Headlight Condensation

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Pauln1982

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Joined
Nov 12, 2020
Messages
31
Location
Plymouth
Car
C63 Coupe
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced any headlight condensation.

My car is only 2 years old and I’ve got the car in at my local MB dealer today so they can have a look. They did tell me on the phone that a bit of condensation was normal and you’d see it in most cars across their fleet.

I’m not entirely sure I believe this. Anyone have any ideas/info so I can go in armed and ready on my next conversation with them?
 

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I’m not entirely sure I believe this. Anyone have any ideas/info so I can go in armed and ready on my next conversation with them?
Have a read
 

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Mine does it, normally just after/during me washing the car.
 
It is perfectly normal as they are not fully sealed. It will usually happen when the temperature changes (due to the difference between internal/external temperatures). We have five Mercs in the family (three C classes, an E Class and a CLS). All of them exhibit headlight condensation, my previous C Class and A Class also.
 
In an ideal world the headlamps would be sealed with a membrane to allow passage of air (to equalise pressures) but not moisture, but I guess that would cost a few pence, so nope, condensation like that is pretty normal - seen it on ours too, 2016 C class with LED headlights.
 
I've been told you don't have much problems with condensation in the headlights and it does go away in the warmer months
 
Have a read
Interesting to see the specific comment about the W639 in there. I had a dealer wanting to replace one of the headlights on our Vito (while it was being serviced) due to the amount of condensation. I declined and looked at it myself - the rear cover to the lamp assembly wasn't properly closed (in fairness this is quite awkward to do, and hard to see). I took the bulbs out to let the water evaporate then put it back together correctly and have had no condensation at all ever since. We do get it in the LED lights of our S205 though.
 
It is perfectly normal as they are not fully sealed. It will usually happen when the temperature changes (due to the difference between internal/external temperatures). We have five Mercs in the family (three C classes, an E Class and a CLS). All of them exhibit headlight condensation, my previous C Class and A Class also.
Thanks for your explanation I was beginning to panic, my E Class is 4 years old at the end of March and I've owned it 11 days. Just given it the first wash and noticed the condensation!
 
I do get some condensation in my S Class headlights dependent on temperatures etc
 
Hi , I park my car with the nose up and don't have a condension problem

Park down hill and another issue !
 
I know on the CLA you can get deeper headlight covers for the rear that house a replaceable silica gel pack (every 12 months)

Possibly same scenario for the C class
 
Thanks for your explanation I was beginning to panic, my E Class is 4 years old at the end of March and I've owned it 11 days. Just given it the first wash and noticed the condensation!
Forgot to ask, does the condensation dry up when the lights are on whilst using the car. I’m expecting the heat from the light will do this!
 
From what I have read the LED lights dont produce heat and therefore the condensation will slowly evaporate or in my case turn to water, blow the headlight of my E220 and MB charge me £1600 for a new light. And then back to square one again with condensation.... :(

The above said, I got them to put a headlight cover on both lights where they put silica gel inside to absorb the condensation. However every couple of months the silica gel gets saturated and you have to swap them out.

After a year of this messing about, in one of the headlights yesterday i drilled a hole in the headlight cover and put in a breather plug which is supposed to remove condensation. Will see if this solves my problem of the headlight condensation...
 
I get this on my C43, it goes away after a while. Silica gel in the back of the unit can help as already mentioned. If it's anything like the lights on my Focus it's nothing to worry about unless you get large drops forming.
 
Here is an update... after two and a half months there is no condensation in the light where i put the breather in, however in the other one where it was silica gel, after two months the gels were soaked and dripping water :oops:

So i changed the breather on that as well. Hopefully this is the last of the condensation problems....

If anybody is interested i can give you a link to the breather and the nut which i drilled in the cap holder
 
Here is an update... after two and a half months there is no condensation in the light where i put the breather in, however in the other one where it was silica gel, after two months the gels were soaked and dripping water :oops:

So i changed the breather on that as well. Hopefully this is the last of the condensation problems....

If anybody is interested i can give you a link to the breather and the nut which i drilled in the cap holder
Good to know

Any links to said breather?
 
From what I have read the LED lights dont produce heat and therefore the condensation will slowly evaporate or in my case turn to water, blow the headlight of my E220 and MB charge me £1600 for a new light. And then back to square one again with condensation.... :(

The above said, I got them to put a headlight cover on both lights where they put silica gel inside to absorb the condensation. However every couple of months the silica gel gets saturated and you have to swap them out.

After a year of this messing about, in one of the headlights yesterday i drilled a hole in the headlight cover and put in a breather plug which is supposed to remove condensation. Will see if this solves my problem of the headlight condensation...
They certainly do produce heat.......hence the cooling fins/heatsinks on the back of many LED headlights and bulbs.
 
They certainly do produce heat.......hence the cooling fins/heatsinks on the back of many LED headlights and bulbs.
The control gear will produce heat thats the metal heat sinks you are seeing.

The LED bulbs wont produce much
 

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