Classification:

Reference:

Date:

EL03-031n

ITB03-051n

July 7, 2020

HEADLAMP, FOG LAMP, OR REAR COMBINATION LAMP FOGGING
This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page.
Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

APPLIED VEHICLES:

2011-2020 Infiniti – All models

SERVICE INFORMATION
Occasionally, customers may notice water vapor or fog in the headlamps, fog lamps, or rear combination
lamps.
The following information, illustrations, and flow chart are provided to help you determine if water/condensation
in a lamp is normal or not.
Infiniti’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty does not cover physically damaged (cracked or broken)
headlamps, fog lamps, or rear combination lamps.

All current headlamp, fog lamp, and rear combination lamp assemblies are vented to the atmosphere (not
sealed).


This is necessary to allow for expansion and contraction of air from temperature "variations" (warmer or
colder) without damage to the lamp.



Moisture in the air sometimes "travels" into and out of the lamp assembly through these vents.



Certain environmental conditions may cause moisture to condense.



The fogging/cloudiness should disappear over time when the lamp is in a dry environment.

Infiniti Bulletins are intended for use by qualified technicians, not 'do-it-yourselfers'. Qualified technicians are properly trained

individuals who have the equipment, tools, safety instruction, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. NOTE: If you believe that
a described condition may apply to a particular vehicle, DO NOT assume that it does. See your Infiniti retailer to determine if this
applies to your vehicle.

1/5

Fog may temporarily form inside the lens of the headlamp, fog lamp, or rear combination lamp assemblies
based on environmental conditions or sudden temperature changes (such as in a car wash, or parked on a
cold, sunny day). This is normal. See Figure 1.

Head lamp
Grille

"Cloudy"
condensation (fog)
Lens area

TP030533

Figure 1: Example of normal condensation, ok
NOTE: This condensation can appear anywhere on the outer lens, typically at its coldest location.

Head lamp
Grille

Water droplets
or pools

Lens area

TP030534

Figure 2: Condition may not be normal (example)
If the moisture trickles, drips, or pools, it may not be considered normal and the lamp assembly may have a
water leak path. See Figure 2 for an example.
If large drops of water collect inside the lens, refer to the flow chart on page 3 to find the next step.

2/5

ITB03-051n

SERVICE PROCEDURE
Should a customer note water in a headlamp, fog lamp, or rear combination lamp assembly, please use the
following flow chart to determine if the condition is normal or requires lamp replacement.

Visual inspection: Does the lamp
show any puddles, runs on lens, or
large (larger than 3 mm diameter)
droplets of water?

Is there an accumulation of
water puddled in the bottom of
the lamp, which is 10 mm or
more in depth?

YES

NOTE: If there is any physical
damage (cracked or broken), replace
the assembly. Physical damage is
not covered by warranty.

YES

Replace the lamp
assembly.

NO

Replace only the lamp housing.
Reuse any bulbs, sockets,
harness, ballasts, etc.

NO

Within the lamp assembly that has
condensation, is the light source
or “bulb” a Xenon or Halogen type (nonLED)? See page 4 for bulb type
descriptions.

NO

LED-only lamp assemblies,
when turned ON, will not
generate enough heat to
dissipate normal condensation.

YES

Pull the vehicle into the service bay.
Turn on the lamps.
Monitor the condensation
in the lamps for 30 minutes.

Is condensation area
on lens clearing?

 Refer to the Electronic Service Manual
for lamp housing replacement.

NO

 Refer to the Warranty FRT Manual for
claims coding when applicable.

YES

NOTE: Not all lamp assembly
replacements are covered
under warranty.

DO NOT replace the lamp assembly.
Inform the customer the following:

 Warranty part return of the assembly
will be requested.

 All headlamps, fog lamps, and rear combination
lamps allow some moisture (water vapor) inside
through vents which prevent physical damage due
to pressure buildup when lamps are turned on.

 Any parts found physically damaged
(cracked or broken) will be charged
back to the dealer.

 Certain weather conditions will cause water vapor
to become visible on the lens.

 Any parts determined as “no defect
found” may be charged back to the
dealer.

 Condensation will clear on its own as the
environmental conditions change.

3/5

ITB03-051n

Headlamp, Fog Lamp, and Rear Combination Lamp Assembly Bulb Types and Identification
NOTE: Headlamp assemblies can be a combination of the bulbs described below.

Halogen bulb
Halogen bulbs use a conventional filiment that produces light when electricity is passed through it.
This type of bulb can be identified as follows:


Has an internal filiment inside the bulb.



When turned OFF, the filiment may briefly glow as it cools off.



No external Control Module or HID Control Unit is needed to operate them.

Xenon bulb
Xenon bulbs do not use a filament. Instead, they produce light when a high voltage current is passed between
two tungsten electrodes through a mixture of Xenon (an inert gas) and certain other metal halides.
This type of bulb can be identified as follows:


Has no filiment, but instead has two opposed electrodes that are housed in a capsule the size of a pea,
and then is enclosed inside a secondary glass bulb.



When turned ON, will illuminate immediately and then over the period of several seconds continue to
brighten until it has reached its maximum rated output.



When turned OFF, no afterglow will be present.



Has an HID Control Unit; usually attached to the headlamp assembly.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulb
LED bulbs are semiconductor devices, which illuminate when forward bias electric voltage is applied.
This type of bulb can be identified as follows:


Has no filiment or electrodes as described for Halogen or Xenon bulbs.



When turned ON, the bulb reaches maximum rated output immediately.



When turned OFF, the light output immediately stops; no afterglow present.



Has a Control Module; usually attached to the headlamp assembly.

4/5

ITB03-051n

AMENDMENT HISTORY
PUBLISHED DATE

REFERENCE

DESCRIPTION

July 29, 2003

ITB03-051

Original bulletin published

April 18, 2007

ITB03-051a

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models, and SERVICE PROCEDURE added

February 26, 2008

ITB03-051b

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

July 21, 2008

ITB03-051c

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

August 8, 2008

ITB03-051d

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

January 4, 2010

ITB03-051e

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models, and SERVICE PROCEDURE revised

February 21, 2012

ITB03-051f

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models, and SERVICE INFORMATION revised

November 27, 2013

ITB03-051g

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

January 20, 2015

ITB03-051h

Changes made throughout

June 15, 2015

ITB03-051i

Changes made throughout

February 26, 2016

ITB03-051j

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

March 27, 2017

ITB03-051k

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models, and a description of headlamp assembly bulb types
has been added.

March 19, 2018

ITB03-051L

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models

April 20, 2018

ITB03-051m

Fog lamps added, and flow chart modified

July 7, 2020

ITB03-051n

APPLIED VEHICLES updated to include current production
models, and rear combination lamps added

5/5

ITB03-051n