No suggestions needed, you did pretty much your only option. Beyond baking the headlights to remove the lens and installing new buytl in the channel, silicon on the outside is pretty much your only option.

 

And just to add that this is a very common problem with eBay headlights. Almost need to reseal them before installation.

 

My recommendation also is to seal the seam before you install them. I was searching the Internet last night for prices of again replacement lights incase this does not work. I found that AM-Autoparts has the lights both for $88.00 and with a 10 year warranty.

So if resealing these does not work I will buy fro them for the 10 year warranty even though wife will most likely not have the car by then.

Has 127k miles in good shape, she might have HL maybe the next 2 years but then off to a newer one with lower miles.

***I wonder how the warranty works with the headlights do I have to send back and the car will be without lights for about a week taking in the return and then replacement back to me. Can't be without lights so that scenario would be interesting.

thanks

 

I had this same problem with the new headlights I bought from ebay a couple of years ago. But I fixed them and I've been very happy with them since then.

At first, they kept getting water into them so I had to take them both back out and run a good bead of silicone caulk around where the lenses meet the housings. This has worked great. But, the biggest pain was getting them to be dry inside after I resealed them.

For each one I used a heat gun aimed at the front of it (about 1.5 feet away, and with surrounding paintwork covered for protection), and with both vent hole caps removed from the back of the headlight housing.

I was impatient the first couple of times I did it and quit too soon, so the condensation kept coming back. After that, I decided to make sure they were really dry and let the heat gun hit each one for a couple of hours. That did it. They've looked great ever since. No more moisture.

And they make the ol' Highlander look sharp, in my opinion, haha.

 

I think I'm going to order a new after market set from ebay (AM-Autoparts for the $89.00 and dont have to fool around any more. Winter is on its way here in Boston so want to get this squared away I will keep the old ones this time as back up incase the new ones have to go back.

 

I am curious why you simply didn't restore the headlights? There are several methods available. Polishing with fine metal polish did the trick for me. Some people have had luck with the kits available in auto parts stores also. This eliminates the problems with aftermarket parts and all the installation issues.

 

I did try to polish out the lense but were to far gone I tried twice and there was some crystallization in the plastic. Also one of the lights was getting moisture in them, so that is why I replaced them.
I ordered a new pair last night. For some reason I cant get the moisture out. When I brought them outside yesterday they started to fog up not even on the car. And I made sure the complete seam was sealed. There were just some drops of water still on the inside but were almost dry.
I guess I should of made sure they were completely dry no drops inside.
I know the change in temperature makes the moisture but this is amazing how they just started to fog up.
Well I hope new ones will work. $89.00 for the pair free shipping.

There was someone on craigslist with a pair $40 almost new but got no response or I would of bought them and see what happens. I tried 3 times to reply and nothing.
That gets me pissed off when someone list something and never replies well she is paying for them. And its no big deal to change them out. I will keep the old ones.

 

I replaced my wifes 2005 Highlander headlights with aftermarket EBAY replacements $90.00 for both.

The past 6-7 months the ebay lights have moisture in them and will not go away constantly there.

Unfortunately, among the many problems of aftermarket headlamps (first and foremost, objectively poor performance at best, but typically simply noncompliance) is their fit and finish, to include sealing *and* ventilation issues.

Every headlamp with a replaceable light source gets moisture in them, whether OEM or aftermarket. The question is how much moisture gets in, and more importantly, how does it get out? You're doing such a great job trying to keep moisture out that it's actually keeping it from getting out.

I know OEM headlamps are expensive (a pair for that vehicle would be about $460), but you just don't get what you don't pay for.

 

I see your point there are vents on the back 1 upper and 1 lower and i should of checked them but I tried to pull off the white caps and they would not so I did not want to force them. Like I said she will probably have the car until next year and then on to a newer one.
And with winter coming here in Boston I want to make sure I'm not out there in the winter fixing or the lights have ice on the inside. I will check the older ones when I get the new ones and check the vents again.

If anyone knows how to remove the vent caps please chime in and let me know.

thanks

 

I see your point there are vents on the back 1 upper and 1 lower and i should of checked them but I tried to pull off the white caps

Strange... on my Corolla and Previa the vents take the form of some kind of rubber tube, and on my friend's RX300 they're very large rubber tubes with a foam rubber filtery-insert (that crumbled to a squishy dust, oops. I put some cotton balls in there to help keep the bigger things out.) I haven't looked too closely at how it's done on the LS430 which has projector HID low beams and halogen high beams, but I imagine it's somewhat the same way. Surely the vents on these aren't *fake*, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

I did get new light for the highlander and so far no moisture buildup in side.

My question is has anyone bought ebay lights and on the back of the housing are 2 white caps lower and upper on the housing. I was able to remove them on the old housing and looks like they are vents upper and lower.
The new lights have the same, question is are these suppose to be removed or kept on. Lights came with no directions or paper works.

Light I replaced are also ebay lights 17 months old with a 1 yr warranty so I lost out on that.
New lights 10 yr warranty. But question is the white caps over the vent holes, remove or not, looks like they do not cover the complete hole there is like a v slottet and cap just fits on with the v exposed.

thanks