Headlight units

[cae93]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience with these "Automotive Lighting" headlight units currently in my E93? One of them has a pretty bad moisture ingress issue and I wondered if this is common with this type of unit.

I'm not sure why the car has a pair of replacements at such a young age (2013 model, low miles, no recorded damage) unless it was to get to the "whiter" color.

Any good suggestions on drying them out and common ingress points would be appreciated, doesn't seem to be an issue when washing the car, but the recent rain seemed to go straight in.

Thanks

[ItsGary]

Push the top down if it clicks that means it wasn't closed properly. Hair dryer from the top would work, but I suggest getting a desiccant pack and laying it on top to absorb the moisture.

[Helmsman]

Wow, is that water all the way up OP?? If you search around you'll find that moisture is very common and not a big deal although irritating. There is a hatch on the inside of the fender lines, try to go easy on those with the high pressure water when cleaning. When still damped, as Gary says open hatch on top and dry out.

I never experienced water here from rain though, might be worth checking mentioned fender hatch.

[deansbimmer]

Originally Posted by cae93

Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience with these "Automotive Lighting" headlight units currently in my E93? One of them has a pretty bad moisture ingress issue and I wondered if this is common with this type of unit.

I'm not sure why the car has a pair of replacements at such a young age (2013 model, low miles, no recorded damage) unless it was to get to the "whiter" color.

Thanks

Those are factory headlights. Based on the manufactured date code they are also original to your 2013. They're not replacements.

It does look like someone hamfisted the cover to replace the corona ring bulbs. I'd check that seal. Also, missing or damaged fender liners will cause water damage where it leaks past the seals in the projector cover and control modules underneath the headlight housing. Or, there are cracks or other damage somewhere.

Open the top cover again, aim a hair dryer in there on LOW heat to speed up the moisture evaporation.

[cae93]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Wow, is that water all the way up OP?? If you search around you'll find that moisture is very common and not a big deal although irritating. There is a hatch on the inside of the fender lines, try to go easy on those with the high pressure water when cleaning. When still damped, as Gary says open hatch on top and dry out.

I never experienced water here from rain though, might be worth checking mentioned fender hatch.

The condensation is pretty much to the top of the lens, but it's not like a fishbowl "all the way up". Thanks for the info regarding the fender hatch, I''ll definitely pay attention there.

[cae93]

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

Those are factory headlights. Based on the manufactured date code they are also original to your 2013. They're not replacements.

It does look like someone hamfisted the cover to replace the corona ring bulbs. I'd check that seal. Also, missing or damaged fender liners will cause water damage where it leaks past the seals in the projector cover and control modules underneath the headlight housing. Or, there are cracks or other damage somewhere.

Open the top cover again, aim a hair dryer in there on LOW heat to speed up the moisture evaporation.

Thank you, I was not sure about the "factory" aspect as they are listed on EAS at half the price of "genuine BMW" parts.

It does look like someone was not too gentle with the caps, I will check the seals as I am drying the lens out.

Thank you all for your information and suggestions.