When I picked up my Panda from the Fiat dealers, I noticed that the left headlight had condesation on the inside of the casing. The dealer told me that it was probably due to the temperature of the pressure washer used in the valet.

The problem is that it still hasn't cleared up. I told the dealer that I would call him in 2 weeks if it hadn't cleared up......which I will. I'm beginning to suspect that there may be a damaged seal somewhere around the light. Could this be the case?

Ta!

i would say so, i always jetwash the wifes panda, never gets misty in there, the wing repeater that did early on, had a faulty seal on to the bodywork that was sorted by dealer

I think this is a common problem - seem to remember reading about other people who've had similar and it's been rectified by the dealer (whatever that involves....)

Chris

A common problem.
Just light condensation, as if you've breathed on a mirror, is normal and will evaporate on a warm day or when the lights are used.
Heavy condensation, where you can see small droplets of water, is due to the seal failing on the cover behind the headlamp, the one you need to remove to change a bulb.
It has nothing to do with pressure washing. Fiat will fight the dealers like anything to avoid replacing the lamp unit under warranty. In my case the initial "cure " was to drill huge holes in the casing of the headlamp but I wasn't having that.
Outside warranty, the dealer may refuse to do anything. If there is a leak, I would take off the back cover, remove as many bulbs as you can and carefully push kitchen towel in to soak up most of the water. Blowing a hair dryer in throught the bulb sockets will clear the rest. Put the bulbs back and run a thin bead of silicone sealant along the rubber seal of the back cover before replacing it.
A bit of a pain, I know but depends how much the problem bothers you.

Took mine in the other day for the same problem. Here is a copy of the invoice (All done under warranty). Looks like they have just secured a loose rear headlamp cover It's been fine since anyway :slayer:

yeah it is common and is covered under 1st 2 years warranty to replace

I've just got back from the dealership, where I had the headlight unit replaced completely. Customer service was shocking- they didn't even tell me it had been done. I was sat in the waiting room for nearly an hour after it had been completed. And they didn't even put it to the test.

stundies said:

Took mine in the other day for the same problem. Here is a copy of the invoice (All done under warranty). Looks like they have just secured a loose rear headlamp cover It's been fine since anyway :slayer:

Click to expand...

Interesting to see the squeaky seat repair, mine's suffering the same problem so I'll get it investigated.

doctorchris said:

A common problem.
Just light condensation, as if you've breathed on a mirror, is normal and will evaporate on a warm day or when the lights are used.

Click to expand...

I disagree. If it's a sealed unit how do you expect the damp to vent (when it shouldn't have got in there in the first place)?

Putting the lights on will 'seem' to cure the problem, but when the unit cools down, it will happen again.

The unit ideally needs inspecting and the seal/compleate unit replacing.

Jon.

I got both headlights and one foglight replaced under warranty because of condensation.

Hi guys!

We have a 2004 Panda with 106,500 miles on the clock. Bought from our daughter and she had it from brand new.
Noticed this spring, that the LH headlight is steaming up internally now. We've had the car since mid February and not done it before.

Is there any advice please?

If all else fails to seal the light, try Hollts Creeping Crack Cure. Its in a little can like 3 in one and has helped me a few times with similar problems. Its a silicon liquid that basically rins into this sort of crack and then very slowly dries and seals.

Mick F said:

Hi guys!

We have a 2004 Panda with 106,500 miles on the clock. Bought from our daughter and she had it from brand new.
Noticed this spring, that the LH headlight is steaming up internally now. We've had the car since mid February and not done it before.

Is there any advice please?

Click to expand...

Hi Mick,

Have you taken the rubber boot on and off??
Might be misplaced? They can be awkward

Well, funny you should ask this ................

Before we bought the Panda from Daughter2, her hubby took out the RH indicator light to replace another indicator on his car.
Panda hadn't been used for a few weeks as Daughter2 had bought a newer Panda and 4x4 version.

We took the "old" Panda on, and I bought a new indicator bulb soon after. The cover unit was a pain to remove and replace, and I checked out the LH side cover too to see if it was any easier. No it wasn't!

Maybe I didn't fit the LH one properly?
I'll check tomorrow or maybe the day after.

Thanks,
Mick.

My headlights were both damaged when I hit a deer that landed in the road just in front of my bumper. One had to be patched with clear tape to get me home. The other looked fine but the plastic case was cracked. I replaced with used parts, but headlamp casing can be sealed with PU mastic eg Tiger Seal (other brands... etc). Broken lugs probably mean you'll need a new unit. You are probably out of luck if the beam adjuster gets dislodged.

A small bump will often break mounting lugs on these lights. You have to remove the bumper for access but it's not really a hard job. Just take care to get the bolts tucked under the wheel arch. The huge benefit is that any bolts getting rusty will be removed. Then you can replace and coat with anti seize paste before they become impossible to shift. It's also worth replacing rusty clip nuts (aka chimney nuts).

If mountings are broken, the case is probably cracked. Grind out the crack and seal with PU mastic (eg Tiger Seal). Aluminium reinforcement can be glued over the crack with the same stuff.

Headlight brackets repair kit -

Replacement headlight -

I finally got round to checking the rear cover on the LH headlight assembly, and all looks fine and dandy. No cracks or holes in the glass.
I didn't take off the cover though, to check the seal. It's been a very rainy period lately, so I haven't had a dry day to check it properly yet.

Mick.

It's either the back cover not properly fitted and/or its seal is misplaced or the actual body is cracked. New/used headlights are not silly money. It's well worth having a pair as spares because they will get expensive as stocks run low. New headlamps are £111 plus VAT at Shop 4 Parts.

Thanks.

If I removed the cover and checked/sorted the seal, the moisture would still be in there. Maybe if and when we have a dry few days, I could remove the cover and the bulbs too, to let the unit air out.

I had considered taking out the unit and leaving it in the house for a day or so, but that's not going to happen. Just been looking at the Haynes Manual, and in order to remove/replace the headlight, you have to jack the car up, remove the front wheels and remove the front bumper!

I'm going to wait for the arrival of warm dry days.

Mick.

You do need to remove the bumper plastic which is easier jacked and on stands but the wheels can stay on the car. It's well worth doing, especially if it's not been done before. The bolts rust into the flange nuts and can become very hard to deal with. There is also a hidden bolt either side that screw up into the wings front ends.

To dry the light, put the head lights on when you next drive a few miles. When you stop remove the rubber cover and remove the bulb in its holder. Take care not to burn yourself on the hot bulb glass. Leave the back of the head light for an hour and then replace the bulb and holder and it should be dry, Repeat if its still got condensation in. The heat from the bulb will cause the air inside the light to absorb moisture and this will clear once vented.