I became the proud new (2nd) owner of my 2004 Limited Coupe this past week. Everything about the car is perfect, except for the hazy/foggy headlamp lenses. Seeing that other owners have reported the same problem, I wanted to post some info about my situation that my help current and future Forum members.

One great thing about my Coupe is that I have about 18 months of the original warranty remaining. Armed with that info and the specific TSB number for the headlamp issue - 04-043-04 HEADLAMP CONDENSATION 2004-12-18 - I went to a local Chrysler dealership here in N. Texas this morning.

Without even looking at the car or the condition of the lenses, the Service Manager set up an appointment to this Wednesday to replace both headlamp housings and lenses. No charge.

This was a real lesson to me in the value of Forums such as this one. Its only because of previous posting on this topic, on this Forum, that I even knew about the TSB. I hope that sharing my experience will help someone else. Bottom line: check your warranty and know what you are entitled to.

I'll keep you posted after the repair is made.

 

I am the new owner of an '04 Crossfire with 20,000 miles left on the power-train warranty. So the headlights would not be covered. However I am wondering if I could somehow clean out the inside myself? Or possibly reseal the light? Let me know how expensive the repair was (despite being on warranty!). Thanks!

 

Read the top post! Warranty covers the replacement of the headlamps.

 

minojo,

mrobinso stated that there were 20K miles left on the powertrain warranty, the bumper to bumper warranty is obviously expired.

mrobinso,

are you sure the issue is on the inside of the headlamp? the reason i ask is that there are two completely different, and often confusing issues with Crossfire headlamps. one is where there is condensation formation inside the headlamp. this is not necessarily a defect since the headlamps are not sealed - however it can be fixed if the condensation persists even when the headlamps are turned on. the other is where the headlamp looks hazy, especially towards the top. the hazing actually forms on the exterior of the headlamp and can be removed using lens/plastic polishes or any car finish polish that has some abrasives (i use inexpensive nu finish to treat mine). which of the two issues are you experiencing?

 

Rob M. you seem to know exactly what I am talking about! Hear this! The second problem you mentioned with the haze forming towards the top of the headlight is occurring on the right headlight! However I just for the first time yesterday noticed my left headlight has condensation on the inside. The first thing you mentioned! I have both problems one in each headlight! Help! What can I do to fix it myself?! Thanks.

 

consider where your car spends most of its time when parked during the day. it might be that you routinely park with the right headlamp getting more sun exposure. you can find a plastic polish at any automotive store. just follow the directions and polish both headlamps every time you wax the car. you can even finish with a coat of wax on the headlamps to provide some protection.

for the condensation issue first try running your car with the headlights turned on for at least 15 minutes. if the condensation evaporates, it isn't a major concern. if it doesn't, you have an issue because water droplets inside the headlamp will not allow the lights illuminate optimally. there is a tsb for this issue #0804304. i haven't had the condensation problem so i don't know if it is a do-it-yourself project since it may involve installation of a headlamp vent kit which you may not have access to purchase. you might want to contact your local dealer to see what they can do to fix the issue and if they can order the parts for you. many owners have had it fixed at no cost. in some cases entire headlamps have been replaced but i'm not sure if the new headlamps are any different of if they just have the improved vent. another thing you might want to do yo gain some additional insight is conduct a search on "Headlamp TSB" on this site to read through a variety of posts on this issue.

 

I have the crusty headlight cover dilemma myself and I cannot get it off. I've tried several waxes, polishes, and a Meguires product made especially for this hazing but nothing works. I even put a thin film of 3-N-1 oil on it and it hides it pretty good for a few days. What are some other options? My Crossfire is still under full warrenty so do you think they would be covered and replaced?

Thanks for any advice.

Ricky Copeland
Little Rock, AR

 

Here is the update to the situation I had with my headlights:
Like yours, the outside of both lenses were scratched as is someone tried to buff out the problem. Not knowing the history as I'm the second owner, I thought for sure that the dealership would give me a hard time about any repair or replacement under warranty.
The good news is that they replaced both headlights (the entire fixture, not just the lenses), no charge! The car looks brand-new.
If you have a similar problem, I'd recommend talking to the dealership about replacing them under warranty. The fact that two TSBs about the problem have been issued by Chrysler, only helps your situation. My dealership new about both TSBs, so there was never any real issue.

 

When I bought my '04 I had condensation too. Then TSB was performed and no condensation anymore (vents removed or installed?). Anyway, the TSB for headlight condensation was edited and reissued a few times -> vent kit yes, than vents no but membrane, than vents again ... or something like that. There are a lot of people out there who still have problems with the headlight regardless of which TSB. Some of them even got completely new headlights, but no help.

In March this year I had the opportunity to visit, among other XF enthusiasts, the Karmann plant in Osnabrueck and see how our XF are being born.
We also had the chance to talk to some guys from the sales, marketing and development. Of course we had a few questions. One of them was the condensation issue.

The problem is simply the poor quality of the headlights that are mounted. So maybe some have good luck and get a good one. Those who have bad ones might not get any improvement with the TSB. And if the dealer changes the complete unit you may got a bad one again.

Don't ask me the name of the company who produces the units. It's somewhere in France.

Reason? Cost saving! DC decision...

 

That would be a great experience to see something like that. During your conversations, was there any mention of the Crossfire coming back to the U.S.? Only the '04 and '05 models were ever on sale here. Any talk about the car's future?

Thanks,
Ricky Copeland

 

Sure there was! But let's keep it short ... we don't want to hijack the thread.

Here it goes: January 2008, end of production. End, dead, case closed!

 

O M G !!!

Well, you know, I thought this was going to happen. However, it may make us current owners happy in terms of the Crossfire's value. Once they stop making it, and the public knows they've stopped making it, I've got a feeling the resale value will shoot way up.

Thanks for the info.
Ricky

 

think that depends greatly on what dealers give as trade in values and what others sale the car for. i'm afraid that people like myself that got the latest and greatest prices on new cars might sell them cheaply when moving on to another vehicle.

 

could someone explain more about tsb's. I don't know much about them and how they work, and how to get the dealerships to do work on the cars because of these tsbs.

 

rakoom, TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) are known problems. Simply said: Chrysler Headquarter informs every Chrysler dealer about problems and their repair.
Not for every problem. Mainly those in connection with wrong production.
But TSB can only be applied during warranty!
Every Chrysler dealer should have access to the tsb-database.