# Peugeot Boxer Headlight Misted



## biggirafe (Jan 21, 2010)

Hi
One of my headlights has misted up, I've dried it out with a hair dryer but was wondering why its misted up and how to cure the problem without resorting to buying another unit before MOT time


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## Canalsman (Jan 21, 2010)

All headlights are prone to this problem in winter.

When the lights are switched on any water vapour inside very quickly vaporises so it isn't an issue.

The misting is caused purely by warm moist air condensing on the lens - much the same as windows steam up in winter.

Don't worry about it unless the headlamp is actually filling up with water - which is most unlikely.


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## maingate (Jan 21, 2010)

Try giving it a Tap.


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## Polly (Jan 21, 2010)

Hia
Mine is a boxer and mine as a steamed up headlight and mine passed her MOT last year


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## Boxerman (Jan 21, 2010)

biggirafe said:


> Hi
> One of my headlights has misted up, I've dried it out with a hair dryer but was wondering why its misted up and how to cure the problem without resorting to buying another unit before MOT time



If it reoccurred, I'd be tempted to put some silica gel in through the bulb orifice

Frank


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## biggirafe (Jan 21, 2010)

Canalsman said:


> All headlights are prone to this problem in winter.
> 
> When the lights are switched on any water vapour inside very quickly vaporises so it isn't an issue.
> 
> ...



Its only on one side and unfortunatley it builds up over a few weeks to being quite a lot of water, leaving the lights on does not seem to clear it all. 

I blew a hairdryer into it with the lights on full beam today and it took about 1/2 hour to clear all the water. 

Pollys reply is interesting, would this not normally cause an MOT failure 

I can see the rubber seal around the bulb is perished but also i can see that the bonnet side gully water drips down onto the join of the lens and the back plate. Is it possible to split the lens from the back and reseal it?


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## Deleted member 5759 (Jan 21, 2010)

Stop the water dripping down if you can and possibly use some Duct Tape around the join.

Peter


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## TAF (Jan 21, 2010)

Keep the water in the light and use it as a spirit leavel.


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## biggirafe (Jan 21, 2010)

TAF said:


> Keep the water in the light and use it as a spirit leavel.



*Genius*


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## Telstar (Jan 21, 2010)

I had a similar issue with my Renault.  Google told me that you can buy a new seal for the detachable clear front.  Never bothered though.  I assume that yours is the sealed unit, so drying off and applying silicon around the edge may reduce your problem.

Jon


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## biggirafe (Jan 22, 2010)

Telstar said:


> I had a similar issue with my Renault.  Google told me that you can buy a new seal for the detachable clear front.  Never bothered though.  I assume that yours is the sealed unit, so drying off and applying silicon around the edge may reduce your problem.
> 
> Jon



I think mine like yours can be taken apart, there are some metal clips around it. You did not do yours, shame I was wondering how fragile it is if I take it apart . Like many simple jobs it looks like it could go drasticly wrong if say the glass cracked due to its age 

I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure


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## ajs (Jan 22, 2010)

biggirafe said:


> I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure



 as far as i know the MOT is more [FONT=&quot]concerned[/FONT] with the beam pattern rather than intensity 


_... kids today eh.. yer have to tell em everything_   


regards 
aj


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## coolasluck (Jan 22, 2010)

If i was you i would sell the motorhome and buy a caravan instead!


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## Telstar (Jan 22, 2010)

biggirafe said:


> I think mine like yours can be taken apart, there are some metal clips around it. You did not do yours, shame I was wondering how fragile it is if I take it apart . Like many simple jobs it looks like it could go drasticly wrong if say the glass cracked due to its age
> 
> I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure



Mark

Sorry, I have to many vehicles and as I am getting older it gets more confusing.  It wasn't my renault but my toyota MR2.  Same principal still applies.  I didn't do it because the MOT was always due in better weather, plus I wasn't brave enough to take it apart......

Jon


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## Norris (Jan 22, 2010)

It is possible to take a sealed beam unit apart with a sharp knife, I had to do this last year for the MoT test as the reflective material had discoloured. I soaked the unit in a bowl of warm water and then cut into the sealer which holds the glass front to the unit itself. After seperating the glass front I repaired the reflective surface with cooking foil and then glued the glass back on with mastic. It had failed the MoT because there was no pattern to the beam. Took a couple of hours but saved me £80.  -- Result!!


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## maingate (Jan 22, 2010)

Aye Norris those Model T`s can be a nuisance.


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## biggirafe (Jan 23, 2010)

Norris said:


> It is possible to take a sealed beam unit apart with a sharp knife, I had to do this last year for the MoT test as the reflective material had discoloured. I soaked the unit in a bowl of warm water and then cut into the sealer which holds the glass front to the unit itself. After seperating the glass front I repaired the reflective surface with cooking foil and then glued the glass back on with mastic. It had failed the MoT because there was no pattern to the beam. Took a couple of hours but saved me £80.  -- Result!!



Thanks Norris
Just the help I needed, soak in warm water, and mastic to put it back together.

Thanks, I'll be looking at this later


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## ajs (Jan 23, 2010)

biggirafe said:


> Thanks Norris
> Just the help I needed, soak in warm water, and mastic to put it back together.
> 
> Thanks, I'll be looking at this later



 if i remember rightly... from my lucas days.
. sealed beam units have an inert gas in them...

 so if its misting up... yer seals gone... chuck it away and get another 1 

regards 
aj


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## Boxerman (Jan 23, 2010)

ajs said:


> if i remember rightly... from my lucas days.
> . sealed beam units have an inert gas in them...



They're not sealed beams AJ, they have bulbs in em

Frank


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## ajs (Jan 23, 2010)

Boxerman said:


> They're not sealed beams AJ, they have bulbs in em
> 
> Frank



 ooogh. . i thought i saw some one on about splitting a sealed unit open 

 nehh mind... i'll go back te bed...

 regards
aj


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## biggirafe (Jan 23, 2010)

ajs said:


> ooogh. . i thought i saw some one on about splitting a sealed unit open
> 
> nehh mind... i'll go back te bed...
> 
> ...



No worries, thanks anyway 
I have not done the light yet, tommorows job,

I spent the afternoon removing the Carver 2 water heater and resealing it. It was letting a little water in, when I got it out I discovered that the wooden frame was rotten at the bottom and one thing led to another so just finished, Knackered but happy that its done proper 

Its all that bloody BIgboacks fault his problem made me go and investigate my own van  I should have stayed in ignorant bliss


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