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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications (exterior/interior) > Condensation



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      11-29-2017, 08:41 PM   #1
Kas5gd
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Condensation

Hey all!
Just wanted to get some insight into a problem I recently encountered with my 2011 328i couple LCI.
My passenger side headlight assembly is gathering quite a bit of condensation in it and it always happens when it rains or I take it through a car wash. I haven't had a collision to the front of the car so I don't think the lens or gaskets are cracked/broken but clearly water is getting in to the headlight assembly. It's gotten to a point now where my daytime running lights are dying because moisture is getting to them and now my D1S bulb went out today (I just changed my D1S bulbs about 2 months ago). The driver side headlight assembly is working perfectly fine and no condensation buildup. Can anyone tell me what I should do and if I can fix it myself? Or if I need to take it to the dealer and get taken for a ride. I would replace my DTRLs but I don't have the H8 bulbs. Apparently the LCI models have a different LED module that only the dealer can replace (or so I've been told. Please correct me if I'm wrong). Thank you for your help
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      12-09-2017, 04:21 PM   #2
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I had condensation problems with one of my headlights too. At first, I'd just open up the top lid on the headlight that you can access by just popping your hood, and just airing it out. That got old fast so I just decided to replace all the cover's because visually, the gaskets on the covers seemed fine but when I touched it, it was very dry and did not have much bounce to the rubber. Condensation problem was solved!

So there's definitely somewhere that it's not sealing completely. Check 3 parts, the top cover, the cover under the wheel well where you access to replace the d1s bulb, and the ballast underneath. There's also the control unit to the AHL but that one is rarely accessed, not nearly as often as the other covers. Otherwise, have you had any custom headlight work done where you open up the whole housing? If you did, possible it was not resealed properly. Hope this helps~
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      12-09-2017, 04:27 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kisarci View Post
I had condensation problems with one of my headlights too. At first, I'd just open up the top lid on the headlight that you can access by just popping your hood, and just airing it out. That got old fast so I just decided to replace all the cover's because visually, the gaskets on the covers seemed fine but when I touched it, it was very dry and did not have much bounce to the rubber. Condensation problem was solved!

So there's definitely somewhere that it's not sealing completely. Check 3 parts, the top cover, the cover under the wheel well where you access to replace the d1s bulb, and the ballast underneath. There's also the control unit to the AHL but that one is rarely accessed, not nearly as often as the other covers. Otherwise, have you had any custom headlight work done where you open up the whole housing? If you did, possible it was not resealed properly. Hope this helps~
Thank you! I checked all the covers and I couldn't find anything wrong. I haven't had any custom work done. I went to the dealership and they quoted me $2,000 to fix it all since none of the lights work. I'm looking on eBay to see if I can replace some of the components like the ballast and control modules but adding it all up, it comes out to $2,000 so I might as well get it done from the dealership.
I talked to my insurance and they said they'll cover the parts damaged by the condensation but they won't fix what caused the condensation in the first place, and according to the dealership, I need a new headlight housing. So either way I'm getting screwed here :/
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      12-09-2017, 05:40 PM   #4
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Before you do any of that, if you have $50 to spare, get a ballast from ebay. I use ebay ballast's all the time with no problem. I've noticed that the condensation will pool downward where the ballast sits. If you remove your ballast, I bet you that you can shake it around and a flood of water will come out hehe. Well, at least that's what happened to me!
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      12-09-2017, 06:25 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kisarci View Post
Before you do any of that, if you have $50 to spare, get a ballast from ebay. I use ebay ballast's all the time with no problem. I've noticed that the condensation will pool downward where the ballast sits. If you remove your ballast, I bet you that you can shake it around and a flood of water will come out hehe. Well, at least that's what happened to me!
Okay awesome! Thank you for the tip. I'll try it out and let you know how it goes
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      12-15-2017, 09:48 AM   #6
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You could also apply some Vaseline to the seals. If any of them are dried out it may be causing a leak.
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      04-04-2018, 02:13 PM   #7
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Did replacing the Ballast fix the light issue? Do you have to remove the bumper to remove the headlight assembly to complete this?
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      04-12-2018, 09:35 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Daymaker View Post
Did replacing the Ballast fix the light issue? Do you have to remove the bumper to remove the headlight assembly to complete this?
I had to replace every electrical component on the headlight assembly to get my DRLs and headlight DS1 working again (see photo). Strangely enough, the cornering light and blinker lights were still fully functional. I had to get ballasts and control modules for the Xenon lights and DRLs. The parts cost me $500, but the real struggle was removing the bumper and headlight assembly to replace everything. When I took the old ballasts and control modules off, water had somehow gotten past the o-rings (which were still in perfect shape visually so I'm not sure how water got in to them) and there was A LOT of corrosion on the electrical components. When trying to unplug some of the cable harnesses to the ballasts, some just broke right off from the extreme corrosion. There was also a rusted component inside my headlight cover on the rear where the D1S bulb is located (see photo attached). Everything works now but I still can't find the leak in the headlight assemble. My guess is that it's somewhere along the seal of the lens and that's how the water made it to the ballasts sitting on the bottom of the headlight and just pooled there until everything stopped working. Again, it's a 2011 328i, so everything held up for 7 years. [IMG][/IMG]
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      04-17-2018, 01:52 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kas5gd View Post
Thank you! I checked all the covers and I couldn't find anything wrong. I haven't had any custom work done. I went to the dealership and they quoted me $2,000 to fix it all since none of the lights work. I'm looking on eBay to see if I can replace some of the components like the ballast and control modules but adding it all up, it comes out to $2,000 so I might as well get it done from the dealership.
I talked to my insurance and they said they'll cover the parts damaged by the condensation but they won't fix what caused the condensation in the first place, and according to the dealership, I need a new headlight housing. So either way I'm getting screwed here :/
Somewhere the enclosure has been compromised and moisture is entering. These headlight assemblies are not sealed as there is a little rubber tube on the side that allows for the assembly to adjust to changes in altitude. There is a little foam filter in the tube that prevents bugs from crawling into it.

I just changed out my headlight assembly due to road damage, It was hit so hard that the enclosure cracked, angel eye lens broke and up/down adaptive was not functioning. Purchased a brand new assembly for less than $700. Assembly was from Hella (search hint). I had to transfer the electronics and Turning LEDs and put in new bulbs.

DIY was pretty easy. Remove bumper, remove headlight assy bracket and swap out parts. Total time was about 4 hrs because of the LED angel eye upgrade. Was a bitch to get those in on both assemblies. Total cost was less than $1,000 for new headlight, new D1S x 2, new AE H8 240W and new H3 55w cornering light.

It would have cost more if I had to get new electronics. To check your electronic modules, just swap them with the other headlight to see if to works. The 2 external modules are sealed on their own so moisture in the assembly would not have an impact on them.
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