Peugeot Boxer Headlight Misted

biggirafe

Guest
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 :)
 
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.
 
Hia
Mine is a boxer and mine as a steamed up headlight and mine passed her MOT last year
 
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 :)
Click to expand...

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

Frank
 
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.

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.
Click to expand...

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. :eek:

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

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

Peter
 
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
 
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
Click to expand...

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 :eek::confused:. Like many simple jobs it looks like it could go drasticly wrong if say the glass cracked due to its age :eek:

I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure :confused:
 
biggirafe said:
I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure :confused:
Click to expand...

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


... kids today eh.. yer have to tell em everything :D :p


regards :rolleyes:
aj
 
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 :eek::confused:. Like many simple jobs it looks like it could go drasticly wrong if say the glass cracked due to its age :eek:

I know Polly got hers through an MOT I'm still wondering if a misted headlight is an MOT failure :confused:
Click to expand...

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:D, plus I wasn't brave enough to take it apart......

Jon
 
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!!
 
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!!
Click to expand...

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 :D
 
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 :D
Click to expand...

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

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

regards ;)
aj
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top