After I searched around I learned one MUST remove the bumper to get at the headlights, specifically the covers. Mine has some condensation I'd like to clean up but after I found out the entire EFFING front bumper has to be removed I realized...that aint gonna happen. Not by myself anyway. And considering the cleaning will take all of maybe 60 seconds Im reluctant to spend HUNDREDS of dollars on this. Any ball park figures on a professional cleaning? A GOOD professional, so when I come back It's not to a busted up headlamp and an extra 675 miles on the car...

 

Cleaning the inside of the headlights will cost you 50 cents. Removing and reinstalling the front bumper will cost $250.

 

Thank you. Kinda what I was thinking too. Kinda thinking its never gonna happen now either. Time for a new car.

 

wait, you mean condensation on the inside of the light? If so you're not only going to have to take the bumper off but you also going to have to bake and pry apart the light.

 

Yeah, like when you take a glass out of the dishwasher type residue.

 

This is on the INSIDE of the COVER, NOT the bulb itself.

 

Removing the front bumper takes all of about 10 minutes. I have done it probably 20 times now.

 

Dude...6 plastic push tabs on top, 10 screws on the bottom, 4 inside the light area on each side. It took me an hour to ge that damn thing off (I just put in clear corners), but it will only take 30min next time. It is not difficult and a learning experience at the least...do it! Oh, I have no idea on how to clean moisture out of the light covers, but it is a learning experiance so why not, right?

 

I guess my time estimate was a little low, but thats cause I only use 4 of the plastic push tabs and two screws in the wheelwells...

But still, as wheelerts posted it is not a hard procedure at all.

 

I had the same problem and I fixed it without having to remove the bumper or light. Here is what I did.
1. Open the hood

2. Remove the front splash gaurd in the wheel well. It will be easier if you jack the front up a little.

3. there is a little rubber elbow on the light assembly, pull it off and clean it well.

4.pull out the blinker light and clean the back area of the light assembly well.

5. Take a hair dryer and point it into the blinker light hole and work it for a while and the condensation will begin to disapate.

once all the condinsation is gone reassemble everything and your done. This worked for me and it has not come back, and I live in humid south Fla.

 

Fellow south floridian!!! Great advice i will have to do that once i have this problem.

 

Can you get a pic of what you're talking about? Although I guess if it's on the inside like you say, you probably can't get a good shot of it.

 

it takes 10 mins to get the front bumper off, whats the big deal

 

Iv had a lot of headlites apart and the hairdryer trick will work, but also burning your headlites during the day will sometimes clear it up also, just make sure that "rubber elbow" is unrestricted---The lights have to breath in order to disapate moisture

 

If your Z is under warranty, you may be able to get condensation covered under bumper-to-bumper. Headlights should be watertight.

This is assuming it's actual condensation- water on the inside of the light that fogs up/forms water beads and stains on the inside of the light.

Just make certain that what you're dealing with it's the typical hazing over of headlights that everyone on this forum will have to deal with at one point or another.

I think a lot of people mistake hazing for condensation. Headlights should not accrue moisture inside of the assembly. If they are and you're out of warranty, you've gotta pull them bastards apart.. might as well paint them while you're at it.

 

My headlights were incredibly foggy at one point and I was gonna spend an entire day removing them and using tricks I found on this forum. Then a guy at the car wash close by here said that it looks like its on the inside but it really isn't. He told me to go buy "Plastic Polish" by Mothers at Autozone. I applied a really thick layer buffing the lens with some serious elbow grease and then polished with a terry cloth and WOW he was totally right and they look brand freakin' new now. This may be the case for you as well and man did that plastic polish work amazing.