When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
2015 S550 Executive, 2017 Volvo XC60 R design, 2009 BMW Z4 35i DCT TwinTurbo
Originally Posted by Nice Ride
anyone interested in a class action lawsuit? I was quoted over $4K to repair / fix damage from moisture / gel packs. I have many photos of moisture before and after factory warantee....
Any further information or current status with this fogging situation? Purchased my Certified 15 S550 mid March this year right before the Covid shut down and experienced the fogging before I took delivery and the shop foreman agreed to replace the gel packs before delivery. Havn't had moisture until the dampness and temperature change this week. Called Dealer and they said this should not be happening, bring car in and they would check it out. Now the weather is nice and no fog...told them to wait till it gets crappy again. I keep up with this forum and really appreciate the discussions, very informative and helpful. How do you think I should push this with the Dealership?
The Cure for mine was moving to Sunny Florida Before I left up north a couple weeks we had some rain storms and I noticed the right one was fogging, the sun seemed to dry it out. I would have them check the O ring seals though where the bulbs go in behind the headlight.
1) They are no solution in fact they accelerate the destruction of your headlight control unit, by leaking their contents right into the control unit which causes corrosion of the printed circuit board and total destruction of the unit.
2) MOST surprising to me was the following: If you have gelpacks in place and don’t see any moisture in the headlight afterwards it doesn’t mean its not actively doing damage.
In my case gelpacks were installed and I never saw moisture afterwards in one particular headlight. 2 Years later with no fogging what so ever the control unit failed, on inspection the gel packs had expanded and set hard and burst leaking the residue into the control unit. See photo below, please note I have cut open the pack in this photo, when it was in place the bags were bursted.
3) There's no seal on inner surface of the control unit (see photo below), so moisture with gel pack residue can freely enter the unit to destroy the PCB.
If you have gelpacks installed make sure you replace or inspect them at least every six months, other wise it inevitable they will leak into your control unit.
1) They are no solution in fact they accelerate the destruction of your headlight control unit, by leaking their contents right into the control unit which causes corrosion of the printed circuit board and total destruction of the unit.
2) MOST surprising to me was the following: If you have gelpacks in place and don’t see any moisture in the headlight afterwards it doesn’t mean its not actively doing damage.
In my case gelpacks were installed and I never saw moisture afterwards in one particular headlight. 2 Years later with no fogging what so ever the control unit failed, on inspection the gel packs had expanded and set hard and burst leaking the residue into the control unit. See photo below, please note I have cut open the pack in this photo, when it was in place the bags were bursted.
3) There's no seal on inner surface of the control unit (see photo below), so moisture with gel pack residue can freely enter the unit to destroy the PCB.
If you have gelpacks installed make sure you replace or inspect them at least every six months, other wise it inevitable they will leak into your control unit.
Its exactly what happen to mine. Light actually failed in there shop when it was in for other service. They tried to blame it on me.....
I’m currently trialing a possible fix for this issue, I’ve made the following changes to one headlight (the unit which always showed the most moisture):
Added two Grey Nitto vent caps to what looks like vents on the bottom of the assembly.
Added another two Grey Nitto vent caps near the upper control unit.
Used high quality silicone to seal around the entire perimeter of the headlight assembly where the lens cover meets the main assembly.
I’ve managed to source multiple different types of Nitto vent caps with different air permeability & water entry pressure properties, so I’ll be trying each in turn until hopefully one resolves this issue.
I also plan to remove all the control units now, and use a suitable PCB spray coating to waterproof the PCB, then reinstall the metal backing plate and seal with high quality silicone. This will prevent water damage in the future I hope.
If moisture returns then using duct tape I’ll be sealing over the existing breathable membrane as installed by Mercedes so as to allow the venting via the Nitto caps only.
Ill be using the desiccant gel packs to clear the moisture and removing within a few weeks, as we all know at this stage they don’t offer a long term solution, and result in more damage.
Most important of all I’d like to acknowledge I’ve been in regular contact with a member of this thread (username: GKH), who first steered me in the direction of this possible fix, thanks for all the help it much appreciated.
Here’s hoping we can find a long term fix for this issue.
Last edited by sclass350d; 11-06-2020 at 04:07 AM.
After two years with this nightmare I believe I finally have a solution for this issue, but it will.take longer to say for sure. I have no gelpacks installed and the current climate conditions are exactly those which resulted in fogging in the past.
Since I last replied with the above post moisture did re appear with four nitto caps installed.
I removed the headlight again removed the Mercedes breathable membrane and installed a nitto cap in its place, I also added one more nitto cap. So in total I have 6 nitro caps and no Mercedes membrane.
I also sealed both control units on the inside with silicone to.prevent damage to the electronics on the inside.
Finally using a high quality 3M tape I taped up where the lens meets the assembly and the top of the assembly covering over the light adjustment screws.
I've used the car at night time for 3 hours in damp conditions with a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, no moisture has appeared so far after.
So initial results look promising!
Heres some images:
Last edited by sclass350d; 12-02-2020 at 05:05 AM.
Sadly I have to report back with bad news, moisture soon re-appeared after 3 weeks in very damp weather with outside temperature of 7 degrees Celsius. So my fix above didnt work.
I've since re-installed new gel packs in both headlights which has resolved (temporarily) the moisture issue, so looks like I'll be replacing the gel packs on the passenger side every 12 months and every 6-7 months on the driver side.
I have a right hand driver car, so the passenger side headlight control unit can be removed easily, gel packs replaced in under 5 mins. However driver side take a little more effort but doesnt require the bumper removal or headlight removal, heres the steps, in total took me 20 mins:
* disconnect electrical connection to coolant bottle, and lift it to forward.
* Unscrew two bolts which hold the windscreen washer bottle in place.
* Remove retaining clip on inside of fender lining which pushes into the washer bottle.
* Lift window washer bottle up and out of the way.
* Now the driver side control unit can be removed and gelpacks installed.
I still have the control units sealed with silicone so Im hoping moisture cant damage these in the future, as soon as I seen moisture ill keep replacing the gel packs, far from ideal but 30 mins work in total it better than looking at mess the condensation makes and a reoccurring repair bill every 12 months.
Last edited by sclass350d; 12-08-2020 at 01:45 PM.
I'm thinking out loud here. The gel pack solution requires that the gel packs be replaced often, which is ridiculous.
If the previous headlamp versions burned off the water vapor with the heat from the headlamps, what do you think about sealing the vents on the new LED lamps that only get warm during use? It would seem that there would only be a small amount of water vapor available inside the headlamp if it is sealed, or a vacuum seal could eliminate the possibility of vapor forming on the inside.
Perhaps the headlamp vents are in the wrong locations.
I am also wondering that if the above technique is not feasible, how about a adding a micro heating element or small hi-temp bulb inside the headlamp assembly that is automatically turned on and off via a temperature- and humidity-controlled switch?
If these two ideas were feasible, I would think that the Mercedes engineers would have already tried them.
1) They are no solution in fact they accelerate the destruction of your headlight control unit, by leaking their contents right into the control unit which causes corrosion of the printed circuit board and total destruction of the unit.
2) MOST surprising to me was the following: If you have gelpacks in place and don’t see any moisture in the headlight afterwards it doesn’t mean its not actively doing damage.
In my case gelpacks were installed and I never saw moisture afterwards in one particular headlight. 2 Years later with no fogging what so ever the control unit failed, on inspection the gel packs had expanded and set hard and burst leaking the residue into the control unit. See photo below, please note I have cut open the pack in this photo, when it was in place the bags were bursted.
3) There's no seal on inner surface of the control unit (see photo below), so moisture with gel pack residue can freely enter the unit to destroy the PCB.
If you have gelpacks installed make sure you replace or inspect them at least every six months, other wise it inevitable they will leak into your control unit.
You are 100% correct. It is exactly what happen to me. They actually tried to blame me since I hand wash the car often. It was exactly the Gel Pac. I kept every photo and email from the 1st intrusion of moisture in the headlight, enough to condense and drip down the inside of the light. If I did not keep my well documented notes and photos, it would have made it more difficult to prove the case. The total repair was close to 4K on them. They replaced both headlight assemblies. If you have night vision, those lights are a hefty price. I would strongly suggest for the DIY'er, if they have time and patients to waterproof the the electronic assemblies. Moisture WILL get into them with the Gel Pac over time. My gel Pac;s leaked out and went directly into the electronics.
Totally agree with you, I too am embarrassed by this as its the first thing people say to me. I got the gel packs install April 2019 only after sending emails to the Mercedes CEO in the UK & Germany, 6 months later moisture is appearing again. Prior to that I was told by two dealers it was normal but it would most certainly fail the national vehicle test here in Ireland.
How about we collect all the VIN numbers of cars/customers with this issue and take a single complaint to Germany showing it multiple customers.... I'd be willing to coordinate this if others are interested.
I had this issue on my w213 and my headlight blew. After a very expensive replacement by Mercedes in 2020, it started to fog again, so at the next service i got them to put a cap on the back of both the headlights with the silica gel. That solved my problem but a couple of months later same again!!
So after getting tired of replacing gels i got a breather vent and plastic nut (about £2), took the gel out, drilled a 12mm hole in the cap and put the breather vent and nut on. After two and a half months no issues...however the other light with the gel was soaking with water!!! So changed that as well today
PFL205.064 with M276.823 (Oil pump solenoid defeated)
Originally Posted by seedy
Bit of a thread revival that may help people.
I had this issue on my w213 and my headlight blew. After a very expensive replacement by Mercedes in 2020, it started to fog again, so at the next service i got them to put a cap on the back of both the headlights with the silica gel. That solved my problem but a couple of months later same again!!
So after getting tired of replacing gels i got a breather vent and plastic nut (about £2), took the gel out, drilled a 12mm hole in the cap and put the breather vent and nut on. After two and a half months no issues...however the other light with the gel was soaking with water!!! So changed that as well today
Totally agree with you, I too am embarrassed by this as its the first thing people say to me. I got the gel packs install April 2019 only after sending emails to the Mercedes CEO in the UK & Germany, 6 months later moisture is appearing again. Prior to that I was told by two dealers it was normal but it would most certainly fail the national vehicle test here in Ireland.
How about we collect all the VIN numbers of cars/customers with this issue and take a single complaint to Germany showing it multiple customers.... I'd be willing to coordinate this if others are interested.
I am in the US my 2017 SL550 with 17K miles on it has moisture inside that is so thick with water dripping in it. And Mercedes doesn’t want to acknowledge their part in it. Even though it is a well known factory defect.
I would love join the complaint group. Better Businesses Bureau should also be notified!
All Cars Lost To Hurricane Isaac (W124 E420 revived - added 88 Allante 14 S550, 17 S63
Originally Posted by swift45
I am in the US my 2017 SL550 with 17K miles on it has moisture inside that is so thick with water dripping in it. And Mercedes doesn’t want to acknowledge their part in it. Even though it is a well known factory defect.
I would love join the complaint group. Better Businesses Bureau should also be notified!
I have documented a very expensive repair and maintenance bill just recently on my older 14 W222... ( keeping vs W223) Part of that was the replacement of my passenger side headlight due to moisture... The left side had never shown a drop of moisture since new ... As soon as I got the car back the left side had moisture the following day and has moisture in it ever since.... This was $4000 a repair for the right side and I picked up my car thinking after the $4000 my head light issue was resolved... But instead it miraculously just at the moment Of the repair - Suddenly water is collecting on the Driver side.... I'm really p***** about this because I have no way To prove anything..... The very next day after picking it up from the Dealer... and water since
1) They are no solution in fact they accelerate the destruction of your headlight control unit, by leaking their contents right into the control unit which causes corrosion of the printed circuit board and total destruction of the unit.
2) MOST surprising to me was the following: If you have gelpacks in place and don’t see any moisture in the headlight afterwards it doesn’t mean its not actively doing damage.
In my case gelpacks were installed and I never saw moisture afterwards in one particular headlight. 2 Years later with no fogging what so ever the control unit failed, on inspection the gel packs had expanded and set hard and burst leaking the residue into the control unit. See photo below, please note I have cut open the pack in this photo, when it was in place the bags were bursted.
3) There's no seal on inner surface of the control unit (see photo below), so moisture with gel pack residue can freely enter the unit to destroy the PCB.
If you have gelpacks installed make sure you replace or inspect them at least every six months, other wise it inevitable they will leak into your control unit.
Destroyed mine also, twice. Solution: Remove Packs, Silicone controller to stop water infiltration. Yes, now and then I will see a bit of moisture but will NOT cause damaged to Lights or Controller. Total cost of Light assembly and controller north of $2500- each.
So for the last 3 years I swap out the gel packs every 12 months [every December], never once have I seen a moisture build up since. 30 euro for the gel pack well worth it to avoid this nightmare.
Could have mentioned this already in here, but I can replace the gel packs on both headlight in 30 mins. I do it without removing either headlight or bumper.
on one side its a little more complicated I have to move the coolant and window washer tanks.
All Cars Lost To Hurricane Isaac (W124 E420 revived - added 88 Allante 14 S550, 17 S63
Originally Posted by sclass350d
Original poster here
So for the last 3 years I swap out the gel packs every 12 months [every December], never once have I seen a moisture build up since. 30 euro for the gel pack well worth it to avoid this nightmare.
Could have mentioned this already in here, but I can replace the gel packs on both headlight in 30 mins. I do it without removing either headlight or bumper.
on one side its a little more complicated I have to move the coolant and window washer tanks.
Can please Explain the non removal of headlight gel pack replacement process... i want to look into this.
I wanted to join the discussion and provide my experience thus far. I've been following this thread for a long time and recently had a bulb go out on my 2015 S550. I'll keep the details short, but as you guessed it the silica packet burst on the driver's side light knocking out one bulb, auto high-beams, and dynamic lighting. I pulled the module behind the headlight and took pictures of the crusty module and exploded packets then sent the car to my local MB dealer. Dealer quoted me $4000 to replace the entire assembly even though I told my rep the TSB they did 4 years ago destroyed the module. He was great, but said he really can't do anything, and I should contact MB corporate to see if they can chime in. After months of back and forth they only offered me 20% off the headlight assembly and that was the best they can do.
I decided to do some research and found the module on eBay from a trusted seller in the US for $58. I ordered it on Monday, it arrived today, and I decided to install it even though it's 17 degrees outside. Everything is working again as it should with no errors!
For those of you who have a blown light or module, replace just the module and do not let MB tell you otherwise. It's their design flaw that caused the condensation and their fix is a band aid that will destroy the module. They won't own up to it and make matters worse by recommending a $4000 headlight replacement. I'm still unsure if I should put the packets back in, but I guess I'll see how bad the condensation is before I make my decision.
I wanted to join the discussion and provide my experience thus far. I've been following this thread for a long time and recently had a bulb go out on my 2015 S550. I'll keep the details short, but as you guessed it the silica packet burst on the driver's side light knocking out one bulb, auto high-beams, and dynamic lighting. I pulled the module behind the headlight and took pictures of the crusty module and exploded packets then sent the car to my local MB dealer. Dealer quoted me $4000 to replace the entire assembly even though I told my rep the TSB they did 4 years ago destroyed the module. He was great, but said he really can't do anything, and I should contact MB corporate to see if they can chime in. After months of back and forth they only offered me 20% off the headlight assembly and that was the best they can do.
I decided to do some research and found the module on eBay from a trusted seller in the US for $58. I ordered it on Monday, it arrived today, and I decided to install it even though it's 17 degrees outside. Everything is working again as it should with no errors!
For those of you who have a blown light or module, replace just the module and do not let MB tell you otherwise. It's their design flaw that caused the condensation and their fix is a band aid that will destroy the module. They won't own up to it and make matters worse by recommending a $4000 headlight replacement. I'm still unsure if I should put the packets back in, but I guess I'll see how bad the condensation is before I make my decision.
11-04-2020, 04:10 PM
Before I left up north a couple weeks we had some rain storms and I noticed the right one was fogging, the sun seemed to dry it out. I would have them check the O ring seals though where the bulbs go in behind the headlight.
Seal the Headlamps?
