[VegasG42]

Will this go away on its own , or is the headlight basically ruined ?

I'm not OCD or anything , but this is beyond acceptable.

Has anyone had a BMW dealership try to convince them this is normal ?

Or is this an immediate replacement ?

I live in the desert , and we are only a couple months away from hot sun all the time.

[Pentland]

To be honest, that’s not bad and will probably clear. However, it’s not acceptable.
Just go to the dealer and get it replaced under warranty.

[VegasG42]

Originally Posted by Pentland

To be honest, that’s not bad and will probably clear. However, it’s not acceptable.
Just go to the dealer and get it replaced under warranty.

Thank you for the reply.

Are there instances of the moisture clearing up on its own with time and warmth ?

Even if it does , I would always be worried about it coming back.

Looks like I'll be hitting the service department for the first time next week .......

[Pentland]

It would clear quite quickly - anything from the next long drive to a day or two. My experience is, if it happens, get it fixed.

[BlueLEDz]

If you park in a garage, you’ll see a puddle forming in front of the tires where the water is draining.

Had mine replace last week. Dealership was able to get both headlights in the following day. Car was at dealership for less then 48 hours. However others have reported that they’ve had to wait weeks for replacements to arrive.

Any changes you’ve made with BimmerCode will be gone. Poof 💨

I was able to code everything I tied today. So you’ll be fine, just takes time

[VegasG42]

Originally Posted by BlueLEDz

If you park in a garage, you’ll see a puddle forming in front of the tires where the water is draining.

Had mine replace last week. Dealership was able to get both headlights in the following day. Car was at dealership for less then 48 hours. However others have reported that they’ve had to wait weeks for replacements to arrive.

Any changes you’ve made with BimmerCode will be gone. Poof 💨

I was able to code everything I tied today. So you’ll be fine, just takes time

BimmerCode is the least of my worries.

Taking the car to the dealership for warranty work and waiting for my car is never fun.

Did the dealership mention that the headlights that take in moisture are defective - as in they weren't sealed properly ?

Interested in what feedback BMW has given on the issue.

[PNTDG42]

They are not sealed by design. I dont know if there is a single car with sealed headlights sold in the USA anymore. I think those went extinct in the 90s. Unless BMW has updated the design and airflow/ventilation, you should be getting a light with the exact same poor ventilation as the original Most manufacturers will supersede the part number when a meaningful revision is made to a part, so that could possibly help identify if you are actually getting one that wouldn't do the same thing given the same sequence of conditions.

[VegasG42]

Originally Posted by PNTDG42

They are not sealed by design. I dont know if there is a single car with sealed headlights sold in the USA anymore. I think those went extinct in the 90s.

Interesting.

So do the headlights that are gathering moisture have a specific defect ?

Are dealerships replacing them multiple times when customers keep having the same issue ?

I have a 2024 and am surprised this hasn't been rectified

[PNTDG42]

Originally Posted by VegasG42

Interesting.

So do the headlights that are gathering moisture have a specific defect ?

Are dealerships replacing them multiple times when customers keep having the same issue ?

I have a 2024 and am surprised this hasn't been rectified

I would assume it is not a manufacturing defect, but I suppose it could be, and then in that case then maybe a replacement would fix the problem. To know this, you would have to examine the light and determine its system of ventilation and see if there is some defect that has it closed off or clogged up its intended means of ventilation.

I am more prone to assume that the design just has inadequate ventilation to begin with, or least too inadequate to prevent this when just sitting with no airflow from driving. It might use some sort of venturi effect of moving airflow for its ventilation.. but your guess is as good as mine without having the thing in hand.

If you go for a good drive it might clear up. I do fear though that as it happens, when the condensation clears, it might be leaving dirt or minerals behind on the inside of the lens, which may then build up to look shitty over time and I dont know if that would make it even more prone to doing it more frequently, in a downward spiral.

So I guess that even though I think you will get a headlight with the same issue, I would probably want to take free replacements as long as I can if only for the sake of being worried about accumulation of shit on the inside of the lens.

See if they will let you keep the old parts. Ive seen people modify lights on other makes/models by adding their own ventilation in discreet spots. On my Harley, its like a mainstream mod to drill a few holes in the bottom of the instrument cluster to improve airflow otherwise the speedo can get so foggy you cant even read it.

[G42_blue]

Originally Posted by VegasG42

Interesting.

So do the headlights that are gathering moisture have a specific defect ?

Are dealerships replacing them multiple times when customers keep having the same issue ?

I have a 2024 and am surprised this hasn't been rectified

There’s a thread on this:
https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1974038

People have replaced several headlights with no luck, for some it works, others not.
As long as your car is under warranty I don’t think there is a limit really.
Just make em pay as many replacements as possible!
Hopefully you have a knowledgeable dealer/mechanic who knows what they are doing.

[PNTDG42]

Someone mentioned that perhaps this issue is becoming more common in the industry due to the shift to LED lamps that run much cooler than incandescent, thus making designs more touchy. <shrug> Sounds like a good thought to me.

[VegasG42]

Overnight they did seem to clear up somewhat. I did have the hood opened with a fan blowing across the engine bay. Not sure that will even made any difference. I have the car parked outside today facing the rising sun, so hopefully that will help dry it up

[BG42]

def overfilled your blinker fluid pop a couple holes on the bottom side of the lenses to let it drain out.

[VegasG42]

Originally Posted by BG42

def overfilled your blinker fluid pop a couple holes on the bottom side of the lenses to let it drain out.

Great idea. Getting the drill out now

[BlueLEDz]

Originally Posted by VegasG42

BimmerCode is the least of my worries.

Taking the car to the dealership for warranty work and waiting for my car is never fun.

Did the dealership mention that the headlights that take in moisture are defective - as in they weren't sealed properly ?

Interested in what feedback BMW has given on the issue.

I was the second person at the dealership I went to, that needed both headlights replaced.

I saw it as an opportunity to play around with another car for a few days.

But definitely want to take care of this while under warranty. I looked up the part numbers when I got my car back and each headlight is about $2100. Plus labor. Glad that wasn’t on my dime.

[VegasG42]

Back in business baby. Had it parked outside all day at work. Mostly cleared up. Then the ride home finished the job.

[Navin_Johnson]

[QUOTE=VegasG42;30997949]Back in business baby. Had it parked outside all day at work. Mostly cleared up. Then the ride home finished the job.


I don't have my car yet, but I'm wondering what is the cause of the condensation. Was it caused by going through a carwash? Heavy rains or driving on an Interstate at 70mph? Was the car dry sitting in the garage and it was that way in the morning when you came out? I've seen a number of thread on about this, and I've never seen an explanation or idea as to what is probably causing the fogging.

[Pentland]

[QUOTE=Navin_Johnson;31001546]

Originally Posted by VegasG42

Back in business baby. Had it parked outside all day at work. Mostly cleared up. Then the ride home finished the job.


I don't have my car yet, but I'm wondering what is the cause of the condensation. Was it caused by going through a carwash? Heavy rains or driving on an Interstate at 70mph? Was the car dry sitting in the garage and it was that way in the morning when you came out? I've seen a number of thread on about this, and I've never seen an explanation or idea as to what is probably causing the fogging.

It’s a poor design /manufacture. The venting doesn’t let moisture escape. Volvo design apparently. It’s not unique to the G42.
Doesn’t need heavy rain or anything to happen. A cold morning can cause condensation.

[ninja_geezer]

[QUOTE=Pentland;31001776]

Originally Posted by Navin_Johnson

It’s a poor design /manufacture. The venting doesn’t let moisture escape. Volvo design apparently. It’s not unique to the G42.
Doesn’t need heavy rain or anything to happen. A cold morning can cause condensation.

Both mine do it have done since day 1 ,probably worse now ,the thing is if its left for 2 days without driving it goes away completely....I really don't want to get them swapped yet until BMW address the issue with a tweak to the design other wise I see it as a waste of time .some people have had 3 sets !!!,,,,,ive seen 4 cars locally and each has the same issue.....its got to be the design as I don't see it on any new Audi ect in my area ,in fact ive been looking for any new car with it and only seen it like this on 2 series .the more I drive the worse it gets....I saw on a Facebook group that there was even a suggestion of a hole being drilled to allow the moisture to escape better
im so surprised that like you say even in Vegas ,the desert, no chance for us in cold wet UK. (this proves its a design fault and not just conditions)

[VegasG42]

Yep, all it took was a day of light rain, immediately followed by it warming up outside a bit.

Then I came home and parked the car in the cool garage and woke up the next morning to a moist headlight.

Since mine cleared up after a couple days, and it will be summer here shortly , I didn't bother going to the dealer.

But I think it's crazy that BMW is approving 3 headlight replacements in some cases. And here we are in 2024 without a headlight redesign / fix

[ms]

I had a similar problem in my 2008 535. There was a crack in the light body. Moisture ended up ruining electronics attached on the bottom of the light with a connector since water tends to drain down - what a terrible design! I would work with a dealership to replace the light. I do not think water condensation is by design.

[Cole228]

Hhhhmmm, my dealership would not replace them and indicated "SIB 63 05 16 explains some fogging will be normal depending on environment conditions as headlights are designed to vent. No repairs needed." I'm not sure what some fogging means, but this isn't acceptable for a "luxury" vehicle.