example, warm up with a hair dryer the whole glass surface lights.
As soon as it was possible to defeat the condensate, it is necessary to identify and repair all damage to the lighting fixtures with a special sealant. In addition, it is necessary to seal all loose joints and places where the optics fit to the vehicle body.
If cracks were found on the surface of the headlight glasses, they must be eliminated as soon as possible. It is possible that you will not be able to do it yourself. quality repair cracks and do not damage appearance car lights. In this case, the procedure for tinting them will help to correct the situation, improve and protect the headlights. It can be done by a motorist of any level.
If the reason for the penetration of moisture into the car's lighting fixtures is insufficient sealing of their contact point with the body, in this case it is necessary to replace the gasket. However, it can be completely absent, and the sealing of the joint can be achieved due to the plastic properties of the material used to manufacture the lantern. As a rule, it is made of plastic, which completely loses its properties over time. plastic properties, turning into a solid homogeneous material. So effective method eliminating fogging of headlights in this case will be a complete replacement of their plastic parts.
The phenomenon of fogging headlights has recently become a real scourge for modern motorists. At autoforums, the question comes up every now and then: “Why are the headlights sweating?”, To which everyone, as it turned out, has their own answer.
In this article, you will learn why the headlights sweat and how to solve the problem of fogging headlights. If this problem you are also worried - read on and you will learn how to get rid of fogging headlights.
Droplets, which are the very hated condensate that those who do not know or do not want to know about what ventilation and uniform distribution of heat have fought and will fight. Well, okay ... Fogging occurs, as a rule, in damp rainy weather. Moreover, moisture on the headlights is not only ugly and at least a strange phenomenon for most people, it is also unsafe. The fact is that fogging of headlights prevents normal light transmission and often leads to the fact that the headlight or headlights completely fail and stop shining.
To understand why the headlight fogs up, you need to know how it works.
Headlights modern car are a hermetic monoblock, consisting of front glass(most often plastic) housing, as well as reflectors. During the operation of light bulbs, as you know, heat is released, which needs to go somewhere. For heat dissipation, there are special ventilation holes with valves and air dampers. It's hard to generalize here. ventilation systems modern auto-optics, since each manufacturer has its own views on the effectiveness of this system.
Temperature fluctuations and constant on / off headlights lead to an increase in the likelihood of condensation from inside lights. However, whatever one may say, if the headlight sweats, there is a malfunction in the headlight ventilation system or its depressurization has occurred.
Reasons why headlights sweat
1. Violation of the design of auto-optics. Depressurization occurs most often during an accident or after carrying out all kinds of "experiments", such as:, etc. After disassembling the headlights, it is very important to assemble them correctly and not forget about the ventilation holes. Even if the headlight looks completely intact, this does not mean that it really is. The slightest crack at the joint or with reverse side cases can cause condensation.
2. Poor fit of bulbs. Such, at first glance, a banal phenomenon, how bad or crooked light bulb installed, oddly enough, can cause headlights to fog up. There may be a gap at the junction of the bulb and headlight, which is the cause of condensation on the inside of the headlight.
3. Clogged ventilation ducts. Over many years of operation, dust and moisture can cement all ventilation, causing the headlight to sweat. There are situations when car owners themselves become the cause of their troubles. So, more than once it was possible to meet "wise men" who believed that extra holes in the optics were useless and sealed them with everything without hitting them. After that, naturally, they got problems with the headlights, which sweated, dimmed and failed.
The headlight is sweating - what to do?
- First you need to figure out what the actual thing is, that is, your task is to find the reason why the headlight is sweating. This will require a careful inspection, involving the dismantling of the headlight.
- After removal, carefully inspect the surface of the headlight and its body, check the joints, they must be hermetically glued. Try to find the source of moisture.
- If only one headlight is sweating, compare it to a second headlight that does not have this problem and try to find the difference, perhaps a vent is blocked somewhere.
- If the headlight began to fog up after you disassembled it, most likely the joint is not airtight, in which case you will have to disassemble the headlight again, rinse and clean everything properly, and then assemble it in compliance with all the rules. Check all the gaskets and seals, it is possible that something was "bitten" during assembly.
- Crack. If you find a crack in the body, you can try to seal it, but if there is a crack or chip on the glass, replace the glass or headlight completely.
- The easiest way to get rid of fogging headlights is to use silica gel. This substance is a transparent granules that effectively absorb any moisture, preventing it from condensing on surfaces. The solution is rather "collective farm" and does not solve the problem in full, however, it is also worth considering as an option. This silica gel can be found in stores, as well as when buying shoes.
In any of the above cases, I categorically do not advise pulling with repairs and troubleshooting, this is fraught with a deterioration of the situation and failure of expensive light bulbs. Moreover, due to bad work headlights, you run the risk of being left without light at one “wonderful” moment, or even worse - getting into an accident.
One of the most common problems with front optics is leakage headlight housings.
The opinion that the occurrence of condensation inside the headlight is a natural process of cooling the air inside the headlight when the lamps are turned off is erroneous. Professionals know that heavy fogging is the result of damaged or poor-quality headlight assembly.
The main causes of headlight leaks are:
- the formation of microcracks through which moisture enters;
- when replacing the lamps, moisture got inside;
- deformation or contamination rubber seals back covers;
- use of low-quality sealant; moisture ingress
- when washing the engine compartment;
- violation of air circulation inside the headlight.
There can be many more reasons, and in order to eliminate them qualitatively, qualified diagnostics are necessary.
Experience of laboratory masters "Autoprism" allows you to accurately diagnose the problem of fogging and eliminate it in the shortest possible time. Specialists "Autoprism" use only proven materials and tools when repairing headlights. We can guarantee the result and the problem of fogging headlights will not bother you again.
headlight crack repair
As a rule, during the operation of the car, inconspicuous chips often appear when small stones hit the glazing. Such even the most minor damage over time can lead to cracks and seal failure of the headlight, which can lead to the fogging of the headlights described above. Therefore, it is very important to fix the problem at the initial stage. The easiest repair option is to replace the optics, and this option involves quite significant costs. However, there are more affordable way- headlight glass repair in the laboratory "Autoprism".
Why is the headlight sweating from the inside?
Many motorists have encountered such a common problem as fogging headlights.
It is important to note here if the headlights of your car fog up only after washing with a machine. high pressure and are quickly ventilated, then most likely you should not devote too much great attention. Many automakers describe these as variations on the vehicle's operating norm.
If the fogging is long and the headlight itself is not ventilated, then this is a reason to be puzzled. Not only is it just unpleasant, it can also lead to inconvenience and even serious problems:
- due to moisture, the life of the lamps is reduced, and any;
- condensation on the glass significantly reduces its permeability, which means the headlights shine worse;
- a large number of moisture in the headlight is a direct path to a short circuit;
- clouding of the glass itself is possible.
Let's take a look at the reasons for this.
Why do headlights sweat? In the headlight glass over time or as a result of any minor damage microcracks are formed, contributing to the uncontrolled ingress of air into the interior. Thus, the moisture contained in the air, when the lamp is heated and cooled, settles on the glass.
So, the headlight sweats, what to do?
To get rid of condensation on the glass of the headlights, you need to remove them from the body and open them, turn on the low beam and warm up the lamps. Then put out the light, and leave the car in this form, warm until morning. When performing these actions, by morning, for sure, there will be no moisture.
To get rid of this problem on for a long time, and not for one day, you have to work.
Need to find cracks in glass. Since they can be very small, it is unlikely that you will be able to see them without special equipment. You can do this: disconnect the headlight from the car's power supply system, lower the glass of the headlight into the water and carefully inspect it. In the water you will certainly see all the cracks.
IMPORTANT, Do not immerse the entire headlight in water!
Dry the entire area of the glass thoroughly, for example, with a compressor, a household hair dryer, a vacuum cleaner, or simply leave them for a short time. Next - take the sealant and apply a thin layer to this area. You can also try polishing. With the help of a grinder and a special nozzle, “sew up” the imperfections of the glass. But it's less effective way than special sealed products. You shouldn't use this folk method like pouring brake fluid on your headlights, because this will reduce the transparency of the glass, which will be as much of a problem for you as cracks. Of course, it is useless to deal with larger cracks with sealant. It will be easier to just change the glass or the entire headlight. To do this, you will have to contact a car service.
What else can be causes of glass fogging?
As the lamp heats up, special ventilation valves(breathers), which allow air to circulate inside the headlight. If they were not there, the headlight would simply burst. The problem of glass fogging can be in these valves if they are out of order or clogged.
Often seals in place, the wiring ceases to be airtight over time. Then you need to either try to cover them with sealant, or completely replace them.
What else could be the reason? Why does the headlight sweat?
These are design errors, i.e. insufficient ventilation inner space lights. But this reason, unfortunately, is almost impossible to influence.
In any case, it’s not worth pulling with troubleshooting,
because your safety is in your hands.
Many motorists are aware of such a popular problem as fogging headlights. Despite its seeming insignificance, this is a really dangerous phenomenon that needs to be eliminated as quickly as possible.
When a person does not know why the headlights are sweating, this reduces the level of safety for the driver and passengers many times over. Of course, for daytime this problem may not be relevant. But, with the onset of twilight, lighting the road with headlights is a direct necessity in order to indicate the direction of movement.
When the headlight is fogged up, the light does not pass through the glass, but is refracted by the condensate.
Most of it settles inside the headlight in the form of thermal energy, and the remaining particle passes through the headlight with the wrong refraction, illuminating only a small part of the road ahead.
More a big problem can occur if additional dust settles on the headlights. Then the movement becomes completely impossible. As a result, you will have to stop every few kilometers to clear your headlights. It should be said right away that it is impossible to dry the headlights under the influence of heat from the lamp until the headlight is open. Otherwise, moisture will constantly be inside, which will lead to oxidation of the metal, and the rapid failure of their lamps and their fixtures.
Reasons for fogging headlights
So, let's figure out why the headlight sweats from the inside. The fact is that no liquids should be present inside the headlight unit, even in minimal quantities. But, as you might guess, the presence of condensation there indicates the ingress of water inside. And there may be several reasons for this.
Wrong headlight geometry
The most popular problem is the wrong body geometry. We are talking about the fact that the car was initially assembled incorrectly on the conveyor, as a result of which the manufacturer left a small gap between separate elements headlights through which moisture gets inside. However, it should be noted that in this moment new cars no longer suffer from such shortcomings.
In particular, most Chinese cars, which their owners could complain about before, have reached a level of quality when there are no industrial marriages and there can be no talk. A prime example of this could be any of the cars brands Lifan, such as X60 or Breez.
Depressurization after an accident
However, depressurization can occur in another case, namely, when the car has been in an accident. Even slight damage front end, in most cases, adversely affects the condition of the headlights. Even if they were not broken, then the chance that their design was not violated would be minimal.
In addition, if glass or another element of the headlight is broken, service centers can repair them instead of completely replacing them. And the repair of glass or plastic materials involves the use of a simple sealant. For the first time, its properties will be enough, but after a few years it completely loses its original characteristics, as a result of which the tightness of the headlight disappears.
Loose connection
Also, the problem may be a loose connection of parts on the back of the headlight, where there are technological holes for lamp replacement. In case you wonder why they sweat fog lights, the answer will be exactly the same - they have been depressurized.
From the point of view of physics, what happens inside the headlight is next process. We are talking about the transition of a liquid from one state to another when certain conditions occur. In a specific case, this will be a decrease in temperature environment. At the moment, the moisture in the air inside the headlight starts looking for the coldest place, which turns out to be the glass. It is there that small droplets form.
The headlight must be removed before you start working with it.
Troubleshooting
So, we are clearly sure that the headlight is sweating from the inside. What to do in such a situation? Everything is simple here. There is a certain algorithm of actions.
Action algorithm
- It is necessary to open the covers of the lamps, and then pull them out not completely.
- The low beam turns on.
- The headlights warm up a little, after which the lamps turn off again.
- In this position they will be until the morning.
In the morning, fogging should no longer remain. If condensation still appears, then it will be possible to warm up the headlight using additional methods, such as using a hair dryer and so on. Once we have achieved a positive result, we can proceed to the next step.
Carefully inspect all connecting seams. If they are visible problem areas, then they are cleaned and coated with a special sealant. Also, the headlight needs to be checked for the presence of cracks or other loose joints. Defects must be covered with sealant, while cracks will be much more difficult to repair. Here to cope on your own can be problematic, as you will have to limit the growth of the crack, and only then isolate it with special glue.
Get rid of cracks with tinted headlights
Crack marks can be aesthetically unappealing. It is impossible to get rid of them, but they can be hidden with the help of tinted headlights. This is not a very difficult task, which will allow you to return your car to its former appearance.
It may be necessary to seal the rear connections
It is worth noting that the cause may be, as we have already said, a problem in the connection on the back of the headlight. As a rule, it will be enough to replace the gasket, if it is provided for by the design. If the connection must be isolated due to the elastic properties of the plastic, then the problem will be more significant. The fact is that plastic loses its properties over time, turning from a flexible material into a solid substance that easily crumbles.
There are two options here. It would be optimal to replace a part that no longer has elastic characteristics. However, this can be tricky to do, so you will need to choose or fabricate a gasket that will be installed on the site near the threads.
After this fogging should pass, and you will no longer wonder why the headlights of the car are sweating.
In the process of work, the main thing is not to overdo it.
Among other things, it should be noted that the old "Soviet" method of eliminating this problem will be unacceptable. We are talking about a situation where, in order to “treat” fogging, the headlight was filled with brake fluid. This, to some extent, can seal the cracks, but another, more significant, problem appears - a violation of the transparency of the glass. And it can only be dealt with by polishing, which will lead to the elimination of the positive effect of using brake fluid. This is how we fixate on the same actions.
Very often there is such a nuisance as sweating headlights, but motorists do not pay attention to this trifle, they always postpone repairs the next day. But it is worth knowing that a fogged headlight is a very serious fact, which in the future can lead to an accident or death on the road. This article will describe how to repair headlights on your own without contacting car repair centers for services.
What causes headlight fogging
Yes, any driver practically knows that fogging light fixture comes from the condensate. Water droplets that have penetrated the headlamp shell are heated by the lamp and converted into steam. Then a large amount of steam tends to turn into watery droplets and thereby stick to the headlight shell. And here interesting point How could water overcome the hermetic shell of the light fixture? But be aware that the design of the headlights is not tightly assembled. Of course, everyone knows that when the headlights are on, due to the heating of the bulb, the air also heats up. But most motorists, in order to avoid heating, put a back pressure valve on the light device, thereby getting rid of hot oxygen. So, through this valve, water droplets can get into your headlight.
You also need to look at the sealant that connects the glass cover to the headlight spotlight. Maybe it is old and has lost its properties. Also, the hole can be large or microscopic, which cannot be detected with the help of the eyes. And water has such property, to get into any possible microcrack. Especially such a cause of failure is found on Soviet and heavenly cars. Still, if you suspect that this is due to the sealant, then purchase automotive silicone in any specialized store and carefully process the seams.
Another cause of fogging can be a ceiling defect, a microcrack, or a micro spall, which can be seen with the help of specialized devices.
Is it necessary to repair foglights in case of fogging
The troubles and consequences of a very foggy light fixture are as follows:
· In case of fuzzy lighting of the road section, it can contribute to an accident;
· Liquid entering the light fixture can cause wiring problems and make the light bulbs inoperable. This means that you will lose lighting, and it may also cause short circuit, because of which the car will completely lose electronics.
This means that it is undesirable to transfer repairs, so as not to get into the above troubles. Mechanics and motorists noted that obvious fogging of a light device occurs in middle-class cars, especially those made in the Russian Federation. It will be rare to hear that Ferraris and Bentleys have fogged up headlights.
You, of course, ask why? The answer is very simple: in brands, the assembly comes from original parts, and monitor the build quality, and also comply with standards and GOST. Yes, but of course there is an excellent assembly among cheap cars.
Easy Ways to Defog Headlights
Before you start repairing a problem headlight, you need to examine it and find the cause of the breakdown. But if time is not on your side, and the cause is unknown, then you can simply apply the dry method to eliminate moisture.
How to remove condensation from fogged headlights
But it should be borne in mind that the dry drying method is suitable for a drilling tool that does not often sweat.
For example, you can use the following:
1. Remove headlamp base.
2. Using a screwdriver, lower the fastener, and lower the chuck.
3. With the light on (use the low beam), leave the vehicle for 1-1.5 hours so that the lamps can warm up.
4. And then return the headlights to their original position, that is, assemble them back.
But if this does not help, and the steam is formed again, then it is necessary to solve this problem in a different way.
The first thing to do is to make a detailed inspection of the entire headlight, inspect the seams, and the ceiling itself. If any defects, gaps, cracks are found, it is necessary to apply a sealant, but only silicone, and you can buy it at any car shop. This mixture lasts a very long time, and applying it to the headlight will take little time, and every driver will do it without difficulty. Of course, there are times when, without a professional device, it is impossible to detect a defect. So, then you need to resort to the help of specialists at the service station.
But with cracks on the base of the headlight it will be more difficult: since it will not be possible to process with silicone, in isolated cases only, and so it’s basically a replacement. Although there are other solutions to this breakdown:
In order to eliminate damage and create tightness, it is necessary to take a grinder, preferably with a soft nozzle, and start polishing, and the edges of the crack seem to join into one;
You can also use various tools that can also be purchased at a car dealership, like sealant. The formula of such products will not interfere with the penetration of light, it is also very easy to apply, and dries in a matter of minutes. But in case of poor or incorrect processing, it will not give any result.
How to get rid of fogging fixture permanently
The problem of fogging a light device can be solved using several methods:
· Treat with a special hermetic mixture, and then polish;
· Complete replacement the headlight itself;
If there is a small crack, it is recommended by experts to immediately replace the light fixture. But in other cases, you can fix it yourself. If the condensate does not disappear during the complete processing of the headlight, then the liquid enters from the machine itself. This means that you will have to resort to a longer repair of the headlights from the inside. Of course, if you do not know how to do such repairs, then you need to drive the transport to a car repair service. And you will need special equipment for this.
What to do if the fog lights start to sweat
Most masters and some motorists, drivers are recommended to repair misted headlights, resorting to the domestic method. You can also pour brake fluid into the ceiling, with which fogging will be much less. But when using such a tool, you can pollute the headlight. You can also buy a special gel based on silicone and place it in the middle of the light fixture. This gel formulation is very effective at eliminating water molecules, but also has the disadvantage of bulking up. Such a gel can take a lot of volume, and interfere with the penetration of light rays onto the road. And such a lack in the future can lead to an accident.
Fogging of the light fixture - warranty case
Of course, such a difficulty as fogging headlights is repelled by vehicle manufacturing plants. By purchasing new car, and your headlights began to fog up, then you need to make a claim to the factory, but only if you did not damage it yourself. And the plant should repair its defect free of charge. But the repair will begin only after a full examination. You never know, and you are the culprit of this defect. When there is no legal in the city service center, you can contact a car dealership or dealer, where your vehicle was actually purchased.
