I keep getting water inside my headlight shell. Has anyone else had this issue? I have blown (broken) two bulbs in the last year due to moisture on the hot glass. Plan to replace it but it will be a PITA.
Headlight leak
- Thread starter jmcarruth
- Start date
I've seen a little condensation from time to time. No bulb issue or water puddles in there though.
Are the rubber seals around the bulb connector installed correctly.
Are the rubber seals around the bulb connector installed correctly.
OP
OP
Yes. Thanks!
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2004
- Messages
- 4,336
- Age
- 70
- Location
- Ledgewood, NJ 07852
- Bike
- 03&04 ST1300
- STOC #
- 5079
I would pull the plastic and check the headlight assemby to see where the water is getting in and try to seal it with silicone or something like that. A headlight assy is expensive.
iirc someone posted a thread about installing projector hids in the oem headlamp.
I think that invovled splitting the lamp and regluing it. Might give some pointers.
I think that invovled splitting the lamp and regluing it. Might give some pointers.
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
If it is sealed, once water is in there (whether condensed or in vapor) it will stay in there. As temperatures change, it will recondense at different locations in the assembly, or stay in vapor form in the warmth of summer and the headlight will appear to be water free.
Related story... Honda had a problem with early year Acura TSX's and premature HID bulb failures. They traced it to water/vapor inside the sealed assemblies and the Honda factory-specified remedy was to pull the lamp out of the assembly, drop in a sack of dessicant behind the reflector, and reinstall the bulb. The water was then eventually absorbed into the dessicant. The dessicant was left inside the headlight permanently. (My wife's TSX had the problem, we often found water condensate inside it, and this factory repair solved the problem... no more moisture condensing in spots inside the headlight, and also no more blown HID bulbs!).
Point is, if your motorcycle headlight is sealed properly and there is no crack, you only need to get the water out once. I'd propose you could drop in a dessicant bag (tie a thin thread to it so you can fish it out later) for a day or two, then pull out the bag and reinstall the bulb/seal.
Related story... Honda had a problem with early year Acura TSX's and premature HID bulb failures. They traced it to water/vapor inside the sealed assemblies and the Honda factory-specified remedy was to pull the lamp out of the assembly, drop in a sack of dessicant behind the reflector, and reinstall the bulb. The water was then eventually absorbed into the dessicant. The dessicant was left inside the headlight permanently. (My wife's TSX had the problem, we often found water condensate inside it, and this factory repair solved the problem... no more moisture condensing in spots inside the headlight, and also no more blown HID bulbs!).
Point is, if your motorcycle headlight is sealed properly and there is no crack, you only need to get the water out once. I'd propose you could drop in a dessicant bag (tie a thin thread to it so you can fish it out later) for a day or two, then pull out the bag and reinstall the bulb/seal.
OP
OP
Follow up from my headlight leak. I went ahead and replaced the headlight assembly, seems like it was about $390 delivered. Works fine except it will not allow adapter shims to be inserted for modified H4 bulbs like the old one did. The spring locks have a raised nub that prevents this. I just cut the lower tabs off the H4s and installed that way.
I sold my old assemply to someone on this list who was going to use it for a HID upgrade. He contacted me and said that my leak was from where heat from the bulbs melted away the sealant above them. Funny, I have never used anytrhing but standard H4 Oshram 60/55W bulbs. Also, the reflective material behind the bulbs was bilstering up. The original assembly was 10 years/85k miles old.
That's all you do for the 1300. The shims aren't needed.
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
FYI, that's not the standard bulb. Honda put 45/45W bulbs in at the factory.
Maybe he means a standard H4 as in not a 100/70 H4. If he bought the bike used with an H4 already in it then the confusing makes sense.
John,
I just ran across this thread.
I experienced this issue on my 05 when it was new. My first trip on the ST , I was riding with my brother from North Carolina. We had planned to go east and ride the mountains in Virginia , Tennessee and Georgia . Due to an ill timed hurricane we decided to go west. ended up going through Missouri , Arkansas and Tennessee. Well, to get to the
the point, when I got home I had maybe 1/4 inch of water in the headlight. I have experienced the problem and was lucky enough to have the issue covered under warranty. The Stealer installed a new unit.
Paul
I just ran across this thread.
I experienced this issue on my 05 when it was new. My first trip on the ST , I was riding with my brother from North Carolina. We had planned to go east and ride the mountains in Virginia , Tennessee and Georgia . Due to an ill timed hurricane we decided to go west. ended up going through Missouri , Arkansas and Tennessee. Well, to get to the
the point, when I got home I had maybe 1/4 inch of water in the headlight. I have experienced the problem and was lucky enough to have the issue covered under warranty. The Stealer installed a new unit.
Paul
OP
OP
Thank you, exactly. If they were standard from the factory, there would be no need to cut the tabs. My point is that I never used what I would consider to be high wattage halogen bulbs in my ST yet still, there was damage to the very expensive headlight assembly.
JZH
International Bodger
Thanks for passing on the apparent cause of the leak. I'm not sure what the adhesive is, but replacing the whole unit just because it needs to be re-sealed seems a little extreme!
Btw, ST1300 headlamp units are not "sealed", they are definitely vented, but in such a way as to prevent water ingress.
Ciao,
Btw, ST1300 headlamp units are not "sealed", they are definitely vented, but in such a way as to prevent water ingress.
Ciao,
OP
OP