My headlight got water in it!

[BennyLava]

My passenger side headlight on my 2009 yaris sedan got some rain or something in it. How can I get it out? It has been a few weeks and its still in there. Also, how can I seal it up? Maybe use some exterior automotive silicon from autozone?

Also what is the procedure for removing the headlight? Is it easy?

[SilverBack]

1. Remove the lightbulb (may not be easy) and place on a nearby surface without the bulb's glass touching anything.
2. Remove the the headlight unit.
3. Using a blow dryer, melt the glue that holds the glass slightly just enough to release the glass lens from the housing.
4. Drain and dry-out the housing and lens.
5. Use the blow-dryer again to melt the glue on both the housing and the lens.
6. Place them together for a few minutes until they dry.
7. Re-install unit.
8. Re-install light bulb.

I'm sure that's all there is to it, but there might some stuff I left out. Someone here will chime in.

[BennyLava]

Wow so you don't actually take out the whole headlight itself. I might feel more comfortable doing this if I removed the whole headlight though.

[SilverBack]

You do have to remove the whole headlight.

Also like I said, I may have left-out some info. There are people here who have done this lots of times, so it would help you out alot to use the search link at the top of this page (just to be sure you're doing the job right).

[AppleJacks716]

Im not sure how well a hair drier will work. I used an oven at 200 degrees and i was still wrestling it apart. My suggestion is to remove the headlight from the car. Pull out all the bulbs, drain the excess water and blow hot air into the back of the headlight.

[BennyLava]

Im not sure how well a hair drier will work. I used an oven at 200 degrees and i was still wrestling it apart. My suggestion is to remove the headlight from the car. Pull out all the bulbs, drain the excess water and blow hot air into the back of the headlight.

Ok well what about preventing it from happening again? New glue?

[Lil Abner]

Im not sure how well a hair drier will work. I used an oven at 200 degrees and i was still wrestling it apart. My suggestion is to remove the headlight from the car. Pull out all the bulbs, drain the excess water and blow hot air into the back of the headlight.

Yeah, I also had a bugger of a time pulling it apart even after using an oven.

Try what AppleJacks said, get all the water out and blow hot air inside. Maybe do this indoors where it's not humid. Then once it's all clean, you could run a bead of silicone around the headlight between the clear cover and the black back. Also check that your bulb holders are sealed properly. They should all have o-rings around them, and NOT be easy to twist out of the light. Then the main headlight should have a large black rubber cover that seals around the base of the main bulb.

[thebarber]

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/15516853.jpg

[AppleJacks716]

Yep run a bead of silicone on the outside along the joint. No need to pull it apart unless you are painting it.

[BennyLava]

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/15516853.jpg

Dang. How'd you know it was me? :biggrin: You know benny lava drives a yaris over there in india.

But so from what I gather from this thread, this whole process is a huge pain in the rump.

[OTA'sTOY]

best bet it leaking through the headlight adjuster mechanism just dry out the headlight then apply a bead of silicone around the adjuster
happened on my ford escape(RIP) found out after i drilled 1/8" holes along the bottom of headlight to drain it

[MickZEL]

Pour the lights in alcohol 96%.
Alcohol will use the rest of the moisture .

[BennyLava]

Yeah I guess I'll just go through all the trouble and take the whole headlight out of there. Anyone ever done that? How hard was it?

[Bluevitz-rs]

are you out of warranty already?