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How to fix or clear my headlights

11K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  framedforlife 
#1 ·
Would like to know how to fix these headlights.

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I PRESSED THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON MY REMOTE SO MY LIGHTS CAN TURN ON

 
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#2 ·
You are going to have to...

1. Remove your front bumper
2. Remove your headlights from your car
3. Heat up the glue on each housing so you can remove the lens from the plastic gray housing
4. Re-attach the plastic lens with a good glue/sealer after completely cleaning and drying the inside of the headlight housing and let it sit and dry all the way through
5. Also, it is not a bad idea (since you may not know exactly what is letting moister in the headlights) to remove the two black access covers on the rear of the headlight housing so you can clean the seal and inspect the gasket... then make sure the gasket is seated correctly and the access covers are reattached securely

Also, I can't really tell in the picture... But did you add aftermarket HIDs? If you did and you drilled into the housing to allow the wires access and did not properly seal/watertight the remaining space this will absolutely be a major contributor to your problem. That does appear to be a severe moisture issue and since it is identical on both headlights it makes me think this may be the real problem.
 
#3 ·
As long as they haven't been that way too long, and the corrosion hasn't started, you can remove them, dry them out, and reseal the clear lens to the body.

I don't think it's actually necessary to remove the lenses, and take the chance of damaging them with too much heat, but rather by simply applying a new bead of sealant around the outer seam, it can be fixed.

There a SO MANY posts on this with peoples experiences doing it,,,, you just have to Search on "condensation" or "moisture" in this forum to research it and see what others have done about it......
 
#5 ·
Yes, I thought that was most likely the issue given the amount of condensation... Tell him to remove the headlights and completely dry out the housing (blasting a heat gun into one of the access covers on the rear of the headlight until dry should do it) then just put a liberal amount of some kind of a sealer to make sure no air can get in or out of any part of the hole he made in the housing to install the HID wiring, then you should be all set.
 
#10 ·
The hole drilling generally works on 92-97 Seville tail lights because the moisture drains out the bottom. Those tail lights were also small, so there was less moisture per light to drain. That's likely where the idea came from, and I cant imaging it being effective on a large headlight like this.

In addition, holes introduce the possibility of cracking.
 
#16 ·
I would guess you just didnt get everywhere on the one headlight. Take it back off, take BOTH covers off and seal the crap out of it. I had to redo mine once too.

Also the seal between the headlight lens and headlight housing can go bad. Its harder to seal but if you look at it very closely you should be able to see where it is leaking. then you can seal it too. you can seal that seal just like the rear dust covers but you have to be more careful so you cant see it when your done.
 
#18 ·
Hi I had the condensation problem on my front headlights for STS V8 1SF. It took only a few minutes to pull the bumper off. Pulled out the plastic headlamp unit. cleaned it. the rubber gaskets in both my units were collapsed. continued to clean and dry, there is an air breather-filter housing where the gaskets were suspect. I recall the spongelike filter was also wet. Reinstalled. no probs for 2 years, and mine sits outside north of Phila.
 
#19 ·
Agree with 02603sec. I pulled the headlight (three times, so I can do it fast now) and the last time dried it out, replaced the door gaskets on both door, sealed everything with sealer from a tube, reinstalled, and she has stayed dry. Its an outdoors car, so it gets all the weather, dry, wet, and hail. The only bad area is the top of the plastic shell, the part near the top of the fender is getting some fade and need some sanding, buffing, and sealing.
 
#22 ·
Fnelson10,

I understand your frustration with the situation and I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. I can’t guarantee anything but I would be happy to look into this further and contact your dealership on your behalf. If this is something you are interested in please send me a private message with your VIN, current mileage, contact information and your preferred dealership. I hope to hear from you soon.

Katie O.
Cadillac Customer Care
 
#21 ·
Warranty only covers 'excessive moisture' in headlights, not condensation. An STS purchased as 'new' in the US after July 14, 2010 now having less than 48,000 miles should be covered. The owner may need a bit of pleasant persistence to convince a dealer service manager that their issue is excessive.

Getting mad usually doesn't help; just don't accept 'No' for an answer. Reasonable people can usually find ways to solve problems reasonably.

I know CPO terms changed after April 2009. Prior to that, it was incredible, even including bulbs & batteries out to 6 years & 100k.
 
#23 ·
It is almost impossible to reseal units when they have a leak, because you would need to take them apart completely and then reseal. There is substantial risk in doing this. The easiest and (very ) effective way to remove water issues from the headlamp units is as follows:
1. remove the lamp units from the vehicle
2. drill two (not just one) tiny holes in the bottom of the lamp housing. Be careful to choose a spot so that you do not hit internal components like lenses, bulbs etc.
3. it is best to drill at a slant, with the bottom of the hole farthest away from the front.

Unlike other comments here - this WILL solve the problem!
 
#24 ·
08SRX said:
It is almost impossible to reseal units when they have a leak, because you would need to take them apart completely and then reseal. There is substantial risk in doing this. The easiest and (very ) effective way to remove water issues from the headlamp units is as follows:
1. remove the lamp units from the vehicle
2. drill two (not just one) tiny holes in the bottom of the lamp housing. Be careful to choose a spot so that you do not hit internal components like lenses, bulbs etc.
3. it is best to drill at a slant, with the bottom of the hole farthest away from the front.

Unlike other comments here - this WILL solve the problem!
Wrong. It just allows water another entry point.

We have sealed units drilling holes is a major mistake. Reseal it replace the foam gaskets and throw in a few silica packets.

Job done.
 
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