Dear Car Talk:
Is there a simple, easy way to remove considerable moisture from the headlight assembly of my 2014 Nissan Titan? — Jim
Yes. Replace the headlight assembly.
There are two things that happen that allow moisture into the “sealed” headlight unit.
One is that the seal between the clear lens and the body of the headlight starts to break down. The second way moisture gets in is that tiny cracks develop in the plastic lens itself over time. And in either case, when you’re driving at 70 mph in the rain, a small amount of water gets forced inside the headlight unit.
Imagine your house when it’s hit by a hurricane with 70 mph winds and rain. If there’s a leak anywhere in your house, that water’s going to find its way in, right?
So, water’s getting into your headlight assembly. It’s probably not much water. But it doesn’t take much. Because the headlight assembly is sealed, when the bulb heats it up, the moisture turns into water vapor. Then, when the headlight cools back down, the vapor condenses on the inside of the lens. That’s what you’re seeing, Jim. Or, why you’re not seeing as well at night anymore.
So, you need a new headlight fixture. And you’re not going to like the price.Modern headlight fixtures — even if they’re just halogen bulb fixtures like yours is — can cost $600 or $700 and up. We always have the smelling salts ready when we break this news to our customers.
The more popular cars have aftermarket options, which are hundreds of dollars less. So definitely ask your mechanic to check for aftermarket headlights for your Titan. I’ll bet there are some.
If you get really desperate, you can also buy a used one. Maybe it’ll have a little less moisture in it than yours.
Got a question about cars? Write to Car Talk write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at www.cartalk.com.
