My headlight cover has a fungus! Check yours!

[R84ME]

While drying off the headlights yesterday at dusk with the ignition on (LED running lights on), I noticed some very strange defects in the headlight covers. If you ever looked at a fungus under the microscope, it looks like a fungal growth that branches out (or creeks & rivers from the air?). I'm thinking this is really a rather strange behavior of lexan, possibly due to heat or something? Appears to be either a manufacturing defect in any case. See the link below for detail.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has noticed this - ot is aware of this phenomenon. Again, I think it needs to be relatively dark to notice. Not sure you can see it in the daylight, but I'll check today.

http://thesaylors.net/automobiles/Audi/R8/headlight/

Infected in AZ.

[B-Fin]

My 2001 Audi TT has the same looking stuff on the inside of the headlights. It was there ever since I bought it 8 1/2 years ago. You can only see it in certain lighting conditions. I'm not sure what it is, but I remember other TT owners saying they've had the same issues with the inside of the headlights.

[R84ME]

My 2001 Audi TT has the same looking stuff on the inside of the headlights. It was there ever since I bought it 8 1/2 years ago. You can only see it in certain lighting conditions. I'm not sure what it is, but I remember other TT owners saying they've had the same issues with the inside of the headlights.

Very interesting! I also forwarded this my sales person for his assessment - to see if Audi is aware of this & if anything was done. Thanks for the info!

[mdc]

Very interesting! I also forwarded this my sales person for his assessment - to see if Audi is aware of this & if anything was done. Thanks for the info!

Woaw. all these extra that come FREE with Audi, mine start making a different kind of noise from my standard brake squeal, low pitch sound under low speed/stop and go traffic. I can’t even describe it. If it does not go away, I will post a thread to see anyone else facing the same issue. This happen after the first wash, I did use a leaves blower to blow water out of the hard to dray area, I wonder I blew something loose...

[Vincent]

Gives me goose bumps.

[darkmatter]

Mine has a little bit of the "fungus". It comes and goes but looks mostly like water vapor, which concerns me a bit. I'm monitoring this and will report back.

[L3MAN]

I occasionally have a problem with the lens covers fogging over, especially after washing the car. I was under the impression that the lights are sealed units but when I took this complaint to my dealer they have told me that the lights are not sealed but in fact vented ! They then asked if I wiped over the lens covers after washing with a cloth or leather, silly question I thought to myself - who doesn't ! With that the dealer tells me that the lens covers must not be wiped as this causes static on the inside which makes condensation stick aand last longer. Can static hold moisture for longer ?

So when I see this thread is it a case of the "Audi static" holding moisture on the inside which would excentuate any pattern / flaw on the lens material - hence the fungus look? My lights do not shows these "fungus veins" but this could vary from batch to batch / age of material used? How clean was the base material before it is turned into a headlight?

I find it all a little hard to believe, but what is even worse is that my dealer has told me that any warranty on my headlights is invalidated by the fact that I have wiped them with a cloth. Unbelievable to say the least !!!!! I said that how am I meant to know this little gem of a Audi fact? Answer, it is all in the small print of the handbook. I have not checked this fact yet but surely this valuable piece of information should be told to you on handover of the car when you take delivery. As we all know how many people especially "Males" read a handbook from cover to cover - not many!

I then said that the lights are not fit for the purpose because they then do not meet our safety standards due to impairing the drivers vision at night.
The Audi answer " wait until the car has warmed up and the lights have defogged".

So the official moral of this story :-

Do not wash your lights by hand just pour water over them.

Let car stand idling for 30 mins to warm up before driving

Try not to need your headlights in case they are A) Fogged over or B) Have strange growths of root structures on the inside.

So to ramble on but I think their is a connection in the fact that these lights can potentially develop their own micro climate on the inside and Audi just want to fob you off with poor excuses!

[harrison]

I think your headlights are defective! Sorry to make you feel bad...but I have a dried up spider in the deep corner of my headlight. I will show it to dealer soon ...as I now have 4900 miles and when I get back to L.A. from Tuscon area I will have 5,500 miles on her.

[09R8]

actually, I have this on my lights...it's on the corner though. I don't think it ever got worse

[darkmatter]

Just got my bentley/audi service manual set. There is a technical service bulletin that states this is normal behaviour and will clear itself... which is what I have experienced.

TSB 94-08-48 94 Exterior lights, moisture