Stopping headlights from fogging

JAS1169 · 06-21-2018, 05:30 PM

Finished one of my "to do" things on my Z4. I order and finished installing the rear housings on my headlights. I ordered them from ECS Tuning. Actually, I only need the rubber gasket but, BMW sells these as a set. Prior to installing these new housings with the new gasket both headlights would fog-up in the rain or when washing the car. Afterward, no fogging.

The old gaskets were push in and hard and lost there flexibility when compared to the new ones. The old ones were allowing water to leak into the headlights and based on earlier posting here, this leakage could cause a lot of expensive problems.

The actual exchange wasn't hard and these parts aren't costly.

StickMon · 06-21-2018, 06:55 PM

I put a little silicone grease on mine and refresh it any time I have them off.
Hopefully it'll keep the O-rings soft and manageable.

inTgr8r · 06-21-2018, 08:43 PM

^WHS
mine are still original and never a problem

JAS1169 · 06-22-2018, 09:40 AM

Yea, I'll use the silicone grease when I have to open them again. I did the new rear caps because of the age of gaskets. The car is a 2003, but made in December of 2002. Given the age, I believed a fresh start was best.

This was my first trip into the headlights and I noticed two differences over those D/I/Y I viewed on youtube. The wheel well flap could not be removed, but folded up against the rear of the wheel. The two rear flaps weren't straight like those in all of the video's but, sort of like a hunting arrow head with a plastic blade on each side. The second thing was there wasn't a silver retainer clip/bar which slipped over the rear of the ignitors, like those in the youtube video's.

This is a early production car and I'm guessing BMW made slight changes as the years went by.

06-21-2018, 05:30 PM	#1
JAS1169 Private First Class 50 Rep 156 Posts Drives: BMW 2003 Z4 Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA iTrader: (0)	Stopping headlights from fogging Finished one of my "to do" things on my Z4. I order and finished installing the rear housings on my headlights. I ordered them from ECS Tuning. Actually, I only need the rubber gasket but, BMW sells these as a set. Prior to installing these new housings with the new gasket both headlights would fog-up in the rain or when washing the car. Afterward, no fogging. The old gaskets were push in and hard and lost there flexibility when compared to the new ones. The old ones were allowing water to leak into the headlights and based on earlier posting here, this leakage could cause a lot of expensive problems. The actual exchange wasn't hard and these parts aren't costly.
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06-21-2018, 06:55 PM	#2
StickMon My other car is on Mars 636 Rep 3,124 Posts Drives: 2006 MR Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lo-Cal iTrader: (1)	I put a little silicone grease on mine and refresh it any time I have them off. Hopefully it'll keep the O-rings soft and manageable. __________________ Warning: May contain traces of nuts.
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06-21-2018, 08:43 PM	#3
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2426 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	^WHS mine are still original and never a problem __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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06-22-2018, 09:40 AM	#4
JAS1169 Private First Class 50 Rep 156 Posts Drives: BMW 2003 Z4 Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA iTrader: (0)	Yea, I'll use the silicone grease when I have to open them again. I did the new rear caps because of the age of gaskets. The car is a 2003, but made in December of 2002. Given the age, I believed a fresh start was best. This was my first trip into the headlights and I noticed two differences over those D/I/Y I viewed on youtube. The wheel well flap could not be removed, but folded up against the rear of the wheel. The two rear flaps weren't straight like those in all of the video's but, sort of like a hunting arrow head with a plastic blade on each side. The second thing was there wasn't a silver retainer clip/bar which slipped over the rear of the ignitors, like those in the youtube video's. This is a early production car and I'm guessing BMW made slight changes as the years went by.
	Appreciate 0 Quote