16 replies to this topic

[Foci_st3]

Well I had an issue with excessive condensation in my drivers headlamp which turned into water droplets and then statprted to puddle, after 5 weeks the dealer finally got hold of ford and were told to replace the unit. I had the unit replaced on the 24th December and when I collected the car the supposed new headlamp looked the same it had water droplets inside in the same place, I reported this straight to the dealer manager through email as he was not there on the day and waited for a reply.
The 27th December came and the reply was that he would pass the image of the new lamp with water droplets to ford in the new year when they reopened on the 3rd to get there opinion, I also mentioned at the same time that for some reason the left headlamp started showing the same condensation with water droplets. I waited and had not reply by the end of day on the 3rd so sent a nudge message, still nothing by lunch time today so sent another message. Finally got a reply late afternoon and They accept that is has condensation in it but they have stated that this is how they perform and no further action is required or authorised. They also stated that as the other headlamp has the same level of condensation in it that too is normal and would not need replacing.
All I can do now is keep an eye on it and if becomes an issue again then another complaint but its really annoying as water in the lamps is an MOT failure which could cost me a lot of cash in 3 years time.

[TDCiST]

Those little bags of silica gel... Works wonders!!

I had one headlight in my old focus that did this after a minor front end shunt... (must have cracked it slightly or something and allowed moisture in...)
and it cleared it beautifully... i replaced it every time i got a new one in some packaging lol!!

[artscot79]

i do believe i was snipped at when i said ford would say its normal lol
in the manual it does say this can happen and 30 mins driving with the lamps on should sort it i know its not what you expect or really the answer but ford are great for saying its how its meant to be even when the cars got more holes than a collander lol

[TDCiST]

i do believe i was snipped at when i said ford would say its normal lol
in the manual it does say this can happen and 30 mins driving with the lamps on should sort it i know its not what you expect or really the answer but ford are great for saying its how its meant to be even when the cars got more holes than a collander lol

Very True!!

[Foci_st3]

Yeah shame my lamp wasnt clearing after 30mins or even after many weeks, well now they won't do anymore means I can do other stuff, was thinking about removing lamp and bulbs to get some microfibre cloth to clean the inside and then use the gel packs.

I also read on the focus st owners forum where there has been complaints of condensation that the units should be fitted at ambient temp so if my new lamp had been sat in a cold parts room and then taken to the workshop which would be heated then the plastic would started attracting moisture straight away and mist then form droplets.

I've still not got an answer to whether there gonna happily repair the scratch on my wing yet.

[Preee]

If it's normal then why do my lights (same as Foci) do not steam up.

One thing you could try is a smear of grease on the inside of the rubber seal stoppers incase when turned off they are allowing cold air to transfer in.

What i have noticed with these Bi-xenon lights is on a frosty morning if i do not clear the lens then even after 10 / 15 minutes they do not produce enough heat to melt frost off the front. Where as normal bulbs seem to heat the lens better.

[Foci_st3]

What i have noticed with these Bi-xenon lights is on a frosty morning if i do not clear the lens then even after 10 / 15 minutes they do not produce enough heat to melt frost off the front. Where as normal bulbs seem to heat the lens better.

After half an hour sat with high beams on the heat produced probably matches the max heat from the heated seats and in front of the indicator where condensation droplets paper does not heat at all.

[nigwith]

Hi Foci_st3

I am assuming that you either bought your car new or it is still under Ford's warranty - in either case I think that the treatment you have been subjected to is entirely unacceptable; the dealer has given you a 'fob off'. To quote from the pages of the Consumers Association 'Which?' pages -

"............. When you buy goods it means you've entered into a contract with the seller of these goods.

under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 goods must be:

as described,
of satisfactory quality, and
fit for purpose – this means both their everyday purpose, and also any specific purpose that you agreed with the seller (for example, if you specifically asked for a printer that would be compatible with your computer).

Goods sold must also match any sample you were shown in-store, or any description in a brochure........."

How can it possibly be acceptable to have water sloshing about inside the headlamp assembly? The reflector will tarnish and there may well be an electrical short caused as a consequence. It certainly wasn't designed to behave this way!

These people make me furious! They play on the fact that if they stonewall you long enough, you will lose patience and go away!

I would be inclined to have one more 'face to face' with your dealer and if they cannot resolve the issue to your satisfaction, go straight to Ford.

[Ford's Customer Relationship Centre 0845 841 1111]

[Foci_st3]

I think sloshing is a bit of an extreme way of describing it but certainly I don't understand how ford can say its normal behavier of there new headlamp design. I might have to go over to the bedford branch and speak with them and see what I get.

[cuke]

Hi, unfortunately I saw a Mercedes cls with condensation inside the headlamps on a cold and damp day in Lowestoft last week so whether, or whether not, this is normal I think it is the behaviour of having acrylic covers on headlamps that are vented....

[Haz93]

I have noticed my headlamps do get a bit of condensation on cold mornings on my mk2.5. This has happened on both the standard halogen and the bi xenon lamps. I think it is common as mentioned. The colder the weather the worse it is. But I don't think it has been that bad that it affects the beam pattern, just the bottom corner, also it normally disperses after a minute or two of having the lights on.

[Foci_st3]

The lights from the 2010 model to the 2012 model are completely different in design as from what ford have said these units have venting system to clear moisture as the units are not fully sealed.

[Stoney871]

All lights have vent pipes built into them at the rear.
The heat from the bulbs should drive the moisture out in time.
May be a good idea to check that any pipes that are present are fitted correctly and clear of obstructions.

[artscot79]

well said stoney now you mention it on my mk1 i found someone had turned them so they were facing upwards and not down wards so any water just recollected in the tube causing more issues they were full of gunk as well which didnt help so maybe its worth a look

[salsheikh]

on my previous car, i had the same issue so i drilled a couple of small holes in the rear of the headlamp and this did the trick. sadly, the silica gels didnt work for me.