Soltek Fuego's taking on moisture

[Wolfhound]

Sounds like a real true answer still has not been given. Would like to hear something substantial. Jayce told me no venting issue & no design issue. Wish someone would make up his/their minds.

 

[dcarver]

Hmmm. BD states to not pressure wash the lights. That seems fair, 2,500 psig will put water darn near anywhere.

On the other hand, these lights should be able to withstand a garden hose, with spray attachment, from 10 feet back. I may just rig that up tommorrow and see what happens. If they can't take the hose, they need go back to BD.

Now, where to get a diggie camera to document the results?

 

[Wolfhound]

Some of the lights got water in them just sitting in the rain (tc I think).

Sorry, dcarver but I didn't take pics of Autoswitch install. It is very easy though, You need switched power to power AS(red wire), a signsl from high beam switch(yellow wire), ground(black), & violet wire to trigger relay pin 86. The instruction have a nice diagram. I put my AS & relay behind panel where right headlight adjuster is .

 

[dcarver]

Inspired by MythBusters, I decided to test my new Solteks. Ambient weather was not providing rain, but the lawn needed watering anyway, so I decided to mount my brand new Solteks on a saw horse then point a garden hose with wide angle sprinkler attachement, from 10 feet away for 1 hour.

But first, I looked at the Solteks for all possible water intrusion paths and came up with:

a. double O-Rings of the outer (in my case, red, ring)

b. mounting 'Ears' of the bracket

c. wicking up the the power leads

d. via the drain valve

e. via the adjuster knob

f. I might have missed one as I'm typing this.. so on to the foto's

Right up front, I admit I cheated. BD recommends using rock guards to help isolate water intrusion, and I installed them for this test. I also removed the outer ring and coated each of the two O-rings with silicone grease and ensured they were properly seated. BTW, on initial inspection, one of the lamps had an O-ring completely out of place.

I also applied a liberal dash of Marine, water proof, grease to the allens on each side of the brackets.

Marine grease applied

The test set up:

Measured 10 foot distance

10' spray pattern

Official 1 hour timer!

10 feet, 1 hour later, light one passes muster

Light two does too.

Upcoming - the 5 foot 1 hour test

 

[Toecutter]

Great, but we weren't running covers. I also don't remember reading anywhere that the covers were needed to keep them from taking on water. And they shouldn't be, but if they are, they should have been included in the base price.

 

[dcarver]

Since the lights passed the 10 foot 1 hour test, on to the 5 foot 1 hour test.

5 feet measured

5 foot deluge

5 foot deluge again

5 foot deluge again again

After 1 hour at 5 feet, some minor condensation between the rock guard and the outer lense. Note that both lamps had approximatley the same water intrusion. Look at lamp lense bottom.

So what does this prove? Not a damn thing.

Sure was a good way to water the lawn and have a couple of beers, though..

Addendum - if others want to see additonial testing, let me know. My bud the truck driver said 'that test is stupid, rain falls vertically!' which is true. But we FJR pilots also have a habit of running into the rain...

anyway, if you have a better idea, post it up.. I'd rather to prove these lights are waterproof and can work on my green, green lawn than to need them and have them fail right when needed the most..

 

[dcarver]

Great, but we weren't running covers. I also don't remember reading anywhere that the covers were needed to keep them from taking on water. And they shouldn't be, but if they are, they should have been included in the base price.

I hear you Toe!

This is reminiscent of when I bought a very expensive camper from the cool and rainy Pacific Northwest. 'Sure the generator will run the AC in summer' they said... They just didn't realize how summer SUMMER can be on the Central Kali coast. (it still doesn't work)

I think the same is happening with BD and water intrusion. Sure, they work freaking GREAT in San Diego and Baja, but how much time have they had running in rainy PNW? (or, in this case, the North East for the IBA?)

Once again, I offer my post not as the solve all, prove all answer.. Rather - a simple and stupid test. Looking forward to others ideas about how to test. I'll offer up my new lamps for testing - because, after all, when needed the most, in dire circumstances, they need perform or be tossed.

Simple as that.

 

[dcarver]

Wow, not one reply with better testing ideas?

 

[Groo]

Submerge them in a tub of water and see where the bubbles leak out from?

 

[Wolfhound]

A reasurring test for me ! Looks like if put together properly with a little something to help seal allens & the o-rings you're probably pretty safe . . . .

 

[vectervp1]

Take the rock guards off, shoot water downward at a 45 degree angle.

Shoot water at them for 3 hours. I know this seems like alot, but it seems every time I encounter rain, I'm in it for a looooong period of time.

You may want to consider trying to get more of a mist out of the water. It could be the smaller water drops get into it better than the larger water drops.

 

[Bayou Boy]

So it looks like the water is only pooling behind the guard and not actually in the light itself.

If so that's definitely a good thing.

 

[Toecutter]

So it looks like the water is only pooling behind the guard and not actually in the light itself.

No, it's getting into the light housing itself. Apparently, not so much with the rock guards in place, but there's no reason the things should soak up water without the guards, like they're doing.

 

[Bayou Boy]

So it looks like the water is only pooling behind the guard and not actually in the light itself.

No, it's getting into the light housing itself. Apparently, not so much with the rock guards in place, but there's no reason the things should soak up water without the guards, like they're doing.

I was talking about the picture above of the sealed lights on the saw horse.

I'm surprised that Baja Designs hasn't had any complaints before now.