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Headlight Condensation


jzahar

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I have a 2000 RX300 with condensation in the headlights. I've notice many other RXs with this same problem and I was wondering if anyone knew if there is any way to fix this short of taking the vehicle to a body shop or replacing both headlight units. Please let me know. Thank you in advance.

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  • 3 months later...

If there is a leak this will be only a temporary fix but....

Remove the HB cover and bulb and attach a vacuum cleaner hose as tightly as possible then run the vacuum for about an hour in a WARM environment. The reduced atmospheric pressure along with the warmth will evaporate the moisture and it will end up elsewhere.

Before reinstalling the fixture check it over throoughly for leaks.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I too have a 2000 RX300 with headlight lens fogging and I live in the desert where humidity is not an issue. Since I have an extended warranty I phoned Lexus corporate to inquire about whether this is a covered item. Was told that if the seals failed, then it is covered. If the seals did not fail, it is not covered.

Asked how the fogging could occur without the seals failing and was told that it could happen, but the representative could not explain further. Common sense suggests that the seals have to fail for fogging to occur.

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I also live in Dry Desert conditions... I would not call it fogging, but more of a "fog" that has dryed in place... It does cut down on light passing through the lenses --- and does not look all that great during the day... I am still under 4 years and 50,000 so will give the dealer a shot...

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Lexus headlights have had periodic condensation problems. Since they are not cheap, if your car is still under warranty, go to the dealer NOW. All the incidents I have heard about got resolved by the dealer. If your car is beyond the warranty, forget it. Even though there were some success I have heard of, by far the response has been NO. So don't put it off.

One of the issues that comes up though, is that if only one of your headlights have the problem, the dealer will more than likely only replace the bad one. If you have an older car, you will now have a new, clear, sparkly headlight on one side and an older, hazy one on the other side. :(

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Spoke with the dealer and was told that 90% of the fogging problems were due to deposits on the outside of the lens, i.e., hardwater stains. I tried a plastic cleaner called Novus #1. It did indeed clean most of the fogging except for some areas that had light etching, similar to what a dishwasher does to glass, but not as severe. Will try Novus #2, a mild abrasive made to polish off the etching. Once I have polished off the hazing, I will regularly use Novus #1 or another plastic cleaner preservative called Plexus. Apparently, these products are regularly used by motorcyclists on their windshields.

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Spoke with the dealer and was told that 90% of the fogging problems were due to deposits on the outside of the lens, i.e., hardwater stains.

Are they saying that the deposits are causing the interior condensation or what people think is condensation is really external deposits?

The issue that I've seen is actual condensation on the inside of the housing. You can't do anything about this on the outside.

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Are they saying that the deposits are causing the interior condensation or what people think is condensation is really external deposits?

No, they are not saying that the external deposits cause internal condensation. They said that the external deposits appear to be internal condensation in many of the cases. In my case, that was true. If the headlight seal fails, then there could certainly be internal condensation.

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:D My "condensation" problem wasn't condensation...just the appearance of condensation. This morning I cleaned the exterior of the headlight covers with with a fine abrasive cleaner made for plastics and the covers look as good as new. That's not bad after 4 years of neglect. The best part is that the entire process only took 5 minutes a cover.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I have a similar problem, but I don't think it's condensation. I have what appears to be a dirty, hazy buildup on inside of light cover. I've used a Meguiar's plastic polish on it before but it did nothing. I've assumed, therefore, that it's on the inside of the cover as opposed to outside. But from what I've read across several threads, it's not easy to clean. I've heard of one method where you heat the light assembly in the oven and pry apart to clean inside. This seems like asking for trouble to me, but I would love to have a crystal clear headlight. I'm curious how your "condensation" looked? Mine definitely looks like its on inside, but I could be wrong. Also, where can you get this Novus cleaner? I'm not excited about spending more money on cleaners that aren't really designed to fix my problem.

Any other advice?

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My problem was INTERNAL condensation, this happens everytime you drive in a rain storm.

It is the product of replacing my factory headlight assembly with an aftermarket (NON Factory)unit. There probably is a leak somewhere, which I can't identify. So, for the time being I just let the condensation build up when the car is not in use and it drys when the lights are on for a period of time. I am attempting to clean my old assembly's with novus, they are hazy from pitting and that was the reason for the replacement.

Watch out if you purchase replacements from E-bay or other aftermarket sources!!!!!!

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  • 3 months later...
I have a 2000 RX300 with condensation in the headlights.  I've notice many other RXs with this same problem and I was wondering if anyone knew if there is any way to fix this short of taking the vehicle to a body shop or replacing both headlight units.  Please let me know.  Thank you in advance.

IT WILL NEVER COME OFF PERMENANTLY, ALL I DO IS APPLY TURTLE WAX (THE ORIGINAL GREEN BOTTLE) AND IT LOOKS GOOD AS NEW, IT LASTS ABOUT A MONTH, BUT I ALWAYS APPLY TO THE HEADLAMPS AFTER EVERY WASH. NEVER DO THIS WHEN THE HEADLAMPS ARE ON, OR HOT. THEY MUST BE COOL TO THE TOUCH. SAVED ME SOME CASH ON HEADLAMPS, BOUGHT THE WAX 2-3YRS AGO($4). ANYWAYS THAT'S JUST ME.F

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  • 8 months later...
I have a 2000 RX300 with condensation in the headlights.  I've notice many other RXs with this same problem and I was wondering if anyone knew if there is any way to fix this short of taking the vehicle to a body shop or replacing both headlight units.  Please let me know.  Thank you in advance.

I have the same problem with my 1999 RX300, tried to vacuum the water out but that was just a temp fix, had the same the following day.

What I can say from all the postings is that I have to either replace the unit with a OEM one or go thru the trouble of taking of the headlight myself and resealing the unit. My only issue on resealing it is, will putting sealant over the current one will work? Or I have to strip the old seal (by oven, I don't know how logical is this - read from some thread that you can take out the old seal by putting the headlight unit in the oven a the lowest temp for a number of minutes, of course that's after taking off the rubber parts and bulbs - but this is still a big question mark for me) and apply a new seal (clear, high temp exposure & highest quality you can get from Home Depot) in as what have worked for some others.

Any feedback will be very much appreciated.

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neoprene rubber sealant is best.

Did you just put new seal over the old or did you go thru the oven process - resealing the whole unit? Where did you get this neoprene rubber sealant and for how many you used to a headlight and how much it cost? Thanks.

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I took my RX330 in (42K miles) for headlight condensation today. It appeared 2 weeks ago just after Lexus did the HID upgrade TSB (Bracket and Data Dots). Service just called and told me to keep the loaner and they will replace both headlight units tomorrow.

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You used to be able to buy Neoprene sealant in a tube (Caulking gun style) When I was building my sun room the manufacturor recommended neoprene because it is tolerant of weather and remains flexible.

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What appeared to be condensation was actually a film on the outside of the headlights. I waxed them and they look as good as new. The film seems to start building up after I take my car to the laser wash a few times. Maybe it's soap scum buildup like you get on shower doors??? I find it to be very odd and haven't noticed it on other cars.

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