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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum Help with headlight condensation and seal
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      03-28-2018, 11:43 AM   #1
TJBentley
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I'm getting really bad condensation in my headlights. It got to the point that my car threw errors(adaptive, turn signal, daytime running lights, parking lights). I opened up the headlight cap in the wheel well and the other cap you access by popping the hood. Light has been drying out and it looks almost completely dry. My turn signals and eyebrow light is working again but still getting the adaptive and DRL error messages. The headlight isn't cracked so I know it's got to be a bad seal. My question is what seal is it? What seal do I need to replace.

I purchased Bmw part number 63117268653 which is #4 in the following diagram but this isn't what I thought I was purchasing and turned out to be wrong part

I thought I was buying the seal for the headlight caps which are #2 and #3 in the second diagram. There's a seal around the caps maybe those are the seals that need to be replaced? Anybody else have luck in this situation? Please help I'm getting desperate.

Also, is there a way I can take out the headlight control module and dry it and see if the errors will go away or do I need to just order a new one
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      03-29-2018, 03:18 PM   #2
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      03-29-2018, 07:13 PM   #3
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I get quite a few pre-lci F10's through the shop with water damaged headlights and all the faults that go along with it.

From what I've seen its usually the seal between the lense and the housing that allows the water into the headlight. The module that eats white death is usually the control module that looks like an old Nintendo cartridge in the bottom of the lamp.

I've smoke tested a few watery headlamps and they all leak from the main housing. Clients balk about the cost to replace along with the module(s) and I don't know what happens from there because I haven't seen one buy the correct repair yet!

My recommendation is to pressurize the headlamp assembly with smoke in the same manner you would smoke test an engines intake tract looking for vacuum/boost leaks and then you will have your answer instead of throwing parts at it hoping to get lucky.
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      12-01-2018, 10:31 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stück View Post
I get quite a few pre-lci F10's through the shop with water damaged headlights and all the faults that go along with it.

From what I've seen its usually the seal between the lense and the housing that allows the water into the headlight. The module that eats white death is usually the control module that looks like an old Nintendo cartridge in the bottom of the lamp.

I've smoke tested a few watery headlamps and they all leak from the main housing. Clients balk about the cost to replace along with the module(s) and I don't know what happens from there because I haven't seen one buy the correct repair yet!

My recommendation is to pressurize the headlamp assembly with smoke in the same manner you would smoke test an engines intake tract looking for vacuum/boost leaks and then you will have your answer instead of throwing parts at it hoping to get lucky.
Hey stuck which seal exactly were you referring to?
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      12-01-2018, 07:03 PM   #5
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It isn't intended to be serviceable, its a cured sealant that bonds the lense to the housing.

Have you smoked your lamp yet to determine where yours is leaking from?
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