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[photo] Is My Headlight Reflector Bucket Defective?

Bonaventure

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Jul 30, 2017
Messages
181
Location
USA
The chromed reflector surface in the bucket has some sort of speckle like residue or something in both lamp nacelles. It's on the chrome not the lens. This may be how they all are, don't know. The lights do an okay job.

IMG_20171017_175905792.jpg
 
That doesn't look right. Does it look like that with the light turned off? I'd say the chrome coating did not adhere properly. It looks like a headlight from a 50 year old car.
 
You can only see the residue or whatever it is with lights on or shining a light into it when off. The chrome looks okay until you put light onto it. It looks kind of like when salt crystals form on a surface where salt water has evaporated.
 
Not normal. Almost looks like the start of corrosion and the chrome is bubbling off. Will drastically reduce the reflection of the lighting. I know you are a long way from a good dealer but I would send them a picture and tell them it drastically reduces your lighting and is a safety issue (which is truly is). The lights on the Stelvio are excellent when working properly.

If they do not want to listen to you then send it Piaggio and also call them and keep on them until someone responds. If that does not work then just tell them you will hold them personally responsible if you get into an accident due to diminished lighting. I would use that last one as a last resort. Hopefully it does not go any further than the dealer.
 
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Awesome. Great quality control by Guzzi. I'll get to work on the warranty push.
 
Awesome. Great quality control by Guzzi. I'll get to work on the warranty push.

It is a strange one I will give them that. First I have heard of it happening on a Stelvio and that includes all years back to 2008.

Does the material look loose?. There is a small drain on the back side of the housing at the bottom of the housing. It will have some blue/green filter material covering it or in the hole. I wonder if you can blow some air through the bulb opening and push it out the bottom.

Failing that, I have never tried, but the housing may come apart for a proper cleaning (assuming it is not flaking coating material)

Would still pursue the dealer/Piaggio option, but just in case.
 
It is a strange one I will give them that. First I have heard of it happening on a Stelvio and that includes all years back to 2008.

Does the material look loose?. There is a small drain on the back side of the housing at the bottom of the housing. It will have some blue/green filter material covering it or in the hole. I wonder if you can blow some air through the bulb opening and push it out the bottom.

Failing that, I have never tried, but the housing may come apart for a proper cleaning (assuming it is not flaking coating material)

Would still pursue the dealer/Piaggio option, but just in case.

Sent an inquiry to the nearest dealership. It doesn't look like the chroming is flaking. Looks like some kind of residue or contamination. My first inclination was as yours-- could it be possible to get at it somehow and clean it. Doesn't appear so, the bucket is a unitized part likely because the sealant of the clear lens to the bucket has to be heat baked to fully activate the applied adhesive or at least that is often the case on automotive headlights. It only shows under illumination. If there is any type of clear coating applied over the chrome it almost looks like tiny air bubbles in the coating.

With lights off it looks fairly normal:

IMG_20171018_092324635.jpg
IMG_20171018_092324635.jpg


Phone camera flash:

IMG_20171018_092342173.jpg


LED Flashlight:

IMG_20171018_092451291.jpg
 
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Thinking about this more, I'm guessing the "gunk" is on the rear of the lens as opposed to the chromed reflector. This would explain why it is only observed when the lights are on.

You could try accessing via the bulb aperture, and see if you can wipe anything off the inside of the lens. Why it's there is still a mystery.
 
Spoke with nearby (90 minutes) dealer today. Going to try to make it there end of next week so they can have a look.
 
Just take a Bulb out, stick a Finger in, and give it a quick wipe.
Use a Cotton Glove if you have one.

Looks to me like the sort of sticky deposits you get from parking under certain Trees/Bushes.
Have the Lights had the Bulbs removed for a period at any time?
 
Just take a Bulb out, stick a Finger in, and give it a quick wipe.
Use a Cotton Glove if you have one.

Looks to me like the sort of sticky deposits you get from parking under certain Trees/Bushes.
Have the Lights had the Bulbs removed for a period at any time?

It's definitely inside the bucket and adhered to the chrome not the lens. It's difficult to get a sense of dimension with pictures. The headlights light up the road okay at night I really don't think it it reducing output more than possibly a few percentage points if so.

Got the bike new 2 miles on the clock August 29th. Know exactly the tree fallout you refer to, sap mist or whatever it is but this isn't that, mainly because it's inside on the chrome reflective surface.

Not to sound like a broken record but the best description is it looks like the residue left by salt water that's evaporated or something that was soluble in a liquid that's left residue once the water is gone.

On the phone the nearby (not the selling...) dealership sort of inserted a disclaimer that the headlights "are not sealed" and can get stuff in them. Just have to see how it goes with them next week.
 
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