I went to get my car inspected today but it failed because there is water in one of my headlights. At first I was like WTF because there has been a little water in there ever since I got the car but for some reason it doesn't pass this year....

The guy that inspected my car said it was something that NC changed this year.

Now where is the easiest place to drill into my headlight to let the water out? The guy said at the bottom, but I don't know if he means bottom as in underneath or bottom of the front of the light. Is there a particular drill bit I need to use to make sure I don't crack the headlight?

Thanks in advanced for your help.

7/17/2008 4:25:12 PM

fluid is low...

7/17/2008 4:25:37 PM

i thought most had drains in them

7/17/2008 4:26:57 PM

you headlight isnt going to crack if you use a decent drill bit, a small one... try to drill somewhere that people wont see it.. you might have to drill 2 (for air flow)

7/17/2008 4:32:55 PM

why not just pop the light out, let it evaporate, put the light back in and seal it up, or just go get it inspected

7/17/2008 4:37:44 PM

Quote :

"why not just pop the light out, let it evaporate, put the light back in and seal it up, or just go get it inspected"

7/17/2008 5:39:00 PM

I had that same exact problem last year when I tried to get my car inspected. I drilled 3 small holes at the base of the light and it has been fine ever since. No water is ever in the light anymore. Kind of a cheap ghetto fix but no one can tell the difference.

[Edited on July 17, 2008 at 8:24 PM. Reason : BTW us a high rpm when u drill, prevents cracking.]

7/17/2008 8:23:57 PM

i popped the light out, let it evaporate, put the light back in and sealed it up

7/17/2008 8:26:02 PM

there are goretex vents on most headlights that allow the water vapor to pass out but not back in.

on some cars they are defective. you can replace them, but most times the entire headlight is cloudy, so it's not worth it.

i agree with remove, drain, replace. i'd let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours to get rid of any condensation too.

check the o-rings around the bulb socket. if they are missing or in poor shape, replace them and you will most likely have solved the problem. unless it's a crack in the housing, in which case, pour some gas on it and throw a match.

you can always remove, reseal the edges and replace.



[Edited on July 17, 2008 at 8:47 PM. Reason : s]

7/17/2008 8:45:37 PM