New carlightblog series: Fogging inside the headlamps and what you can do about it
The topic is a major one among our readers and in the various forums: Moisture inside the headlamps, usually evidenced by fogging on the inside of the lens. Headlamp engineers say they can never prevent it entirely, but we’ll tell you what you can do.
Fogged up headlamps, Part 3: The severe cases
Modern headlamps have a very practical ventilation system that largely should prevent fogging. And it does for a long time, until suddenly the headlamps start fogging up more and more. What can you do then? Maybe one of the vents is clogged. The top ones usually are easy to reach, so you can inspect and clean them if necessary. In some car makes there is a piece of foam inside the vents, which you can also clean. Quite often insects find their way into these openings as well. The bottom air inlets make cleaning difficult. Cotton swabs do a good job if you can reach them without dismantling the headlamp.
Cleaning the vents on the headlamps can do wonders for preventing fogging.
New carlightblog series: Fogging inside the headlamps and what you can do about it
The topic is a major one among our readers and in the various forums: Moisture inside the headlamps, usually evidenced by fogging on the inside of the lens. Headlamp engineers say they can never prevent it entirely, but we’ll tell you what you can do.
Fog inside the headlamps, Part 2: Not as bad as it seems
Fogged up lenses on your headlamps are not all that attractive, admittedly, but they usually are just a blemish that goes away on its own. And so it says in many a car manual, which of course you should read! Yes, indeed, folks: The truth can be found elsewhere than on the Internet! When it comes to your car, that booklet in the glove compartment can really be a source of enlightenment. Even if it isn’t formulated there in quite such uncertain terms, the message could be: Try to tear your gaze away from your headlamps and look into your loved one’s eyes instead! Fogging is not a fundamental problem.
You beg to differ? Okay, there are a few simple tricks to prevent it.
First of all, you should consider the preventive measures described in the first article in this series.
Changing headlamps – Ten tips to avoid problems
Initially I intended to write an article entitled “Headlamp changing made easy,” but that would have been an exaggeration, because changing a bulb is frequently anything but easy, and the procedure is different on every car. For these reasons, the following tips can serve only as general guidelines, not step-by-step instructions.
If you have the right lamps, the old ones can be changed on most cars without any major problems with the help of the instruction manual.
The critical 1.5 volts – High on-board voltage, short lamp life
Numerous questions and comments have indicated to us that a lot of drivers are interested in the service life of halogen lamps in car headlights. In this third part of our series, we discuss the influence of operating voltage.
Conventional AA batteries and many others have 1.5 volts. That’s not very high as voltage goes, so you may wonder why 1.5 volts can be a lot under certain circumstances, namely when the operating voltage of an automotive lamp is 1.5 volts too high.
The right operating voltage is vital for headlight lamps. Picture: OSRAM AG
