Stupid fogs, stupid water..

Okay, so like a month ago I noticed some condensation:water, in one of my fog lights. I took the light out, cleaned it and let it dry then silconed the edge pretty damn good. Well about a week later, it rained, and the same thing happened. Repeated the same process going around the edge again..making sure I get every spot! So a few days ago, it rained again (yes, florida weather!) and guess what, more water:condensation! And I have no clue where its coming from...so my question is, could it be coming from where the bulb goes in itself? I don't see how water can get in there but I don't see any other way for water to get in there...lol. Any help or someone that has been through this would be great. Thanks guys...this is bothering me big time!

 

Well, if you sealed the edges, the only other place is where the bulb goes in. Check around that area. Maybe you have have a crack on the housing somewhere. Give it a good inspection and update us on what you find.

 

I too live in FL with all the rain but I haven't had any problems with mine (even though one of them doesn't look like it's sealed up all the way)

But I agree with ppham444, if it's not the bulb, I'd blame housing.
Not many more possible openings unless you have a hole in your lens...

 

Yeah, it has to be the bulb. I thought I was going crazy. Now, lets say it is the bulb...how do i seal that up?

 

Silicone?

 

How is that bulb sit in there? Is there any kind of rubber seal or is it just plastic on plastic?

 

I live in Miami and I just got my fog change at dealer. The dealer didn't want to change it because it's not under warranty but they did it for free. The tech. guy told me that these lights aren't sealed from water. Since the fog are vented there is no way to seal them.

 

Silicone will eventually degrade with repeated contact with water. Find something else to seal it with.

 

Alright guys, I'm going to mess with it today. Ill try to find something else other then silcone to seal it with. And I'm pretty sure theres no rubber between the bulb and the socket...maybe thats my problem. And I'll check for that "breather" also. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

WHAT?

I have an aquarium sealed with silicone which hasn't leaked in 20 years of continuous use!

25 years ago I designed silicone-sealed window systems for high-rise buildings. I guarantee you they've been subjected to repeated contact with water, and they virtually never leak.

GE supplied most of the silicone, and guaranteed the sealant for 20 years.

When I drew the initial glazing system proposals for the Biosphere Dome project, the owners demanded a 100 year guarantee against leakage. Guess what sealant was chosen? Silicone.

One of the big problems with space suits is that human beings sweat, and they constantly exhale water. Guess what sealant they use?

Silicone.

Now all that being said, there are two things that will usually always lead to premature sealant failure (and this is true of all sealants and not just silicone.)

One is an incompatible substrate. The objects being sealed must be chemically compatible with the sealant. Not all silicones are the same. Some react chemically with certain kinds of synthetic rubbers and plastics, and deteriorate over time.

The second is contamination of the substrate. The surfaces to be sealed must be completely clean and dry. The slightest bit of oil or moisture will ruin the bond for many adhesives.

Most silicone cures instantly upon contact with water. If you apply it to a damp surface, or one which is porous and has absorbed some water, it will not bond correctly.

 

this...

 

Now that everyone knows the low down on silcone...lol

 

Hey, you'd pay good money for that kind of education elsewhere.

 

Haha very true man.

Well while washing the truck today I decided to spray water to the fog light, as I sprayed water I payed attention to see if I could see where it was coming from and sure enough water dripped down from the bulb. So I got home and took a rubber ring from some other fog lights laying around and put that between the bulb and the socket and it was a tight fit! I'm pretty postive there will be no more leaking! Thanks again for all the help guys!

 

could be the air inside condensing when it gets colder (when it rains) and when that condenses it makes water droplets.

same principle with clouds

 

I thought it was a certain type of silicone that does well with water?

I'll defer to the master though.