[Kirocka]

I have a 2008 BMW 335xi E92. My headlamp has a lot of condensation and it caused my HID bulb to go out. I took my whole headlamp out and found that it was a lot of water inside. I think water was in the Ballast as well. I took the HID bulb out and it was blown. I got as much water out as possible. I put everything back together minus the bulb because it needs to be replaced. I've been driving with just my Halogen/daytime running lamps, waiting on my replacement HID Bulb. A day later of driving I noticed a lot of condensation was built up again. So obviously the headlamp unit is not sealed properly. I also feel like the water probably shorted out the ballast. I need some kind of help on what to do.

Check attached photos.


Does anyone know about this headlamp assembly?
How easy is it for the ballast to get shorted?
Can I reseal or do I need to replace it?
It seems like the unit price is around $600. Is that fair?
Can this unit be rebuilt?

I appreciate any suggestions.

-Akim

[Tim603]

How handy are you?

If it were me, I would bake it or heat gun the lense off. Apply a new layer of sealant, put it together and a final bake to finalize the seal. (DIY -

)

If you don't feel comfortable doing this your gonna have to just buy a new one. Regarding the ballast, keep water off it and you will be good. I would be weary putting a new bulb in without fixing the seal as you could burn out the ballast which isnt cheap to an already expensive problem.

Hope this helps!

[BeastMode335i]

I've always wanted to give that orion upgrade a shot but it looks like they have to break the old rings to get them off and that is just not something i feel comfortable doing lol..

[Kirocka]

Thank you Tim. I think I will give it a shot. Worst Case I'll just have to get a new one.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Originally Posted by Tim603

How handy are you?

If it were me, I would bake it or heat gun the lense off. Apply a new layer of sealant, put it together and a final bake to finalize the seal. (DIY -

)

If you don't feel comfortable doing this your gonna have to just buy a new one. Regarding the ballast, keep water off it and you will be good. I would be weary putting a new bulb in without fixing the seal as you could burn out the ballast which isnt cheap to an already expensive problem.

Hope this helps!

[ONE_slow_m5]

check out this post.
I think its all fixable and they maybe able to do upgrade for the price what you would pay to have it replaced.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1111238

[StevenY.]

If you're going to attempt opening your headlights and installing led angel eyes, make sure you reseal the headlights with oci rubber butyl.

[Game]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

I've always wanted to give that orion upgrade a shot but it looks like they have to break the old rings to get them off and that is just not something i feel comfortable doing lol..

Does it make you feel better if I told you that the stock rings are just clear plastic rings with ZERO LED's or any sort of electrical connection? All the rings do is illuminate the one bulb that lights them.

If you take your time it's really not that difficult. It just takes time and patience.

However if you're not comfortable with replacing the rings and want a permanent solution, you have 2 options: You either DIY or you ship them out to a company like Lightwerkz to reseal them. If you DIY, it'll cost you about $15. All you'd need to do is bake the headlight in the oven, yes I know it doesn't sit right in anyone's head, but it really is very simple. Baking them at I believe 215 degrees for 8 minutes will loosen up the sealant as you pull off the lens. After that, you'll apply butyl rubber, DO NOT use any other silicone or sealant. The butyl is your only expense here at $15 and you can buy it at Lightwerkz or ebay. You throw the butyl in the seal, throw it back in the oven, and you're done.

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by Game

Does it make you feel better if I told you that the stock rings are just clear plastic rings with ZERO LED's or any sort of electrical connection? All the rings do is illuminate the one bulb that lights them.

Lol I know that they are just plastic circles but in this video on youtube I watched, it seemed like he broke the rings to get them off and I was just saying that had to be a not so fun moment breaking the stock rings to get them out, basically making them not a reverse installation process..

Originally Posted by Game

If you take your time it's really not that difficult. It just takes time and patience.

However if you're not comfortable with replacing the rings and want a permanent solution, you have 2 options: You either DIY or you ship them out to a company like Lightwerkz to reseal them. If you DIY, it'll cost you about $15. All you'd need to do is bake the headlight in the oven, yes I know it doesn't sit right in anyone's head, but it really is very simple. Baking them at I believe 215 degrees for 8 minutes will loosen up the sealant as you pull off the lens. After that, you'll apply butyl rubber, DO NOT use any other silicone or sealant. The butyl is your only expense here at $15 and you can buy it at Lightwerkz or ebay. You throw the butyl in the seal, throw it back in the oven, and you're done.

I blacked out my civic si headlights in the same manor and they looked awesome for a while but then I kept having condensation issues after about a year and even after removing the lense and resealing with 2 part epoxy I could never get them to stay uncondensated so I guess I'm a bit nervous that I'd have that happen again.. I'm a huge DIY'er so I would rather do it myself than have no headlights for about a week while waiting for Lightwerkz or OSS.. Thanks for your input though!

[Game]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

Lol I saw that they are just plastic circles but in this video on youtube I watched, it seemed like he broke the rings to get them off and I was just saying that had to be a not so fun moment breaking the stock rings to get them out, basically making them not a reverse installation process..



I blacked out my civic si headlights in the same manor and they looked awesome for a while but then I kept having condensation issues after about a year and even after removing the lense and resealing with 2 part epoxy I could never get them to stay uncondensated so I guess I'm a bit nervous that I'd have that happen again.. I'm a huge DIY'er so I would rather do it myself than have no headlights for about a week while waiting for Lightwerkz or OSS.. Thanks for your input though!

Yeah initially that was my problem too, I didn't seal them with the right stuff. I used a ton of different sealants to no avail. The butyl rubber is what's used for OEM applications to headlights and even windows...so you know this stuff keeps water out. It's easy to use and cheap, can't beat that. I'd give it a shot before you send them out...which is always a pain the ass. Not to mention the risk of UPS handling your headlight (was a disaster in my situation).

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by Game

Yeah initially that was my problem too, I didn't seal them with the right stuff. I used a ton of different sealants to no avail. The butyl rubber is what's used for OEM applications to headlights and even windows...so you know this stuff keeps water out. It's easy to use and cheap, can't beat that. I'd give it a shot before you send them out...which is always a pain the ass. Not to mention the risk of UPS handling your headlight (was a disaster in my situation).

Yeah I definitely agree that the product used plays a huge part, and I just read up on that butyl rubber and it seems it's pretty legit! I watched a video on an aventador having it's lights custom painted and they used that shit to reseal the lights lol.. If it's good enough for a lambo i'd trust it on my bimmer lol..! Now I just have to find the right rings... @DIZ.DAT had his done recently with the DTM rings and they look sick, I think I may go that route.. I like the RGB style too, just to be a bit more different...

[Kirocka]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the suggestions. I love this forum.