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[Ken1956]

Earlier this year, I went on a 2k mile trip.  Alot of it (unfortunately) was in the rain.

When I got home, I discovered the turn signals had filled with water and shorted out the bulbs.

If you have had this problem, did you come up with a fix?  I'm debating on drilling a small drain hole at the bottom of the lens.  But I'm open for other ideas that I might not have thought of.

Thanks.

[GregKhougaz]

Your fix for this might be even simpler.  While I have changed out my signal lamps to LED's, I recall the stock turn signal lenses had quarter inch slots in them.  As I recall, these are supposed to be for drainage.  Obviously they have to be rude to the bottomextra to function this way.  It sounds like someone may have rotated yours inadvertently.  Some extra dielectric grease helps too.  Hope this helps.  

[Twolanerider]

Commonly the water that is a problem doesn't come from where you think it does.  Water intrusion from the front around the lens happens but what gets in there can relatively easily come back out the same way.

Check where the harness enters the bracket on the inside.  Going down the road water will get in there also.  The water will then get up behind the socket assembly where it won't have as easy a path out.  Once back there the back of the socket stays wet all the time and things get nasty relatively short order.

With your finger or a screw driver tip or whatever else works dab some clear silicone over/around the hole where the harness enters.  Fill that area as well as you can.  That usually makes a big difference in stopping the water that gets up behind the socket.

[grc]

As Greg noted, the lenses have built in slots to allow for venting and drainage.  Unfortunately, they don't have one way check valves to keep stuff out like many automotive lighting modules have.

You don't necessarily want to seal the light completely, but you could try a fine bead of clear silicone sealer between the lip of the housing and the lens, leaving a small unsealed area at the bottom of the lens for proper venting and drainage.  I've done it on a couple bikes, and other than the fact that it makes removing the lens a little tougher it seems to greatly reduce the amount of moisture in the light.  One other area to check is where the wiring enters the housing.  The older setup on my SEEG wasn't sealed from the factory and water easily ran down the wires into the back side of the housing.  A little clear silicone put a stop to that.

Thoroughly clean the bulb socket and contacts, apply a generous coating of dielectric grease with a new bulb, and try the small bead of silicone on the lens to housing joint.  


Jerry

edit:  I've got to type faster and quit letting things distract me before hitting the post button.  2lane explained the back side leak very well, and it is actually the more important of the two leak paths.  The socket and reflector are actually sealed to the housing so water that gets in the back with the wiring and contacts doesn't drain out the lens, it sits in there and leads to corrosion.

[Hawg]

Warranty?

[Ken1956]

It was fixed under warranty, if that is what you are asking.

[Hawg]

Yeah I would think so. I don't have any water in mine so far, I will keep an eye on it though.

[Ken1956]

Check the lens and make sure one of the indentations is positioned to the bottom.  Someone told me that was for drainage.

[michaelbmenaker]

Check the lens and make sure one of the indentations is positioned to the bottom.  Someone told me that was for drainage.

And I always thought they were to put a dime in to pop the covers off...

[Ken1956]

I had the same thought, frankly.           

[grc]

The slot is in fact meant to be used to pop the cover off (a quarter works better than a dime btw). 


Jerry

[Ken1956]

So Jerry, you don't think it drains at the indentations?  If not, I may try drilling a small hole.

Thanks.

[grc]

So Jerry, you don't think it drains at the indentations?  If not, I may try drilling a small hole.

Thanks.

It wouldn't hurt anything to align the slot at the bottom if you think it will drain better that way, I just thought I'd mention that the slots real purpose is for removal of the lens.  Note that there is no design provision to ensure the slot is at the bottom for drainage, nor is there any sort of instruction to install the lens with the slot at the bottom.  

The light needs to be able to "breath" a little, but I still think the best answer is to seal the top and sides of the lens to the housing to reduce the amount of moisture that gets in in the first place.  What little does get in will be quickly dissipated by the heat of the bulb through the unsealed area.  Locate the slot at the bottom and leave it unsealed, see how it works.


Jerry

[Ken1956]

Looking for fix suggestions for water getting into my front turn signals, mounted under the passing lamps I added last winter.

Twice now, I have blown bulbs due to water collecting in the turn signal housings.  First time was after a long ride in alot of rain.  So I blew it off.  But the other day, it happened again after normal bike washings over several months.  (and no, I don't use a power washer!)

Talking it over with the service department, their "guess" is water is traveling down from the mounting screw and where the housing attaches to the passing lamp arm and collecting in the turn signal housing.  The seal behind blub reflector seals the collecting water until the bulb blows.

My idea is to partially disassemble and load up the mating points of the housing and arm with a bead of clear silicone. 

Anyone else run into this problem?  What did you do for a fix?  Any better ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Twolanerider]

Looking for fix suggestions for water getting into my front turn signals, mounted under the passing lamps I added last winter.

Twice now, I have blown bulbs due to water collecting in the turn signal housings.  First time was after a long ride in alot of rain.  So I blew it off.  But the other day, it happened again after normal bike washings over several months.  (and no, I don't use a power washer!)

Talking it over with the service department, their "guess" is water is traveling down from the mounting screw and where the housing attaches to the passing lamp arm and collecting in the turn signal housing.  The seal behind blub reflector seals the collecting water until the bulb blows.

My idea is to partially disassemble and load up the mating points of the housing and arm with a bead of clear silicone. 

Anyone else run into this problem?  What did you do for a fix?  Any better ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Check where the harness enters the housing.  Water goes in there and collects behind the bulb.  Gets trapped back there by the socket assembly. 

Cover that entry point with some marine grade silicone.  That's the best solution I've ever come up with for that problem.