Your Vehicle: 2009 Nissan-Datsun Altima V6-3.5L (VQ35DE)
 
Vehicle » Technical Service Bulletins » Superceded Bulletins » Lighting - Water Vapor/Fogging in Headlamps  
 
 
  Lighting - Water Vapor/Fogging in Headlamps  
 
Classification:
EL03-030i

Reference:
NTB03-074i

Date:
June 15, 2015

HEADLAMP FOGGING

This bulletin has been amended in the APPLIED VEHICLES, SERVICE INFORMATION, and SERVICE PROCEDURE sections. Please discard all previous versions.

APPLIED VEHICLES: 2001-2016 Nissan - All models

SERVICE INFORMATION

Occasionally customers may notice water vapor or fog in the headlamps. This is generally NOT due to a defect. Nissan's new vehicle limited warranty does not cover physically damaged (cracked or broken) headlamps.

The following information, illustrations, and flow chart are provided to help you in determining if an incident for water/condensation in the headlamps is normal or not.

All current headlamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not sealed).

^ This is necessary to allow for expansion and contraction of air from temperature "variations" (warmer or colder) without damage to the headlamp.

^ Moisture in the air sometimes "travels" into and out of the headlamp assembly through these vents.

^ Certain environmental conditions may cause moisture to condense.

^ The fogging/cloudiness should disappear over time when the headlamp is in a dry environment.

  

Fog may temporarily form inside the lens of the headlamp assemblies based on environmental conditions or sudden temperature changes (such as in a car wash, or parked on a cold, sunny day). This is normal. See Figure 1.

NOTE : This condensation can appear anywhere on the outer lens, typically at its coldest location.

  

If the moisture trickles, drips, or pools, it may not be considered normal and the headlamp assembly may have a water leak path. See Figure 2 for an example.

If large drops of water collect inside the lens, refer to the flow chart below to find the next step.

  

SERVICE PROCEDURE

  

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