RESOLVED: A6 Rear light cluster ( 07)

[techfreak]

I was drying my one out using a hot air gun and managed to melt a bit of the lens so I bought a replacement off EBay for 42 quid that was a month ago so far no sign of condensation and this is with washing the car at least twice a week but I still get the centre bulb stopping working the car beeps the warning switching off the ignition and re starting clears the fault and the bulb works this happens about every third day as I said there is no sign of any condensation and when I fitted the new lights I cleaned up the contacts put in the silica bags and filled the contact gaps with petroleum jelly so what else could be causing the problem?

Sounds like some electrical wiring problem potentially. You're probably better off starting a new thread as you may get targeted replies.

[3wheeler7]

Hi
Newbie here, with the same problem -thought it was just me! I always look at other A6s and have never seen one with condensation as bad as mine.

Had the car a year now, 57 plate 2.0TDi SE Nav 90k, love it (came over from the dark side - BMW) the rears have been condensed up since I bought it. Salesman said it was cos it had been pressure washed and it would clear in a few days, it didn't and still hasn't and no doubt it won't.

Finally got around to removing them today and dried them out with the hair drier, all looked in good nick, no corrosion on the bulb holders etc but I wonder how long it will be before the condensation returns,

Thought I'd do a search on the net to see if I'm unique and that's when I found this whoppa of a thread and found out I'm only one of many.

Car went to Audi for a service last week - they kindly told me both rear light were condensed up and needed replacement at a cost of £370 - I bet they were planning their next corporate knees up on the strength of me telling them to go ahead!

So, I'll wait until they mist up again then have them off and drill them.

Thanks guys.

Regards
Tony

[Guest 2]

Welcome to VWAF ;)

Glad you found this helpful!

Get some pics up in the forum.

[MarkTM]

Does it say anywhere on this thread

1) The size of drill bit to use
2) Pictoral walk-through

Am just too old to go through the other 25 pages :(

[3wheeler7]

Welcome to VWAF ;)

Glad you found this helpful!

Get some pics up in the forum.

Thanks Chris, presumably pictures of the lovely stratos blue car? ;) Will do.

Regards
Tony

[Guest 2]

Does it say anywhere on this thread

1) The size of drill bit to use
2) Pictoral walk-through

Am just too old to go through the other 25 pages :(

Liven up your Sunday evening and have a browse ;)

I mean, what else could be more fun!

[toofunkyhouse]

I had a small amount of condensation in my rear indicator lens, I dried it out when fitting led indicator bulbs and used some Vaseline on the seals when refitting. No moisture since.

[JimC64]

Hey there,
firstly Gup is bang on as always.

You don't want to drill in to the reflcetor part, just enough to get the drill through and create an air flow.

Here's your pic edited below to show roughly where / how I did mine

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/1-8.jpg


See pic above.............this is the area to drill, around a dozen or so holes, maybe 15 using a relatively small drillbit ( 4-5mm ) this should do the job

Hope it helps

Jim

[Brycie]

they kindly told me both rear light were condensed up and needed replacement at a cost of £370 - I bet they were planning their next corporate knees up on the strength of me telling them to go ahead!

WHAT!?!?! £370?!?! I was quoted £32 for parts & £50 for labour - that's each side, by Preston Audi. Were they planning on replacing the outer lens covers as well I wonder? What a rip off. Glad you decided to investigate.

[3wheeler7]

Sorry, got it wrong, I've re-read the advisory - it was "only" £340 for the rear clusters and fitting, the £370 was to investigate the "air-con" leak because there was a trace of dye around the pump!
All this from the caring Audi delaer who had just relieved me of £220 for an oil change service and brake fluid change but wouldn't even fit me a couple of missing Dzus studs in the undertray - cost £5.00.
It's the first and last service I have done by Audi - only did it whilst I've got warranty on the car, it's back to the local German car specialist next year.

Regards
Tony

[Brycie]

Slightly better, but still extortion. Mine was quoted £80 per side fitted, so I can't see where the extra £180 tbey quoted you is coming from.

[Guest 2]

Just had a look on eBay, the LED highline clusters Audi fitted to my car are £60 a side online, not sure how much Audi charge tho as mine were done under warranty -

Audi A6 04-08 LED Rear Light BACK Lamp TAIL LENS LENSE NEW N/S PASSENGER SIDE (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A6-04-08-LED-Rear-Light-BACK-Lamp-TAIL-LENS-LENSE-NEW-N-S-PASSENGER-SIDE-/360510057750?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AAudi%7CModel%3AA6&hash=item53f012ed16)

and

Audi A6 LED Rear Light BACK Lamp TAIL LENS LENSE CLUSTER NEW O/S DRIVERS SIDE | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A6-LED-Rear-Light-BACK-Lamp-TAIL-LENS-LENSE-CLUSTER-NEW-O-S-DRIVERS-SIDE-/230965268052?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AAudi%7CModel%3AA6&hash=item35c69a4e54)

It seems Audi re-used my bulb holders so they must be interchangeable.

[sdavies007]

Hi
Just thought id check back in on this thread, and update, I have the LED HL rear lights on a '57 A6 le mans. They were completely wet all the time, and I found this thread back in April luckily. As im out of warranty I decided to get the hairdryer and drill out. I was a bit unsure of the drilling points so i done this slightly differently,hence this post, and its worked 100%. The only reason I done the holes differently is i thought it would be easier to backtrack and cover them up easier than a long line of holes, not to mention a little less stressful :) In the picture you can see the 'square' of holes I made. its pretty easy to see into the cluster to have a good aim also.Thanks to everyone else who contributed here also, there hasn't been even the slightest hint of moisture ever since April.

21550

[JimC64]

See pic below.............this is the area to drill, around a dozen or so holes, maybe 15 using a relatively small drillbit ( 4-5mm ) this should do the job

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/1-8.jpg (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/jaycam0802/media/1-8.jpg.html)

Hope it helps

Jim

Glad it worked for you sdavies, and thanks also for sharing details of your drill points to achieve the same result.

Hope you enjoy clear dry lights for some time to come.

To be honest it still amazes me to this day the amount of Audi's I see every day and mots have this issue to some degree or other. The other one I look for is the VW Passat's / Golfs / Jettas that suffer from wing corrosion, still many many out there, luckily I managed to get this sorted out on my nearly 10 yr old Passat through warranty after chasing hard.

[Guest 2]

My highline LED's are still fog free (touch wood!).

[Brycie]

Finally got around to drilling my rear clusters today too - I had a bulb out anyway, so it was a good opportunity. Took it down the jet wash for a good clean & gave the rear lights a good blast with the jet to test if the drilling has worked & so far so good, absolutely no condensation at all.

[Guest 2]

Super duper keep us updated, I've just noticed my 2013 stamped Highline units are starting to steam now too :( dunno whether to be cheeky and drill them or wait until service time to get 'em changed.


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[Brycie]

Will do.

As long as you're coveted by warranty mate, let Audi keep changing them. If for some reason you get an electrical fault in one of the clusters that's totally unrelated, they may look at the drill holes & say the lights are no longer covered because you've drilled them. That'd be my thinking anyway.

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[JimC64]

Finally got around to drilling my rear clusters today too - I had a bulb out anyway, so it was a good opportunity. Took it down the jet wash for a good clean & gave the rear lights a good blast with the jet to test if the drilling has worked & so far so good, absolutely no condensation at all.


Nice one Brycie mate.........

I was just admiring my clear condensation free rear light clusters the other day after she was washed.....lol
Strange the things you normally take for granted, now seem like a big deal!!

Keep coming back at us with any updates etc

Thanks

[JimC64]

Now more than a few years down the road with this fix and ALL is still well.............everyone else?

I'm just wondering how many there are still out there with this issue?

I still see Audi's around the place with rear lights full of condensation..........looks really poor

[kerbdog]

Now more than a few years down the road with this fix and ALL is still well.............everyone else?

I'm just wondering how many there are still out there with this issue?

I still see Audi's around the place with rear lights full of condensation..........looks really poor

Ever since I drilled/fixed my lights I've had no major issues - one slight fogging up over the past year but that went away fairly quickly. No 'pool' of water to be seen :)

[JimC64]

Ever since I drilled/fixed my lights I've had no major issues - one slight fogging up over the past year but that went away fairly quickly. No 'pool' of water to be seen :)

A really good cheap fix, thanks again to Gup for that, credit where credit is due I say.

Any others?

[Brycie]

I've not been checking it that regularly, but the 4 or 5 times I've looked, they've been completely dry :beerchug:

Speaking of Mr G, where have all his posts gone on this thread - and where's he gone for that matter?

[JimC64]

I've not been checking it that regularly, but the 4 or 5 times I've looked, they've been completely dry :beerchug:

Speaking of Mr G, where have all his posts gone on this thread - and where's he gone for that matter?

I don't know where Mr G is Paul or his threads for that matter, there seem to be a few that have been "edited" just not sure if it was by himself or perhaps a mod?

I know the last time we spoke he was looking at other sites, but unsure tbh? I haven't been exactly regular myself here for some time either.
Hope he's still around, a great guy to know, very helpful too.

[Guest 2]

Going by his footer he seems to be in the middle of a move.

[JimC64]

Thanks Chris, I do remember him talking about that as a possibility some time ago.

[EssexGonzo]

Mine are still dry as a bone, both drilled.

I was also having a similar problem with an A2 headlight so employed the same solution.

Worked a treat. :cool:

[Igloo]

I have to get mine booked in again, less than 10 months and misting again.

Going to try for LEDs this time

[Guest 2]

I have to get mine booked in again, less than 10 months and misting again.

Going to try for LEDs this time

They gave in when I asked for LEDs, pretty painless but they're still prone to the misting :(

[Igloo]

They gave in when I asked for LEDs, pretty painless but they're still prone to the misting :(

This time I could drill it, but have the advantage of LEDs ;)

[JimC64]

This time I could drill it, but have the advantage of LEDs ;)

How'd you go Igloo?
Update?

[ruggedscot]

Yep those little holes made a huge difference. I need to replace the right light though as its cracked..... just like stress fractures. These were there before but was more concerned with the condensation, now no condensation Ill need to sort out the light.

Just turned 120k in the car and its still going like a young un. Milage is dropping a little as using the Z4 a bit just for a change and for a bit of fun.

[JimC64]

Yep those little holes made a huge difference. I need to replace the right light though as its cracked..... just like stress fractures. These were there before but was more concerned with the condensation, now no condensation Ill need to sort out the light.

Just turned 120k in the car and its still going like a young un. Milage is dropping a little as using the Z4 a bit just for a change and for a bit of fun.

Nice one Gav, good that you got it resolved.

Glad to hear you're enjoying the Z4 too........

[Brycie]

I had a meeting with work recently with someone who owns a pre-racelift A6 C6 & he had really severe cracks all over his rear clusters, which apparently had started off as the hairline cracks which you mentioned ruggedscot & I have too (although I can't remember if it's just on one side or both). As well as the condensation & corrosion, this cracking also seems to be a common problem. They could all be related, though this guy said he'd never had the multiple bulb failure warnings that most of us in this thread have had.

[AlyM]

Well mines are still free from condensation :)
Going back to this multiple bulb failure. I had this with the LH side... I removed the bulb holder gave it a good clean with a fine sand paper I then used this Halfords | Halfords Electrical Contact Cleaner 400ml (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_19 5717_langId_-1_categoryId_255223) to clean it! I done this will all the bulbs also... I kept it in the house over night to dry out properly! And 'touch wood' the issue hasn't been back... And it's been just over a month now! Not saying it won't come back but I'm happy for the now... ;)

[Igloo]

How'd you go Igloo?
Update?

They "Just dried them out".

They're OK now, I know it'll be back though.

I might be changing my A6 for a Q7 so will see, It's going in for a cambelt on the 27th.

When the condensation comes back, If I still own the car I will get them to swap for LEDs and drill them straight away.

[EssexGonzo]

Aaaaaghhhhh!

Having replaced the OSR bulb holder last year and drilled both clusters and also having been condensation free for some time now........

The DIS has just lit up to tell me that the NSR tail, reversing and indicator bulbs have all failed! The car had been standing for 3 days or so in a lot of rain.

Stopped for fuel after a 20 minute drive and all is well. Probably moisture on the contacts either in the holder or the plug, which dried out once I got moving.

That'll be coming out at the weekend for a clean. If that doesn't work, I'll replace that cluster too.

:mad:

[JimC64]

Sorry to hear EG....

Hopefully a quick clean / check ( maybe some time with a hairdryer or similar ) will resolve these issues permanently. Failing that I would guess that a replacement would fix it permanently as the condensation issue is now resolved.

Good luck and hope to hear

[Guest 2]

My Highline clusters will be getting replaced at the end of this month .. again!

[JimC64]

My Highline clusters will be getting replaced at the end of this month .. again!

A pointless excerside though Chris unless you drill them as they'll just go again.

I'm just glad I don't have to look at lights constantly full of condensation anymore.

[Guest 2]

A pointless excerside though Chris unless you drill them as they'll just go again.

I'm just glad I don't have to look at lights constantly full of condensation anymore.

Still under warranty so can't just yet.


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[EssexGonzo]

Having just got home in the dark, lights all working fine. However the NSR tail lights are ever so slightly dimmer than the OS so there's definitely some sort of voltage drop happening.

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[royclark]

Aaaaaghhhhh!

Having replaced the OSR bulb holder last year and drilled both clusters and also having been condensation free for some time now........

The DIS has just lit up to tell me that the NSR tail, reversing and indicator bulbs have all failed! The car had been standing for 3 days or so in a lot of rain.

Stopped for fuel after a 20 minute drive and all is well. Probably moisture on the contacts either in the holder or the plug, which dried out once I got moving.

That'll be coming out at the weekend for a clean. If that doesn't work, I'll replace that cluster too.

:mad:

You can get the water out of the bulb holders with WD40, then put this in the bulb holders and on the bulb bayonet to waterproof them. - Silicone grease pure 100g ideal electrical waterproofing & rubber lubricant | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicone-grease-pure-100g-ideal-electrical-waterproofing-rubber-lubricant-/380808595561?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Car_Care_Cleani ng&hash=item58a9f60869#ht_196wt_958)

[EssexGonzo]

Well I gave in and bought a new NSR bulb holder today. All fitted, no warnings and bulb brightness restored to normal. All for £37 for the part. ISTR that's cheaper than the OSR one I bought last year.

Hopefully good for another 6 years and 8 months, possibly more with the preventative drilling in place.

[Brycie]

Two bulb warnings from the right rear cluster just beeped up on my way home just now :'(. I'll get a couple of bulbs tomorrow to see if by any chance it is just a coincidence that two have blown together, but I may have to get the old sandpaper out to clean the contacts.

Edit: should have checked before posting the above. Although I got two bulb warnings (right brake light & right rear light), it's for the one bulb, so I'm fairly confident tbe drilling is still holding up & I just have a faulty bulb. It's only come up with warnings a couple of times since posting the above, the rest of the time it's been working, so I've not changed it yet. Will change it once it goes for good & report back if a new bulb fixed it.

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[big]

Having just got home in the dark, lights all working fine. However the NSR tail lights are ever so slightly dimmer than the OS so there's definitely some sort of voltage drop happening.

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I noticed the stop/tail light was dimmer than the adjacent tail light in the boot. Turned out to be that the bulb on the stop tail was discoloured when I removed it. It had gone a sort of grey/silver inside the bulb. Since there is only 1 filament in the 21w bulb they must get the dim/bright effect for the tail/stop bulb by adjusting the voltage. This must be what causes the discoloration.

New bulbs fixed it. I did both sides since the other was obvious having done one replacement.

Rob

[TheFixer]

Might get this drill hole fix done this arvo. Is it enough or would a bit of silicone as others have done be necessary?

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[AlyM]

Drilling the holes was enough for me! I wouldn't bother with the silicone personally...

[TheFixer]

Cheers!!!

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[TheFixer]

Drilling done. Did JimC64 and sdavies007 versions of the fix. Nothing like double protection. Can't hurt 😀

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[TheFixer]

48hrs later a wash and rainy 2 days and 100% improvement. lenses are crystal clear and that's without drying them after the drilling. Well happy.

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[JimC64]

Result............thanks for sharing.

Please pass along to any / all you know..........Pay it forward!!

[Lewis-Oddie]

I read this thread a couple of weeks after buying my A6. I removed my lights and they were covered in water ! Dried them out and drilled the holes as per Jim's pictures, they have been brilliant since, not a single bit of condensation. Huge thank you to all involved.

[JimC64]

Thanks Lewis........although I started this thread and have probably banged the drum as much as, or more than anybody....even though I posted and reposted pics etc I can't take credit for it unfortunately.

It was Gups initial idea that has worked so well

Glad your issue was resolved

[rawtor51]

Thanks for doing this thread guys, just bought an 08 A6 and suffered from this so I done the drilling today, will see how it goes over the next wee while.

[JimC64]

Thanks for doing this thread guys, just bought an 08 A6 and suffered from this so I done the drilling today, will see how it goes over the next wee while.

I'm sure it'll be much improved.

Don't get me wrong, when I wash the car or use a jet wash in that area, or have very heavy / prolonged rain, I still get a very slight fogginess, tbut that clears very quickly.

Before drilling, it was condensation, full on with water droplets and small puddles forming, so now like night n day.

Hope to hear.......

[simon_golf_tt]

Just done this tonight too. To my 2007 lemans. Only had it a month but has the issue. Took 30min. Easy job due to all the groundwork. Thanks guys!


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[JimC64]

Just done this tonight too. To my 2007 lemans. Only had it a month but has the issue. Took 30min. Easy job due to all the groundwork. Thanks guys!


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Another happy Audi owner, nice one :approve:

[simon_golf_tt]

Just wanted to report back that the drilling completely fixed my light condensation after 3 days. I didn't bother drying them out. I let the vent holes do their job after 3 days! Great tip this thread. Thanks again!


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[JimC64]

Nice one Simon, thanks for reporting back, no doubt it'll help and inspire others, which is after all the whole idea....lol

[gedclarkson]

Hi guys did the drill fix about 8 months back.... worked great and still working! Cheers

[peter goble]

Trying to sort out condensation & bulb issue, Is it just one nut & a bit of brute force to remove the cluster, struggling to get it out.

[Guest 2]

One long blackish nut and then pull it out. There are also two locating tab things on the wing side.

Your manual will give the procedure.

[peter goble]

Yes 1 nut & "persuasion", Pre-facelift has LED brake lights fitted, but still getting condensation & keeps throwing up rear light, fog light & indicator bulb all out.

[Guest 2]

Only had LED brake light if Highline clusters have been retrofitted or you have Xenons.

Check the bulb holder contacts and bottom of the bulbs for corrosion. I left a link on one of your other light related threads.

[peter goble]

yes cheers Chris, I think I know what the connection failure is, Audi have used what looks like a Zinc rich material for the connector "strips" where as the zinc is supposed to resist corrosion with the moisture issues in the light cluster this causes a powdery white residue to form on the surface causing a poor connection. anyone have any thoughts on this???

[EssexGonzo]

yes cheers Chris, I think I know what the connection failure is, Audi have used what looks like a Zinc rich material for the connector "strips" where as the zinc is supposed to resist corrosion with the moisture issues in the light cluster this causes a powdery white residue to form on the surface causing a poor connection. anyone have any thoughts on this???

Only suggestions from me are, in this order, sands down the contacts, drill some nice holes and see what happens. If that doesn't work, get a new bulb holder rather than whole new cluster.

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[inspectorman63]

Yes 1 nut & "persuasion".

When I took my R/H cluster out, I'm sure it hadn't ever moved since it left the factory. There was a lot of stiction between the pegs on the cluster and the bungs which locate it. I would have tried some rubber / nylon lubricant had it not come out eventually. Drilling the holes fixed the condensation issues.

[clintyboy12]

On my a6 I undo the nut on the inside, push on that with the back of the screwdriver as well as trying to ease out using an one plastic card (like credit card but one that I don't use! ). Have to move it back, so following the line of the car rather than pulling outwards. Takes a while as well as some 'wiggling'!

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[EssexGonzo]

On my a6 I undo the nut on the inside, push on that with the back of the screwdriver as well as trying to ease out using an one plastic card (like credit card but one that I don't use! ). Have to move it back, so following the line of the car rather than pulling outwards. Takes a while as well as some 'wiggling'!

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Snap. Instead of the credit card (life would end if I snapped it) I use a wallpaper scraper covered in insulation or duct tape.

And lots of wiggling plus a soft landing for when the cluster inevitably comes shooting out.

[jugghead]

I had the same issue, i took the rear light clusters out and drilled 5 holes on the bottom end of the light cluster itself, the condensation issue cleared up in about 4 days. The light / alarm came back on again although the condensation issue was all cleared up. I then took back out the rear light cluster and looked at the male socket pins in which there's a cluster of five together and a single one on its own, (if i remember correctly). Anyway the single pin on its own looks slightly discoloured / charred, therefore i believe that this particular pin cannot handle the current its being exposed too. Get a nail file or some abrasive tools to scratch away the corrosion on this particular pin. Thats seemed to have sorted the issue for me so far. no more alarm issues. The weather we've had lately with all the rain over this bank holiday weekend still will show proof if this was a viable solution. I'll reply again soon.

[peter goble]

Checked today & yes there it was 1 pin causing the problem. cleaned up & now all working fine.

[Merts75]

Hi all, been reading this thread since 6.30am lol! Bought an 2008 a6 saloon s line yesterday and although when I viewed the car a week earlier it had condensation in the tail lights the dealer to got rid by saying dried them out and re sealed....safe to say I picked up car yesterday lights dry drove home about 5 miles.....condensation! Then we had massive downpour. After the rain cleared took cluster out and noticed all wet along the edge and the seal in the bulb holder was wet also. Dried all out and put back few hours later condensation reappears! I want to try this drilling lark but wanted to ask is drilling all that is required or do I need to silicone around the edges but not bottom where drilled and put a thicker seal in the bulb holder? I love this car even though I've only had it a day....the lockdown feels like it's gonna take off!....p.s 3.0l TDI
Thanks for any replies, I know this post has been running a fair while.




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[jugghead]

i just drilled 5 holes about (5mm - 6mm) approx 6-7mm apart, along the bottom end of the red plastic , i didn't bother with the silicone sealing or anything like that. It takes a couple of days for the condensation to fully disappear / dry-out. While you have the rear light clusters out, if you look at the electrical pins, you'll see that there's one pin isolated on its own that might look a bit charred / discoloured. Gently scrape of all the charing off this pin as this will cause the rear light warning fault to appear on the dashboard if it hasn't occurred yet…I just had a look outside at the car and still no condensation and it was rainy yesterday quite badly up here in lichfield. Not to worry though i've seen 13-plate Audi Q7 with slight front light condensation.

[Merts75]

Thanks buddy, will try that and report back


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[JimC64]

I suppose it all depends on the severity of the problem...

For me - It was simply a case of removal, drying them out ( used some kitchen roll for the worst of it, the a hairdryer for 20 mins or so ) drill them as shown and replace.....all good

You may find once in a while when it rains or at car wash time, there is a slight fogging, but tis disappears very quickly

Good luck

[Merts75]

Ok, so it's been blistering hot day today so I put my lights out to dry, only took a couple of hours, I then drilled about 8 4mm holes along the bottom (pic attached) I drilled through the plastic but not the metal inside, then put all back together. I'll see in the morning if it's condensated again...fingers crossed!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/09/vysezu9u.jpg


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[JimC64]

Good luck.....hope to hear good news

[TGRBallymena]

Hi,

Apologies if I missed something between pages 17 and here but I thought it was worth mentioning that I had a water feature in the OS rear brake cluster on my 1999 A6. There was about 3'' of water in it which had ingressed through a crack. It was possible to watch the water swoosh from side to side when driving round corners - so entertained drivers behind. My mechanic drilled a small hole (1 - 2mm) to allow the water to drain in the OUTSIDE of the unit. It was on the lower section - to allow the pond to drain out. Unless you were searching for the hole, you would never see it. In the following 7 years I had no condensation and he pond disappeared.

Richard

[Merts75]

Hi all
Just thought I'd update...I left it a week to see how if my hole drilling worked and safe to say I have suffered no condensation at all, it's been bone dry inside the clusters, although the weather has been dry all week so I decided to wash the car today and gave rear lights a thoroughly good soaking with the hose and after drying the car it has shown no signs of condensing up. Fingers crossed it's cured the problem

I will monitor over the coming days and report back

Cheers
David


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[jugghead]

Glad too hear. I've still suffered no condensation although I suppose water will still get in. Eventually over a couple of days, any water will dry out.

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[Merts75]

I suppose when the weather changes later in the year when it's damp a lot, we'll see how it copes then...


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[jugghead]

No, not really. I don't think you'll have an issue. I've only suffered a small amout of water getting in which is not as noticeable like the condensation and all our car are the same, I still believe the water comes in from the boot spoiler. i.e. slight lip on the rear boot, the water flows to the sides then drops down to the rear quarter panal where the rear light cluster meets..

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[Merts75]

Amazing how these small holes stop the lights sweating inside! Holes on the underside and when cluster seated back into the body I find it odd how it ventilates


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[ruggedscot]

There doesnt need to be much in the way of ventilation - its the fact that there is some flow between the inside of the fitting and the outside enough to allow that excess moisture a way to escape from the fitting.

[Anorak_Stan]

Probaly doesn't help but as some people have mentioned the LED Version, I have the LED version on my 2010/2011 Avant and they seem to be 100% condensation free - though I will be keeping an eye on them now !

[JimC64]

Thanks to Sam ( Mycarsvw ) for adding Resolved to the title thread, much appreciated.

The hope moving forward is that anyone having these issues, doing a search etc, will see at a glance that the issue has been discussed previously and a solution found / shared, hopefully helping many other owner / members.

[gupsterg]

In 5 ish days time it will be 2yrs since I took the plunge on drilling ventilation holes in my LED factory fitted Avant tail lights and I must say since that solution I have never had an issue with any corrosion on the bulb holders or had any fault with them electrically or condensation wise or ingress of water :approve:

[JimC64]

Same here Gup, just shy of 2 years for me I guess.

This was your resolution / fix and has worked well for many to date......much appreciated by all

Good to see you around and hope all is well with you?

Jim

[Merts75]

Yep I second that..... Brilliant idea and resolution, had my 08 A6 now for two weeks and had no condensation repeat.

Is this patent pending! [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JimC64]

Yep I second that..... Brilliant idea and resolution, had my 08 A6 now for two weeks and had no condensation repeat.

Is this patent pending! [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lol, should be!!

Someone needs to tell Audi to get their patterns changed to include for drainage holes.

KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid

[AlyM]

Well this week has been a bit hectic and the constant beeps and warning lights stating rear tail light failure and right turn signal failure... So I replaced all the bulbs again and got out my trusty engraving rotary gave all contacts a clean and then double cleaned them with contact cleaner... I hope it fixes the issue if not I'll be changing the units probably for the aftermarket led ones... But really don't wanna go down that route 😕

[Georgefdavies]

Deleted

[noscream]

Hey all, just an update after a few weeks into the drilling process!

I've had the car washed several times now, experienced some really really poor wet and extremely cold weather ( at -3 as I type )
All the above conditions are absolutely ideal for condensation in the rear light clusters, as I'm sure you all know.

Well, I can report that mine are absolutely fine and I'm well pleased.

Thanks to Gup for the original idea :beerchug:


Well it was a nice dry, if a little cold day today and I had some time, the car was filthy.......I'm sure you can see whats coming here ;)


It was an ideal opportunity to both clean the car and test the lights a little further too......

I decided to give her a mini detail inside n out, alloys de tarred etc and part of this obviously included a thorough wash n dry.

Checking thoroughly afterwards my lights are as dry as can be......WELL CHUFFED:approve:

Just as an edit though and as previously stated - I have had the slightest of misting ( almost unnoticeable to be fair ) but the once or twice I've seen this in rainy weather and on a cold day its cleared right up very quickly.

Hopefully anyone else that does this or has any other fixes continues to post updates for the benefit of other users who are either experiencing this issue currently or will be looking for a fix sometime soon

Thanks :beerchug:


Another 2007 A6 saloon Le Mans for the drill....
I've had my rear lights changed twice over time but condensation comes back at the end of summer or after a car pressure wash.

Drill time.

Thank for this thread.

[MarkTM]

To save anyone having to read through many pages to find the actual fix (unusually worse if read in reverse in this case due to length of the thread) it does make sense to periodically restate where the solution (pun intended!) is located:

Post 114 on page 12

Which is Jim's rewrite/amendment of Gups original remedy.

A little surprised there isn't a 'How To' guide..if there is please post the link to it!? :)

[Merts75]

For my two pence worth, I drilled holes as per this thread and to this day have suffered no condensation of kind! This was back at beginning of June [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[noscream]

To save anyone having to read through many pages to find the actual fix (unusually worse if read in reverse in this case due to length of the thread) it does make sense to periodically restate where the solution (pun intended!) is located:

Post 114 on page 12

Which is Jim's rewrite/amendment of Gups original remedy.

A little surprised there isn't a 'How To' guide..if there is please post the link to it!? :)




I agree, the devil is always in the detail.

I drilled my rear lamp lenses today with a M5 ( that's a 5mm wide) drill bit & small Bosch cordless drill.
I drilled approx along the guide line from Jim's pic previous.

But I only drilled in about 5mm deep, through the outer layer of plastic ONLY & NOT the whole length of the drill bit.
Dried out & refitted. Now to see......


This is Jim's template pic.

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_1-8_zps750d0eaf.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/1-8_zps750d0eaf.jpg.html)


These are some of my 5mm holes drilled to approx 5mm deep.

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_32_zps347f3650.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/32_zps347f3650.jpg.html)

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_33_zpsb8fa1c87.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/33_zpsb8fa1c87.jpg.html)

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_31_zpsa57ea44a.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/31_zpsa57ea44a.jpg.html)


This was the near side rear lens but I did both sides.
I won't post pics of condensation because I'm sure you will all have the same if you get this problem.

[gazza57]

AlyM

You can't just change out your old filament lamps for LED ones, its a lot more complex than that, apart from software changes, you must either do it yorself or get an aftermarket company, the dealers refuse point blank, I tried, and anyway having LED ones doesn't cure the problem.
Just drill holes in the bottom, of each lamp unit, I struggled for over two years with lights awash, in the end I drilled them out and hey presto no more condensation!
Gazza57

[gazza57]

Lol, should be!!

Someone needs to tell Audi to get their patterns changed to include for drainage holes.

KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid

Audi are not in the slightest bit interested, they just aren't. I bought a complete set of lights and the new ones just misted up, when I went back, they could offer no solution, nothing other than replacing one set of condensation prone lights with another set, in short useless.
When I mentioned the holes, they just told me that the warranty would be voided if I drilled them , I thought yes but they would be DRY!

Gazza57

[noscream]

Well I drilled on the 27th of August 2014 & it's now 27th of Sept, 30 days later.
No condensation even on hot/wet/humid days.. Car wash, Jet washed & hand wash.



Thanks to all & OP especially.

5 Star ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ fix.

[JimC64]

Superb..... that's at least one more Audi out and about with no rear lights full of condensation!!

Kudos to you,thanks for sharing

[Big.B]

Hey,

Anyone has any experience with the estate?

My 56 has the same problem, it's just the other body type...

It really never bothered me, a beep when I started the engine, but now my left tail light has some bulbs playing up and my dashboards lights up like a christmas tree !!!

Any advice much appreciated!

[Guest 2]

Hey,

Anyone has any experience with the estate?

My 56 has the same problem, it's just the other body type...

It really never bothered me, a beep when I started the engine, but now my left tail light has some bulbs playing up and my dashboards lights up like a christmas tree !!!

Any advice much appreciated!

I've moved your post to the popular thread relating to your question, if you have a browse you'll find the solution which is to check the bottom of each bulb for corrosion and the holder each bulb sits in.

[Big.B]

Thanks Chris,

I always find myself posting in the wrong thread... sorry for that!

On the rear lights topic I have 2 problems:

1. Condensation ruined my left tail light.
Coming back from Austria a couple of weeks ago, I stopped to get some snacks near Vienna, when the left tail light died.
Completely!

Did not manage to make it work until home, so I had to take it all apart, got 2 litres of water out and piece by piece I have cleaned it.

Now it has received new holes (as advised here), I have put everything back together but some bulbs stopped working... due to small pond? frogs were missing...:(

When is it going to stop??

I got some new bulbs on ebay, but they were E4, the old ones were E1.

now I am looking on: Bulbs, wipers for your AUDI A6 SALOON 2006-2007 (56) (http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/audi-a6-saloon-2006-2007-56) to get some new ones, but they are expensive (was looking to get led's)...

anyone can advise where to buy them?


2. Centre brake light - it goes on and off as it pleases!

As I said earlier it takes my car 2 minutes to stop beeping and the dash looks like Xmas tree :(

Our friends with avant's are having big troubles with these, but on mine I have no idea how to take it down so I can have a look at it...

[gupsterg]

2. Centre brake light - it goes on and off as it pleases!

Check wiring? perhaps replacement unit required? Link:- a6 avant tailgate brake light (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?107217-a6-avant-tailgate-brake-light)

[Big.B]

that's the thread that I posted to...

On the avant it's easier to take it out than on estate....

I was wondering if anyone had any similar experience and can tell me how to do it. Found replacements at 20 quid on ebay - but how do you replace it without breaking smth?

[gupsterg]

On the avant it's easier to take it out than on estate....

An avant is an estate ...

[Big.B]

my bad... saloon than :)

[gupsterg]

Right it seems it's easier than avant, the roof trim needs to be removed by pulling downwards, it may aid you to get like those link:- pry tools (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4pcs-Open-Pry-Tool-Kit-For-Car-Door-Dashboard-Radio-LED-Interior-Lights-Removal-/351177090470?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51c3c925a6) from ebay.

Either side of the LED unit are these release levers that need pulling outwards to unlock unit for removal, remove elec.conn.

Installation is reverse.

[Big.B]

Chris already moved me here...

I originally posted on the "a6 avant tailgate brake light (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?107217-a6-avant-tailgate-brake-light)" thread... now I am here and looking for help...

Perhaps if we were trying to help rather than troll one another, the thread would be lighter :)

[gupsterg]

Solution has been posted :) in post 359 , refresh your browser.

Sorry if I came across as troll but really am not mate :) .

[Eshrules]

Chris already moved me here...

I originally posted on the "a6 avant tailgate brake light (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?107217-a6-avant-tailgate-brake-light)" thread... now I am here and looking for help...

Perhaps if we were trying to help rather than troll one another, the thread would be lighter :)
I think you need to review the definition of a troll.

Gupsterg is one of our most helpful members.

Mind your tone please.

[gupsterg]

Hi Esh :D,

I never knew you cared!LOL

Possibly I was wrong in what I posted in post 359 originally, I'd been reading a thread where some members were having banter and thought forum didn't have enough of it.

So in addition to my post suggesting moving Big B's issue to it's own thread as this is quite a long thread (and I could be the crown king of large posts/threads! LOL) I thought new short sweet one would be great for members to use for ref in future.

I added some suggestions on titles for his new thread:-

My A6 is pred'd for xmas I'm not! :(

Help my dash is like xmas!:(

or

Help my A6 saloon has high level light and taillight issues ...

The last one was a non banter suggestion :) , the others were formed from his own post. I think as Big B is not often on here/low post count he didn't know my intentions.

Now this is one of the reasons I refrain from banter in problem threads as a person with an issue can feel worse by it, so I apologised.

I think Big B doesn't mean what he posted but was a reaction to my post, as soon as I saw his next post I changed post 359 and apologised.

Now I would never want any member to think their problem is small or they'd never get help if someone can give it.

I wouldn't want him or another to feel if they feel aggrieved they can not state it regardless of someone's rep/post count,etc

As they say alls well that ends well!

ATB
G

[Big.B]

Hi Esh :D,

I never knew you cared!LOL

Possibly I was wrong in what I posted in post 359 originally, I'd been reading a thread where some members were having banter and thought forum didn't have enough of it.

So in addition to my post suggesting moving Big B's issue to it's own thread as this is quite a long thread (and I could be the crown king of large posts/threads! LOL) I thought new short sweet one would be great for members to use for ref in future.

I added some suggestions on titles for his new thread:-

My A6 is pred'd for xmas I'm not! :(

Help my dash is like xmas!:(

or

Help my A6 saloon has high level light and taillight issues ...

The last one was a non banter suggestion :) , the others were formed from his own post. I think as Big B is not often on here/low post count he didn't know my intentions.

Now this is one of the reasons I refrain from banter in problem threads as a person with an issue can feel worse by it, so I apologised.

I think Big B doesn't mean what he posted but was a reaction to my post, as soon as I saw his next post I changed post 359 and apologised.

Now I would never want any member to think their problem is small or they'd never get help if someone can give it.

I wouldn't want him or another to feel if they feel aggrieved they can not state it regardless of someone's rep/post count,etc

As they say alls well that ends well!

ATB
G


Hey Gup,

Never meant to offend you man, I apologise as well!

To be honest, I was wowed by your response first and replied with the classic "troll" argument - knowing that you never intended to be one!

Many thanks for your reply, I will try later tonight to get it out and check the contacts. Following that, I will let you know!
As for the tail light, I decided to buy some new bulbs (led's this time) and change them on both... on ebay about 15 quid?

Btw, do they have to be canbus?

@eshrules - Gupsterg helped me lots of times, in my few posts and I respect his knowledge and dedication to this forum!

All the best to y'all !

[NjA666]

I agree, the devil is always in the detail.

I drilled my rear lamp lenses today with a M5 ( that's a 5mm wide) drill bit & small Bosch cordless drill.
I drilled approx along the guide line from Jim's pic previous.

But I only drilled in about 5mm deep, through the outer layer of plastic ONLY & NOT the whole length of the drill bit.
Dried out & refitted. Now to see......


This is Jim's template pic.

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_1-8_zps750d0eaf.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/1-8_zps750d0eaf.jpg.html)


These are some of my 5mm holes drilled to approx 5mm deep.

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_32_zps347f3650.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/32_zps347f3650.jpg.html)

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_33_zpsb8fa1c87.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/33_zpsb8fa1c87.jpg.html)

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy235/noscream/th_31_zpsa57ea44a.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/user/noscream/media/31_zpsa57ea44a.jpg.html)


This was the near side rear lens but I did both sides.
I won't post pics of condensation because I'm sure you will all have the same if you get this problem.

Hey all,

New to the forum, only signed up yesterday. Main reason for joining up was due to this EPIC thread and the fix contained.

I have a 58 Audi A6 3.0TDI Quattro Le Mans and have recently been getting all kinds of warning lights coming up relating to rear lights being out etc. This coupled with the condensation problems led me to seek out a fix. I spent considerable time last night following the instructions of you guys (Thanks to Gupsterg, JimC64, noscream) and took to drilling approx. 10 x 5mm holes along the underside of both fittings. I also dried off the lamps and cleaned all the connections (WD40 & fine grade steel wool). After putting it all back together and leaving it overnight I am very happy to report that there is a massive improvement with the look of the lenses (almost completely dry now) and everything is working with no warning lights, phew!

Years ago I had a Corrado VR6 and remember having to get the front headlight bases drilled for a similar problem. You would think that many moons on this would not be a problem for Audi/VAG Group!

Anyway, rather than waffle on and repeat what everyone on here now knows, I just wanted to say thank you and fingers crossed this is now all sorted. I will report back in a few weeks to let you know for sure.

Best wishes to all for 2015.

[JimC64]

Superb, glad you got your issues sorted and we were able to help!

Thanks so much for coming back and reporting on your success in this thread, hopefully it will help many others

[NjA666]

Not a drama and thanks again JimC64

I will let you guys know for sure the outcome and I will be passing this info on to a few other people I know that MUST be suffering the same!

[gavin_tully]

I drilled the holes in my tail lights last week. Glad to report no more condensation [emoji106]

[JimC64]

I drilled the holes in my tail lights last week. Glad to report no more condensation [emoji106]

Superb Gavin, its amazing that you can feel soooo good about something as simple as clear lights WITHOUT condensation.
Jeeeesh, the things we take for granted eh??

Please pass this on to any Audi owner you see with this issue....

Thanks

[JimC64]

Still amazed at the amount of Audi's I see with this issue?

It's such an easy fix too......

In fact whilst I was in at Glasgow Audi just last week I pointed 2 other Audi owners in the direction of this forum

[jugghead]

still having issues every now and then with the light not working. .Alarm ping constantly going off. i might have to buy some led type aftermarkets...

[noscream]

Still amazed at the amount of Audi's I see with this issue?

It's such an easy fix too......

In fact whilst I was in at Glasgow Audi just last week I pointed 2 other Audi owners in the direction of this forum



Well it's been a while since I took the 5.0mm drill bit to my rears & it solved my rear light condensation.
Alas I've sold my baby for a newer model, I will miss the C6 platform, I've really enjoyed having one, especially with the 3.0TDi engine.
Someone else that buys that 2007 Missano RED 3.0TDi S Line le mans is going to have many days of fog free rear lights & may never know the struggle that went on in this thread.
Good to see there's new owners enjoying this forum.

[JimC64]

Nice one noscream

Please be sure to pass on the fix to any Audi owners you come across as I do....lol

[DavidG1]

Just like to thank for the fix - working a treat.
Have to say though.....my seals looked in good order, but as I took the cluster apart to change a brake light bulb I kid you not: Condensation? Well yes, but paled into insignificance when I was emptying the (at minimum) pint and a half of water sloshing around in the lens part!
Anyway, drilled the holes and took the wife's hairdryer to the bulb openings to dry the unit out. Still fail to see how that much water got in there though!

[TheFixer]

still having issues every now and then with the light not working. .Alarm ping constantly going off. i might have to buy some led type aftermarkets...
Did you replace the bulb holder? 40/50 quid new from dealer

[JimC64]

Just like to thank for the fix - working a treat.
Have to say though.....my seals looked in good order, but as I took the cluster apart to change a brake light bulb I kid you not: Condensation? Well yes, but paled into insignificance when I was emptying the (at minimum) pint and a half of water sloshing around in the lens part!
Anyway, drilled the holes and took the wife's hairdryer to the bulb openings to dry the unit out. Still fail to see how that much water got in there though!

Just glad all is now well and as it should be......
Thanks for sharing

[marcus gp1]

A thousand thanks to Jim and other' involved in getting to the bottom of the A6 rear lights condensation problems, been over three weeks now and I don't hit them and miss when Iwashs the car, very pleased to say no condensation . A simple fix in the end Thank you.

[JimC64]

Nice one, just managed to help a few Jag owners with similar issues to resolve them too, all good!!!

[gupsterg]

Few days ago saw this luvly black prefacelift A6 in a car park, it caught my eye due to how immaculately clean it was.

As I return from placing a parking ticket in my car I noticed the rear lights had condensation :aargh4: .

I was so tempted to strike up a conversation with the owner but thought he may think I'm some kind of Audi nut! :p . So I decided I'd leave it perhaps and he'd be compelled to google the affliction his car is suffering and find this thread.

[JimC64]

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
Few days ago saw this luvly black prefacelift A6 in a car park, it caught my eye due to how immaculately clean it was.

As I return from placing a parking ticket in my car I noticed the rear lights had condensation :aargh4: .

I was so tempted to strike up a conversation with the owner but thought he may think I'm some kind of Audi nut! :p . So I decided I'd leave it perhaps and he'd be compelled to google the affliction his car is suffering and find this thread.

Lol Gup, I am that sad man, the one that strikes up a conversation about their lovely car, but points out the issues with the rear lights, then spends the next 10 mins of my life explaining about the fix and where to find it.

Unfortunately I have absolutely no idea how effective it is, how many actually listen or walk away thinking....***....lol

[bops6]

I've had a unexpected result! Both my rear lights were having this issue, no more since I got the car back from bodyshop. It seems they decided to fit 2 new lights when the had it apart for repair and paint.
RESULT.

2007 3.0tdi le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[JimC64]

I've had a unexpected result! Both my rear lights were having this issue, no more since I got the car back from bodyshop. It seems they decided to fit 2 new lights when the had it apart for repair and paint.
RESULT

Bops, good for you mate, should all be good for at least a little while.
I really don't mean to burst your bubble, but I had around 7 or 8 sets ( memory's going....lol ) replaced under warranty, and EVERY set went the exact same way

Unless Audi have resolved this issue with their supplier or design team I'm sorry to say I think it's only a matter of time before you have these issues once again, for your sake I do hope not!

Good luck & hope to hear, or in this instance hope not to hear
Jim

[bops6]

I'm well aware it's probably a short term fix but fixed they are. For now

2007 3.0tdi le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[JimC64]

How are they holding up Bops?
Should still be pretty good I imagine, not too much rain recently.

Just brought to mind as I came up behind a really nice A6 today with rear lights all full of water droplets and misted up

[bops6]

Still good as new mate😆
Cars been jet washed and thunder stormed on so for now I'm a happy bunny

2007 3.0tdi le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[JimC64]

Nice one, hope it stays that way.

I still see Audi's here n there every day with the same issue, looks awful.
Wonder if it's been resolved with the newer versions?

[noscream]

It's about 6 moths from new to condensation if I remember.
The dam seals on the bulb carrier is what lets the damp in.

Anyway, there was a fix somewhere on this thread that saw 99% removal of condensation by drilling a set of vent holes....
Nice car bops.

[JimC64]

Nice one, another happy customer / Audi owner, thanks for sharing

[JimC64]

See details / pics of the fix in the post as quoted below.......post #114




Hey Gup......well, as you know I've pretty much tried the lot with the condensation in the lights issue!

I've had them off around 4 or 5 times now, dried them off, re seated the seal, applied sealant etc etc and the problem remains.

At the weekend I decided with nothing to lose to try your route. Took the lights off and dried them all thoroughly ( 30 mins with a hairdryer ) and then proceeded to drill holes on the underside. I driled around 8 holes or so on each on and re fitted them onto the car.

You don't want to drill in to the reflcetor part, just enough to get the drill through and create an air flow.

Here's your pic edited below to show roughly where / how I did mine

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/1-8.jpg

As the car was recently detailed and the sun was out, it made a nice change to see the rear with clean dry lights, shining and the 2 tail pipes all shiny too......looking good if I say so myself....lol

I haven't washed the car again as yet, but had plenty of rain on Saturday evening and all day today.
As far as I can see the lights still seem clear!

I'm hoping this is a long term fix, but we'll see.
I'll wait for lots more rain and several washes and see if we are still clear and report back of course, for the benefit of all :beerchug:

[bops6]

Mime back😢

2007 3.0tdi asb le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[Guest 2]

Something else I don't have to worry about on the A4! :o

[bops6]

Something else I don't have to worry about on the A4! :o
😜

2007 3.0tdi asb le mans
hybrid turbo, decat,miltek, 20's etc
330-350 bhp
450-500lbst

[B5NUT]

Something else I don't have to worry about on the A4! :o

Give it a few years and you will have a hole other list of known & unknown issues on the A4.:p

[JimC64]

Don't know if more and more are getting resolved, I don't seem to have seen many with this issue recently, although to be fair I'm not exactly looking.

[Mkz]

Hi!

Thanks for useful info about tail light condensation problem! I also did this holes on my lights and so far they looks clean! Only one fears... What about dusts? Do lights stays clean or there are risks them to get dirty? How long you are using them with holes and is there some dusts in there?

[gupsterg]

I've had mine drilled since 07/2012, no dust, no condensation and still fully functioning tail units :D .

[Mkz]

Have you ever been driven by gravel? ��

[JimC64]

I've had mine drilled since 07/2012, no dust, no condensation and still fully functioning tail units :D .

Snap....I did mine shortly after Gup did his. As I stated, I may have started the thread but Gup was the originator of this whole fix
Mine are also still in good shape with no issues.

Jim

[Guest 2]

Wonder if the new owner of my old A6 has had the tail lights out yet lol

[EssexGonzo]

I was behind a misty lighted C6 this morning. A black 2.7tdi with reg plate beginning T1 ... if you're reading. Resisted the urge to jump out and spread the word.

[JimC64]

I was behind a misty lighted C6 this morning. A black 2.7tdi with reg plate beginning T1 ... if you're reading. Resisted the urge to jump out and spread the word.

Ahh Gonzo, you're a better man than me, I woulda jumped out and gave them the spiel to assist them with clear brake lights moving forward, so to speak...lol
Nice to see a few have picked this up though and applied the fix, haven't seen many in a while now

Jim

[swalker]

I too had the watery tail lights, i have been able to cure the problem without the need to drill holes.

the watre has to be getting in somewhere and mine only watered up after rain or a wash, therefore for me it was ingress more than condesation. reading all these posts I had resigned to the fact it was separation of the lens to the back of the light.
However i noted the grey gasket was damp when i pulled the light to drill the holes, not being keen on this fix as it exposes the contacts to humidity i though i would try one last thing.
This was a couple of months ago and i have seen some bad weather since and not one misty lens, the cure, remove the grey gasket a good dollop of Vaseline around it and re-insert...

worked for me, worth a try before getting the drill out...

[Brycie]

The other day I lost all bulbs in the off side rear cluster. It was the day after I gave it a good jet wash, but that's the first time the problem has occurred since drilling the holes. I may try the Vaseline round the edge of the grey plug as a double precaution.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[swalker]

Bit of an update, i had to split the light again for a blown bulb and the water returned.
I removed the lights and dried them out over the good weather. this time when the grey gasket was removed i noted it was very flat here and there so i left them out (same as drilling holes?!?!).
I have ordered 4mm rubber cord to replace them with. I was also thinking of inserting a bag of desiccant when i put them back together..

the worry is if there is not enough give in the rubber will the units close?

[polvertum]

I cant see pics. I`m registered on forum. Can anyone help me, how to see pics to drill holes. I have A6 2006 with led`s, tried everything, and no luck. Drill is my last hope. :-(

[swalker]

No need to drill I simply removed the foam gasket dried lights in sun for an hour or 2 been fine since...


I never bothered with the rubber as removing the foam seems to have done the trick.

[polvertum]

Thank you. I'll try that.

[polvertum]

Yeterday i removed gaskets from clusters and dried them out. This morning i checked them, they still clear! Is it possible? I worked so hard to seal them up, but moisture was always return next morning. When i will to wash my car with pressure washer, would water go inside the cluster? Now its totally opened.

[Ryan M]

Hey guys, I'm wondering what foam gasket you're on about exactly. Would you be able to take a picture for me please to show exactly what you removed and dried. I've unfortunately got the problem on both clusters as when changing my bulbs I had to drain the water and dry them thoroughly but unfortunately it's came back.

Regarding the drill photo, I'll post it below:
https://i.imgur.com/igbOBMQ.jpg

[polvertum]

Gasket is between cover, where are bulbs, and rest of housing. I dried clusters after removing the cover with bulbs.

Sorry, cant send you picture. I put them tougether and monted it back on car.

Only thing is, what happens when it rains, or when i wash car with pressure washer? For now, moisture/fogging is gone. :-P

[Ryan M]

Gasket is between cover, where are bulbs, and rest of housing. I dried clusters after removing the cover with bulbs.

Sorry, cant send you picture. I put them tougether and monted it back on car.

Only thing is, what happens when it rains, or when i wash car with pressure washer? For now, moisture/fogging is gone. :-P

I'm guessing you're on about the rubber that is sealing the bulb housing as shown in the photo below. You think be removing that it should stop the condensation/water ingress into the light cluster. The photo shows a rubber seal in very good condition, I doubt mines will look like that.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.audiworld.com-vbulletin/1024x1365/80-img_20161018_039_01ad6b6df7cbebf61ca067decbd2520ab 767de6c.jpg

[polvertum]

Yes, that's it.

[swalker]

i was also concerned about moisture ingress with the drilling of the holes, this is why i removed the foam to replace it with rubber. Mine was actually wet.
i never fitted the rubber as i didn't think it would compress, this is how i left it out and simply never bothered going back. the lack of gasket or holes being drilled lets what moisture does get in naturally evaporate again. lets face it moisture vapor will get out a lot more easy than water get in.

[Ryan M]

Gasket is between cover, where are bulbs, and rest of housing. I dried clusters after removing the cover with bulbs.

Sorry, cant send you picture. I put them tougether and monted it back on car.

Only thing is, what happens when it rains, or when i wash car with pressure washer? For now, moisture/fogging is gone. :-P

Any updates on water ingress with the foam gasket removed with regards to pressure washing and natural rainfall, I would like to know as I'm wanting to get these rear lights demisted!

[swalker]

Out for over a year no issue. No issues reported from drilling holes either holes were drilled directly on top of light unit...

[polvertum]

In last 2 days was raining really bad. There is no sign of fogging/moisture in clasters. I cant see, without taking it a part, is any water inside. Everything looks fine for now. My biggest concern is led stop lights. If water goes in, they will make a trouble.

[Ryan M]

Cheers for the information and vote of confidence for taking out the foam gasket guys. I'll attempt it on Thursday after the car has hopefully passed its MOT! :drive:

[Immyb]

I know this is an old thread but I'm having the same issue with my Audi a4 B8 tail lights. Where would I drill the holes on the b8, any idea?

[Ryan M]

Better late than never, :arms:

I eventually got around to drying my lights out today with a hairdryer. They were pretty bad in terms of the amount of water that I poured out of the cluster itself, good 10ml's of water. The condition of the inside of the cluster had deteriorated a little due to the water ingress, but I'm happy to finally see the cluster without water condensation and have a clear lens!

The solution I chose to keep the moisture at bay was to remove the rubber seal around the bulb holder as recommended by @swalker (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=58149). The rubber seal was dried out and cracked so it wouldn't be doing much of a job in terms of sealing the unit and keeping it water tight. I'm hoping the condensation won't return and I'll eagerly wait and see what happens when it rains and when it's humid outside.

Before:
https://i.imgur.com/ul1GrEE.jpg

After:
https://i.imgur.com/VsirfaO.jpg

[fr3zno]

Hey Gup......well, as you know I've pretty much tried the lot with the condensation in the lights issue!

I've had them off around 4 or 5 times now, dried them off, re seated the seal, applied sealant etc etc and the problem remains.

At the weekend I decided with nothing to lose to try your route. Took the lights off and dried them all thoroughly ( 30 mins with a hairdryer ) and then proceeded to drill holes on the underside. I driled around 8 holes or so on each on and re fitted them onto the car.

You don't want to drill in to the reflcetor part, just enough to get the drill through and create an air flow.

Here's your pic edited below to show roughly where / how I did mine

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/1-8.jpg

As the car was recently detailed and the sun was out, it made a nice change to see the rear with clean dry lights, shining and the 2 tail pipes all shiny too......looking good if I say so myself....lol

I haven't washed the car again as yet, but had plenty of rain on Saturday evening and all day today.
As far as I can see the lights still seem clear!

I'm hoping this is a long term fix, but we'll see.
I'll wait for lots more rain and several washes and see if we are still clear and report back of course, for the benefit of all :beerchug:

Huge necrobump, but I had made an account just to see the photos on this forum for a fix and also wanted to thank you for posting your solution to this issue. I been through nearly the same ordeal with my B6 A4 Avant, which is plagued by inadequate ventilation of the lights, I tried everything including sealing them up with silicone, desiccant packets, etc. I eventually broke down and bought a new set, but they would stay fog free, for about a year or so before the condensation would build up and not go away unless you removed them and dried them out with a hairdryer, etc. Instead of buying another set just to replace them again (already been through two new sets), I decided to brave up and drill some holes for additional ventilation. I'm happy to report that the condensation has stayed away even after a car wash and temperature swings. What is interesting is why vent hole that's already present isn't enough to stop the condensation and also why the new lights stay dry for a year before fogging up.