w203 bi xenon headlamp condensation

[Flash]

Hi,
I have never had any condenasation whatsoever in my bi xenon headlamps. Yesterday I collected my car from the bodyshop. The entire offside was resprayed and the front bumber was removed in the process but im not sure if the headlamps were removed at this stage. Now I have noticed there is condensation in the headlamps on the plastic lens on the inside. Is this normal with the cold weather?? or do the lens/headlamps need replacing as a result of the bodyshops actions. One of the fog lamps was misty too but after switching on the fog light it appears to be normal. However switching on the headlamps has not so far cleared the mist/condensation.


Please post replys opinons as I need to take this issue up with the bodyshop.

 

[190E 2.6]

Hi I think most probably the lamps were removed and hence the problem started .

Not an uncommon problem however!!!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Check the rubber boot at the back - it was possibly disturbed when working on the car, and in/out of warm/dry and cold/wet environments will cause the condensation. Not helped when they will have washed the car before releasing it to you.

Happened to mine. A fault in the O/S lamp prompted the dealer to swap bits from the N/S lamp to test. When they swapped bits back again they didn't seal the rubber boot properly. In/out of their workshop plus valet condensated the good N/S unit.

It didn't clear after a few days and so I investigated. It eventually dried out (see below) but there is a faint mark. Most wouldn't notice it, but I know it's there!! Ironically had it happened to the O/S lamp it wouldn't have mattered as it was replaced!!

If it won't dry out naturally with the heat generated when lights are on then it may require intervention. Best remove the rubber boot and gently warm - warm garage or haidryer on cool setting - to evaporate water fully. The bodyshop ought to do this for you - the dealer did for me, as they caused it.

 

[Flash]

I will taking the car back to the bodyshop. Could you explain more about the rubber boot so I know exactly what it is incase they try to fobb me off.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

There's a seal at the rear of the headlamp that allows you to replace the ignitor/bulb but seal the unit to avoid condensation. Be careful though as xenons use high voltages.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I will taking the car back to the bodyshop. Could you explain more about the rubber boot so I know exactly what it is incase they try to fobb me off.

It will be the backing that you remove to access the lamps. It's a black plastic cover and there is also a rubber seal within it (if I recall corrrectly). Not exactly sure what it's like on the Bi-Xenon units but I imagine it's similar to the halogen lamp units...

 

[smiddyboy1]

My current car and previous car both have / had Bi-Xenons and when using the works Hot pressure washer they steamed up very slightly but not enough to be concerned about. Never had any problems so far (Famous last words)

 

[lynall]

Fog lights will dry out fast as the bulb is 70 watt the xenons are a lot lower at 35 watts and the headlamp is a lot larger so will probably take longer.



Lynall

 

[ddentrec]

My C180K has Bi-Xenons: never had any condensation issues with them.

 

[Flash]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Update: I have made my contact at the bodyshop aware of the condensation issue with the headlamps. I have also found one of the clips (that attach the lens cover on the head lamp unit to be broken) on the near side headlamp.

It appears to me that the bodyshop have at some stage removed just the external plastic lens covers by pulling them off from the units opposed to removing the complete headlamp units in the first place just to save time when unfitting/refitting the front bumper. It is obvious that the front headlamp covers (which clip into the headlamp units with a rubber seal around them have been disturbed as the clips are loose now and before they were not).

Does everyone agree that to get the front off side wing and front bumper to fit nicely as they were both taken off the headlamps would also need to be removed/tampered with in the process?

I am trying my best to keep calm.

I want to be very firm but diplomatic when I go to the body shop but still stay on good terms so what do you guys suggest that I say to the body shop exactly?

My main concern is that the front plastic lens covers are not available as individual items and that would mean having to completely replace the entire headlamps which are around the £700 mark each thus making the body shop wanting to get out of fixing the problem.

 

[R2D2]

If they have removed the plastic lenses from the headlights they owe you two new headlights which are £450 each on ebay Germany. They aren't supposed to be removed and they can be by using a heat gun on the seal. If the bumper was coming off then there was no excuse for this bodgery. IMHO

 

[A-AvantGarde]

If they have removed the plastic lenses from the headlights they owe you two new headlights which are £450 each on ebay Germany. They aren't supposed to be removed and they can be by using a heat gun on the seal. If the bumper was coming off then there was no excuse for this bodgery. IMHO

Agree, the lenses aren't designed to come off. As R2 has stated you'd need heat to separate the lense from the unit. Are you sure that broken clips aren't on the rubber surround, I believe that's a separate part.

Hope you get this sorted out promptly...

 

[Flash]

Agree, the lenses aren't designed to come off. As R2 has stated you'd need heat to separate the lense from the unit. Are you sure that broken clips aren't on the rubber surround, I believe that's a separate part.

Hope you get this sorted out promptly...

Thats exactly what it is mate - the broken clip is on the rubber surround and the ruber surround clips feel loose now on both headlamps. Would you have details or part number for me please A-Avantgarde?

Thank you - I have finally got the paintwork on the off side looking perfect as the previous Merc body shop made a botch up of it from an accident that i was involved in.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Thats exactly what it is mate - the broken clip is on the rubber surround and the ruber surround clips feel loose now on both headlamps. Would you have details or part number for me please A-Avantgarde?

Thank you - I have finally got the paintwork on the off side looking perfect as the previous Merc body shop made a botch up of it from an accident that i was involved in.

Here you go:

Êàòàëîã

Looks like you need item 120, although it doesn't seem to show the part no for this

Hope it helps anyway mate...

 

[Flash]

Here you go:

Êàòàëîã

Looks like you need item 120, although it doesn't seem to show the part no for this

Hope it helps anyway mate...

Thanks a million dude!!!

Just hope that item 120 is available as a seprate item (which the body shop will have to pay for) without having to buy the entire headlamp...

I am still entrigued to find out though how the condensation occurred in the first place but will let the body shop deal with that issue as they caused it.

 

[Badboysun]

I dont know if this will help, but rubber seal 120 part numbers are A2038260191(l/h) A2038260291(r/h) these are approx £12 + vat each from dealers, if the moisture is coming in between the lens and the unit its most likely new lamp units are needed, they could try glueing these these back on, but would they keep moisture out ?

 

[Flash]

Thank you for the reply.

The body shop have ordered the rubber seal part no. 120,

They are going to get the rubber seal and fit first week in Jan. My next question is if they are to fit the rubber seal on the near side headlamp then would they ned to remove the headlamp or just drop the bumber down a bit?

If they did have to remove the bi xenon headlamp then would they need to re-align the headlamp for the correct beam pattern? I know that the bi xenon headlamps do have auto leveling but does that still require for the headlamps to be re-aligned correctly manually by the body shop?

 

[jaymanek]

The condensation is more than likely from jet washing the car after being painted... we suffer from this a lot and we simply turn the lights on fora bit to clear it.

 

[Flash]

The condensation is more than likely from jet washing the car after being painted... we suffer from this a lot and we simply turn the lights on fora bit to clear it.

Thanks Jay.

The headlamps dont appear to have suffered any further additional condensation since I have had the car parked up in my garage (apart from the one time when I had valeted the car afterwards and left it parked out in the cold) apart from just some slight cloudly/milky marks left inside of the lense from the original condensation caused by the body shop.