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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member Gemini1999's Avatar
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    Default Condensation in low beam lights

    Hey all...

    I just noticed that I have condensation in my low beam units. The lights still work okay, but I'm guessing its not a good sign. I mean, they are 38 year old headlamps. What's the recommended stock replacement? Please...no discussion of upgrades.

    Many thanks in advance!
    Bryan

    1983 Mustang GLX Convertible

  2. #2
    FEP Power Member
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    Default

    I like the Sylvania ExtraVision lamps. It’s one of the better ones without going LED. Except for the print on the lens, they look just like factory. LEDs seem to stand out looking different.
    Fox Body/3rd Gen MCA Gold Card Judge
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    88 Mclaren Mustang Vert 20K miles, 89 Mustang LX Sport Vert,
    03 Mach 1 7900 miles, 74 Mustang II, 69 Mustang, 67 Mustang, 07 GT500,
    14 Mustang CS/GT, 15 F150 FTX Tuscany, 16 F250 Crewcab, 67 Tbird 47K miles

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member Gemini1999's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KevinK View Post
    I like the Sylvania ExtraVision lamps. It’s one of the better ones without going LED. Except for the print on the lens, they look just like factory. LEDs seem to stand out looking different.
    Kevin -

    Yeah, I was looking at those on the Auto Zone website. It looks like the main choices are eith Wagner or Sylvania. I kind of like the idea of the illumination quality being a bit better than standard halogen units. Thanks for the recommendation.
    Bryan

    1983 Mustang GLX Convertible

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Default standard 4 eye eyes

    Halogens here. Sylvania brand low, Wagner hi, Sylvania H3 fog bulbs work well. Discontinued GE's were good too.
    A bright traditional orange-yellow-white (warm) white incandescent output.
    Bluish light or super led harshly being cast onto the road is hard on my eyes but they are ok if you like them.

    Theory- condensation eventually may cause beam reflectors to gradually turn black, causing dimming, and look bad.
    Although rarely used, replaced both working high beams because both of the reflectors were black looking like that.
    Like two black eyes, inners did not match outers when front of car was viewed from a distance.

    Color-Prefer warm white color in home and car. Using higher spectrum for special lighting needs.
    Color led for on/off item power in car, warm white led house lighting.

    Had a low beam glass lens fall right off once. Was a beam abandoned on my work bench. Surprisingly a name brand.
    Could seal it back on with rtv. Noted seal design was changed on newer product.

    My early 79 Cobra had standard factory conventional (at the time) tungsten headlights when i bought it.
    Did a lot of night work commute driving. Sold on the tech, promptly upgraded to GE halogens 1980 or so.

    But the graphic display headlight led stayed 1/2 lit going from conventional to halogen.
    Distracting. Read is was due to a resistance change. Did not know how to fix that. Change resistance? How, where?
    Much worse, headlights started failing almost every 6 months. First one, then the other. Had a whole milk crate of them.
    Years later by chance and a hunch found a badly failing butt wiring splice from a dealer collision ds apron repair.
    After close inspection of the main harness tape, found the problem two feet back from the radiator support.
    Think i unwrapped it fiddling with the washer fluid pump pigtail or something.
    As if that wire splice issue was bumming out the lights and the car too like a wound bleeding electricity.
    Did a new and better splice. Resolved. No more short life from headlights to this day and the graphic display red led went out.
    Felt like the car electrical was happy again after the doc solving a long time hidden mystery like that.

    Was not the 79 Pace Car the first Mustang to have halogen as std equipment?
    https://corporate.ford.com/articles/...g-history.html

    Would like to try out a headlight dual relay electrical update sometime.
    Would prob lose the red led headlight out feature of the graphic warning display, but trade off appears to be of greater usefulness, coolness.
    Last edited by gr79; 02-05-2021 at 06:19 PM.

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gr79 View Post
    Halogens here. Sylvania brand low, Wagner hi, Sylvania H3 fog bulbs work well. Discontinued GE's were good too.
    A bright traditional orange-yellow-white (warm) white output.
    Bluish light or super led harshly being cast onto the road is hard on my eyes but they are ok if you like them.

    Theory- condensation eventually may cause beam reflectors to gradually turn black, causing dimming, and look bad.
    Although rarely used, replaced both working high beams because both of the reflectors were black looking like that.

    Color-Prefer warm white color in home and car. Using higher spectrum for special lighting needs.
    Color led for on/off item power in car, warm white led house lighting.

    Had a low beam glass lens fall right off once. Was a beam abandoned on my work bench. Surprisingly a name brand.
    Could seal it back on with rtv. Noted seal design was changed on newer product.

    My early 79 Cobra had conventional (at the time) tungsten headlights when i bought it.
    Did a lot of night work commute driving. Sold on the tech, promptly upgraded to GE halogens 1980 or so.

    The graphic display headlight led stayed 1/2 lit going from conventional to halogen. Read is was due to a resistance change.
    Much worse, headlights started failing almost every 6 months. First one, then the other. Had a whole milk crate of them.
    Years later by chance and a hunch found a badly failing butt wiring splice from a dealer collision ds apron repair.
    After close inspection of the main harness tape, found the problem two feet back from the radiator support.
    Think i was repairing the washer fluid pump pigtail or something.
    Did a new and better splice. Mystery solved. No more short life from headlights to this day and the graphic display red led went out.

    Was not the 79 Pace Car the first Mustang to have halogen as std equipment?
    https://corporate.ford.com/articles/...g-history.html

    Would like to try out a headlight dual relay electrical update sometime.
    Would prob lose the red led headlight out feature of the graphic warning display, but trade off appears to be of greater usefulness, coolness.
    I recommend doing the dual relays, makes a huge difference in the light output. The only drawback is that yes, the lamp out warning stays on whenever the lights are on. I only did it because I toasted 2 headlight switches in less than a year


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1984 LTD LX, 160k mile Explorer 5.0, Comp XE264HR-14 cam, Alex’s Parts springs on stock GT40 3 bar heads, Unported Explorer intake, 1 5/8 shorty headers, off-road H-Pipe, Spintech 9000 mufflers, Holley Terminator X Max, J-Mod 4R70W, Mustang 8.8 w/ 3.73s, Tubular front and rear control arms, front coilovers, Turbocoupe rear coil springs

  6. #6
    FEP Power Member
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    Default

    I think the first rectangular lights were on the Fairmont cars in 78. I believe halogens came out a bit later in the early 80s. They were advertised as a standard feature by 81.
    Last edited by KevinK; 02-05-2021 at 05:42 PM.
    Fox Body/3rd Gen MCA Gold Card Judge
    84 SVO 24K miles, 85 Mclaren Capri Vert. 84 GT Turbo Vert.
    88 Mclaren Mustang Vert 20K miles, 89 Mustang LX Sport Vert,
    03 Mach 1 7900 miles, 74 Mustang II, 69 Mustang, 67 Mustang, 07 GT500,
    14 Mustang CS/GT, 15 F150 FTX Tuscany, 16 F250 Crewcab, 67 Tbird 47K miles

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Default shedding new light

    Have decided would deal with the led warning and move the task up a notch in priorities.
    Actually the lit led would work as a headlight reminder. Plus mod is reversible.
    Seems like every 10 years, head lights have to be upgraded somehow to shiny new car like operation.
    They were fine when the car was new (so were 40a alternators) and are the same now.
    Upgrade to relays cost seems reasonable.
    Wired a fog light kit, am using a relay to power a custom 2nd fuse panel. They make nice things happen.

  8. #8

    Default

    Even if you use the halogen bulbs, the output with relays (to my naked eye) is better than some cars MY 2004-05. That is also assuming you have a 90-130a alternator also.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1984 LTD LX, 160k mile Explorer 5.0, Comp XE264HR-14 cam, Alex’s Parts springs on stock GT40 3 bar heads, Unported Explorer intake, 1 5/8 shorty headers, off-road H-Pipe, Spintech 9000 mufflers, Holley Terminator X Max, J-Mod 4R70W, Mustang 8.8 w/ 3.73s, Tubular front and rear control arms, front coilovers, Turbocoupe rear coil springs

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