just add more you never get it all out of the channel, redlude i thought our headlights are vented? i have take mine apart 3 times with no problems or need for more sealent.

 

they are vented, I've never had an issue with condensation, which usually occurs through a leak in the seal. If that doesn't fix the problem, you may have to add additional venting as the insides of the headlights are getting too hot for some reason

 

Thanks I'll just add it in then.

 

I just finished cleaning/resealing the headlamp. I broke off the tab at the top which holds the plastic chrome piece against the inside of the lens cover. But it seems to be sitting in there okay still. I also used a LOT of putty - the entire channel was full - and had to really push to get the headlamp back together.

Before baking the headlamp I noticed that the plastic housing that the ballast screws into looks like it melted a bit from previous work. Meaning there's a small line cut into the lip of the hole like the plastic was sitting on a grill or very hot thin piece of metal that caused it to melt just a bit. The ballast still goes on fine but I wonder if that was why the condensation got in there to begin with. I noticed most of the moisture had collected in the ballast since it was at the bottom of the headlight. Still not sure if the water could have entered there though...

Even though I got the ballast on there tight, I'm going to put a bit of putty on that melted area just to make sure. I'd hate to have go through this whole thing again because I didn't plug that tiny little area that melted which may be letting water in.

Something else I noticed on the other headlamp. There's like a smear mark and some small putty particles inside the plastic lens cover. I had tried cleaning the outside but it's definitly on the inside. I noticed while working with the other headlamp that you have to really be diligent cleaning the inside before putting back together. Even an accidental brush against that plastic with your hand/arm could very well leave an oil mark from your skin. And hair or other airborne particles can easily float in there after you've cleaned and set it aside. I'm still debating on whether I want to disassemble entire headlamp just to try and clean it up. It really doesn't look that bad and I imagine each time I clean that lens cover I run the risk of scratching that surface even more (every little bit of abrasion adds up over time). I guess I'll wait awhile through a few rainy days to see if the other headlamp condensation is fixed before making the final decision whether to take this one apart. Might as well do both at the same time if the issue comes back.

Anyway, so far so good but let it rain a few times and we'll see. When I align the headlamps, I'm going to get some pictures of the 85122+ vs. 85122cm bulbs side-by-side. To help others decide if they want to fork out the cash for those bulbs. Thanks for the help everyone, I've learned a lot during this process.

-B

 

I posted an 85122+ vs. 85122cm comparison thread in the Lighting section in case you guys are interested:

https://g35driver.com/forums/showthr...12#post2195212