Tail light Condensation

[sme819]

2 minutes ago, onyxbfly said:

 

You have a SEL. Your light bar will not light up because its not designed too. The only edge with the light bar is the Titanium and the Sport model.

So none of the lights on that entire bar do anything? 

[sme819]

57 minutes ago, 1004ron said:

Who did you buy it from?

 

You say that at the time of purchase you noticed the condensation and the seller said that they would not fix it - that was the time to stand your ground and insist it be fixed, or walk away.

 

You say you did some research - did that research include this forum? - yes it did, I found it was recommended to remove the light bar. I then heated the light bar while using a vaccuum to remove moisture. It initally seemed to work but after 5 minutes all the water/condensation came right back. 

 

What method did you attempt to remove the moisture?

 

It's still under warranty so call Ford Corp. and open a warranty claim with them, or try another dealership. 

 

The light bar not lighting up - not all the models do, what model do you have? SEL

 

 

 

[onyxbfly]

1 minute ago, sme819 said:

So none of the lights on that entire bar do anything? 

 

Unfortunately Not. I really don't understand why/ how the dealer failed to explain that to you.

[sme819]

2 hours ago, 1004ron said:

 

 

 

[1004ron]

9 minutes ago, sme819 said:

 

Not sure how to answer that?

[2FAST4U]

On 3/24/2020 at 1:00 PM, Engr146 said:

Maybe that's why they eliminated the full tail lights on 2019 ,now has a black plate across rear hatch.

 

Maybe...but you know what?... I had a '16 Titanium with the lighted full width taillights and when I sold it to buy my '19 Titanium, at first I was disappointed not to have them anymore but now, I wouldn't want to go back to the full width 'cause I now prefer the new taillights from '19 and up. Also my Edge is black so the "black plate" blends in very well and goes practically unnoticed and look like it's part of the body.

Claude.

[Edgingage]

On 6/13/2019 at 4:13 PM, davidceder said:

...If Ford wont help the rep and I think the best course of action is to drill two small holes on the very edge where the water is puddling. This will help the water drain and maybe help the moister to evaporate. I can caulk the holes with silicon caulk and if it happens again just pop out the caulking. What do you guys think? Even if I spent the $1300.00 it would just happen again. 

 

I had a similar issue not on my 2011 Edge but in a 2004 Chrysler Intrepid, in (only) one of the front lamps.  I solved that problem excactly as Davidceder suggests.  This is my experience on this issue:

 

I used a 3/16" drill bit (if I remember correctly) and drilled two small holes as low as possible in the light casing but as safely as possible off the body paint (put a rag/cloth/tape for extra protection of the paint): drilled one hole to the closest point to the center of the car, and the other hole the farthest away towards the outside of the car, basically the farthest two points in the lower part of the light casing.  In this way, the aerodynamic action of the air will act as a syphon.  Now, as I mentioned, I had the problem in only one lamp and therefore I drilled the affected lamp only.  Well, the effect was so beneficial that the drilled lamp eventually looked way better, nicer and brighter than the one that had no condensation inside.  That's how effective drilling those holes was.   I then drilled the other casing, ...just to get it even

 

I want to add: before I drilled the holes, I was scared, concerned that I was just going to make the problem worse, thinking that maybe when driving under the rain, or under a car (pressure) watch more water will penetrate in the casing to make things worse.  Nop, no noticeable water ever got through those small drilled holes; condensation was gone for good, lamp was always dry and bright since then.

 

And the last thing I want to add is, the reason for that condensation to occur it is because there is a faulty seal somewhere around the light casing that is allowing the humid air to enter, get trapped and then condensates.  It's a Physics thing that I can't explain properly, but it's basically a manufacturing defect (not a manufacturing "design", as Ford is trying to justify).

 

Last but not least: do not spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out the weather conditions causing that lamp condensation; you'll go nowhere on that route.  And even though you might eventually find that that happens "X" amount of hours before, during or after "Y" air temp combined with "Z" relative humidity, etc., you can predict but can't control the weather, so, it doesn't matter.  Before I drilled the holes, I also did all those things: park outside the garage, inside the garage, check on rainy days, on sunny days, on foggy days, etc.. it didn't matter, it was out of my control no matter what I did or try to do, ...until I drilled the holes

 

Good luck, folks.

 

PS: I never caulked/plugged/closed the holes back; not needed.

 

PS2: Funny... I just remember that the person who suggested me to do so several years ago on my Chrysler is a friend of mine and, coincidentally, ...a Ford Certified Mechanic

Edited July 31, 2020 by Edgingage
Correcting bit size; PS2.

[enigma-2]

What's the consensus of how this is happening?

I've never had any fog or mist or condensation in my 09 MKX lights. Front or rear. not ever.

 

Having actual liquid water inside a headlight is a lot of water. So where's it coming from.

Condensation?

Leaking bulb seals?

Cracks in the housing?

 

Q. Are the pressure relief vent hols so small that water vapor is forcing itself in but to small to allow it pass back out? (Water vapor is a pressure. There's more force to push the water into the lamp assemblies than out.

 

By this I'm assuming water vapor is a pressure, the inside of the lights are very dry, therefore the pressure is to go from high pressure (outside) to low pressure (inside).

In relieving the water vapor inside the lens, it's going from a low (or more precisely "lower") pressure into a high pressure.

 

A. So, (and I'm thinking out loud) the fix is to enlarge the vent holes. Or drill additional holes to allow better equalization.

(This assumes that the housing isn't cracked or bad bulb seals allowing rain or road spray to get in). 

 

edit:

Was Googling and found that the main cause is a blocked vent. Try running a small wire into the housing vent to make certain it's open.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by enigma-2

[1004ron]

In  3.5 years it came and went over about a 7 day period  last year  at a time we had very unusual climate weather changes, and haven't seen it again.

 

Haven't done anything with the vent holes etc.

Edited August 24, 2020 by 1004ron

[TDJ2016]

I'm new to this forum,  so here  goes. I purchased my vehicle in 2016 brand new. It is now 2020 and the condensation has been around lately, about 6 months I'd say. First it was droplets now whole panel is covered. 2 different dealers have given me 2 different prices for replacement.  Going to a 3rd one this morning for regular maintenance.  Going to ask about it again.  I've read just about every comment and there seems to be no solution by Ford. I have extended warranty also, however......any suggestions on how to solve this problem.  

[lil edgy]

just bought an 2020 edge sel yesterday, woke up this morning and had condensation in the right tail light, salesman said the have vents in them, i think BS

[jmr061]

16 hours ago, lil edgy said:

just bought an 2020 edge sel yesterday, woke up this morning and had condensation in the right tail light, salesman said the have vents in them, i think BS

It's not BS, they are made that way.  It is covered in your owner's manual.  

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Condensation in the Exterior Front Lamps and Rear Lamps Exterior front lamps and rear lamps have vents to accommodate normal changes in air pressure. Condensation can be a natural by-product of this design. When moist air enters the lamp assembly through the vents, there is a possibility that condensation can occur when the temperature is cold. When normal condensation occurs, a fine mist can form on the interior of the lens. The fine mist eventually clears and exits through the vents during normal operation. Clearing time may take as long as 48 hours under dry weather conditions.

 

Examples of acceptable condensation are: • The presence of a fine mist (no streaks, drip marks or large droplets). • A fine mist covers less than 50% of the lens.

 

Examples of unacceptable condensation are: • A water puddle inside the lamp. • Streaks, drip marks or large droplets present on the interior of the lens. 

If you see any unacceptable condensation, have your vehicle checked by an authorized dealer.

Edited January 13, 2021 by jmr061

[onyxbfly]

16 hours ago, lil edgy said:

just bought an 2020 edge sel yesterday, woke up this morning and had condensation in the right tail light, salesman said the have vents in them, i think BS

 

Unfortunately people have been having issues since 2015 when the new gen/ body style came out.  They do have vents in them. One of the main reasons the rear was redesigned is more than likely attributed to Ford's attempt to mitigate the expense of replacing the center light bar opposed to just having to replace the left and right sides. I'm not aware of any taillight differences between the models in the new refresh from 2019+

[Gadgetjq]

16 hours ago, lil edgy said:

just bought an 2020 edge sel yesterday, woke up this morning and had condensation in the right tail light, salesman said the have vents in them, i think BS

The salesman was actually correct and the condensation issue is mentioned in your owner's manual (page 85).  If you're under warranty and 'if' the moisture is very heavy (puddling at the bottom and large drops on the lens) you can probably get a replacement.  Otherwise, just fix them.  You'll find a 'how to' here: https://www.gadgetjq.net/edge/stuff/stuff.html#conden
Since you're a new owner you might want to check out the rest of the site (click the back to home page link at the top of that page) for some tips/tricks that'll make your ownership a lot more fun.

Cheers!

Edited January 13, 2021 by Gadgetjq

[lil edgy]

Took it to the dealership,  they said it has to much condensation,  they ordered another one,  thanks

[onyxbfly]

Glad to hear that the dealership took care of you! 

[GEM112]

I'm a loyal Ford owner and have a 2015 Edge.  I've really enjoyed this vehicle, as it is an extremely comfortable ride for extended road trips. 

I took the vehicle in while it was still under warranty, but made the mistake of believing the Ford dealership when they told me that a small amount of condensation was acceptable in the tail light assembly.  That was until at 30,000 miles after the factory warranty expired, the right tail light malfunctioned.  I took it in and initially thought, I'll just replace the taillight or bulb.  I was told that because of the Edge design, the entire taillight assembly would need to be replaced at the cost of $1,715.00.  I'm not sure how the customer service rep delivered that information with a straight face.  I nearly fell off my chair.  The explanation from Ford is that the LED in the taillight assembly was never intended to be replaced.  Unless of course, the seal failed & condensation was able to get inside the tail light assembly & cause corrosion and ultimately failure.  

Ford needs to do a recall for this problem, as there is clearly a seal issue in the design of the tail light assembly.

My suggestion is to push Ford to replace the tail light assembly with condensation while still under warranty or you might end up in the same situation as me.

Ford changed the design sometime after 2016 & each tail light assembly is now independent from the other one.  This to me indicates that Ford is definitely aware of the design flaw.

I've been lobbying Consumer Protection agencies and other auto industry organizations to push for a recall on this matter.

[BigBerky]

Does anyone have a permanent fix for water droplets and condensation inside the light bar? I know this has been brought up before but I haven’t seen any advice for a permanent fix. I’m on my second light bar and the condensation has been inside the part for over a week. The normal ventilation process is not working. The dealership says to replace it again. Before I dig in start experimenting with a $1000 part maybe someone has fixed these. More vent holes, maybe small fans installed? This is really frustrating and it makes a cool rig look like garbage.

[enigma-2]

Been talked about here and in several other ford forums. It seems that even the factory authorized replacment units mist up. 

 

I have never had any problems with my MKX light bar, but - if it were me - I'd drill several tiny vent holes in the bottom of the fixture.

 

It seems that the moisture gets in and, being nearly sealed, can't get out (or do they use some Gortex to vent?)

 

Moisture is a pressure and the sealed lens unit lets it get in (as the interior is very dry, ( i.e. low pressure) but not really enough pressure differential for the moisture to force its self out. I would imagine that a few small holes should fix all that as there has to be a path for the moisture to equalize.

[niceonept]

Gosh, that's really bad. I get that a bit in my light-bar but nowhere to that extent and usually only after washing or heavy rain. It usually clears within an hour or so.

My view is the replacement part is faulty and you should ask for it to be replaced (again).

[BigBerky]

Thanks guys,

I bought the replacement on my own as Ford would not help because my rig is out of warranty. It’s a tough call for me to start drilling holes and where to drill on this part. A service guy at my local Ford dealership said maybe drill tiny holes in the back of the unit. I have seen posts of people drilling through the clear section of the visible plastic. I would guess if the holes are drilled on the outside, they would need caps or plugs to reseal the unit and be taken out when venting is needed. The back of the unit does have 2 factory holes with a waterproof fabric covering them. I would think these are the vents. I have even considered dropping 1 or 2 tiny 12 volt computer fans into the inside of the unit through the access hole with the wiring. I’m not sure if this would be better or worse if the unit is not venting correctly. I would rather go low tech and try and get this part to vent.  I look at every edge I come across to see if other people have the same problem and it’s been about 50/50. Some of these parts vent and some don’t. Parking the car in the sun only makes it worse and the more condensation that forms the longer it takes to dissipate. If it ever dissipates. This is my second go round with this issue and I think if I buy another part it’s just going to do the same thing. Waiting for more input and getting more info before I make a modification that wrecks the part or makes it worse.

I appreciate the help.

[1004ron]

I the four years I've owned my Sport it happened only for a few days in the same week when we had very unusual climate changes, so I haven't bothered trying to find a solution.

 

What about attaching a tube to one of the existing breathers and run it into a container of desiccant? 

[BigBerky]

Thanks 1004ron,

 

I would consider that fix. It would take some plumbing and routing a tube to a location somewhere inside the rear gate. I’m not sure how much room there is behind the light bar when it’s mounted to run a tube. At least this would be a no drilling potential solution. Sounds like you were lucky enough to get a part that vents correctly. 
 

I appreciate the input.

[omar302]

5 hours ago, BigBerky said:

I bought the replacement on my own

 

If you bought them new, check with the seller for the warranty terms.

[1004ron]

6 hours ago, BigBerky said:

Thanks 1004ron,

 

I would consider that fix. It would take some plumbing and routing a tube to a location somewhere inside the rear gate. I’m not sure how much room there is behind the light bar when it’s mounted to run a tube. At least this would be a no drilling potential solution. Sounds like you were lucky enough to get a part that vents correctly. 
 

I appreciate the input.

Or you could just stuff a few of the silica gel bags inside the tailgate cavity and that way the light bar vents will draw in dry air.

 

Just don't use the DampRid stuff that creates a pool of fluid.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packets-Premium-Desiccant-Dehumidifier/dp/B00BP2ZJ08/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=Premium+Pure+%26+Safe+Silica+Gel&qid=1617233178&s=home-garden&sr=1-7

Edited April 1, 2021 by 1004ron