Technical Bulletin
Model(s)

Year

Eng.Code

Trans. Code

VIN Range From

VIN Range To

1996-2017

All

All

All

All

All
(except Routan)

Condition
94 16 01 August 8, 20156 2011521 Supersedes Technical Bulletin V941502 dated October 28, 2015 to include
additional model and model year applicability.
Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation

Condensation and or water droplets visible on inside of exterior light lenses.
© Note:

Condensation does not affect performance of light assemblies .

Technical Background
Exterior light assemblies
(headlights, taillights, fog lights,
turn signals) are vented and
may collect moisture on their
inner surfaces, depending on
humidity and climatic
conditions. The unfavorable
condensation built up (Figure 1)
visible to the customer is more
common with modern exterior
lights because of clear glass
optics, however this condition
will not have an impact on the
functionality or durability of the
component.

Figure 1

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© 2016 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Environmental conditions that frequently cause condensation to build
up on lens:
•

Carwashes

•

Driving or parking in rain/snow

•

Frequent short distance operation in wet weather

For headlight condensation that is due to environmental
conditions, the affected lens surface should be cleared after
approx. 30 minutes of light operation.

Production Solution
In cases where larger water droplets have formed on the inside of the lens or significant amount of water has
collected at the bottom of a light assembly, Figure 2:

Figure 2

Page 2 of 4
© 2016 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
•

Check that the housing covers (Figure 3), are properly installed. If the housing covers are not fully seated in
place, use compressed air (less than 30 PSI) to blow out the lens and recheck for leaks.

Housing Covers
Figure 3

•

Check for leaking seals, cracks in lenses or assemblies.

DO NOT replace light or lens assemblies unless damage is found.

If damage to seals or cracks to lenses or assemblies are found:
•

Follow normal repair procedures for this type of failure (provide photograph(s) with repair documentation for
verification).

If the condition is determined to be condensation due to environmental conditions and no damages are
found, explain to the customer the information provided in the Technical Background section above.

Page 3 of 4
© 2016 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Bulletin
Service
Information only.

Warranty
Information only.

Required Parts and Tools
No Special Parts required.
No Special Tools required.

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or removal.
Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.

Document Control Revision Table
Reason For Update

Instance Number

Published Date

Version Number

2011521/12

8/8/16

V941601

To include model year
2017.

2011521/1

8/1/03

V940301

Original publication.

Page 4 of 4
© 2016 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.