[Thereschuckles]

When I run my 2013 1025r for an extended amount of time the instrument cluster fogs up on the inside. Don't see any cracks where hot air can get in. Anybody have any insight in this?

 

[SeniorSitizen]

When the subject is condensation we don't have but a couple of choices. 1) warm the surface the moisture is forming on or 2) dry the air that's contacting the surface.

 

[Thereschuckles]

It seems like there is hot engine air getting inside the cluster somehow. It happens in summer too just not as bad

 

[hosspuller]

I don't think the issue is engine air getting into the cluster. I think the hot engine air is warming the entire sealed cluster. Moisture in the cluster then condenses on the cool glass fogging the view.
Has anyone taken out the cluster to confirm it's sealed ?

 

[Thereschuckles]

No. But I will pull it when I get some down time.

 

[farmer52]

On my 4200, there is a rubber square o-ring between the lens and body. I have seen "fog" in my cluster and other tractors with "sealed" gauges. I do not "wash" my tractors so I believe it is built-in condensation. Is there a vent on the clusters? I would be interested to know the cause.

 

[X758er]

Someone here last year had the same issue.
My new X758 had it happen with 20 hours on it and never been out in the rain.
Warranty...good luck.
Another guy did take it apart...here about a year ago...mentioned something about a lens film partly fogging the lens plus moisture too..
He opened it up and removed the film resealed it and it was fixed.
A common problem with these instrument clusters..

 

[ClydeLogan]

Could be a precursor to IC failure, based upon a number of posts I have seen. I would want to make sure it is resealed properly.

 

[Dave in DE]

I just put my instrument cluster back together on my 3720. (See: LCUT - 05 3720 instrument panel?) If the wires connect with the same type connections on yours, as on mine. You may have an air leak there allowing moisture in. The connections are basically O-ring sealed.

If it were mine I'd remove the dash. It's not real hard to do. The steering wheel may be the hardest to remove. May require a puller, although mine did not. Once the wires are unplugged. I'd use a hair dryer to blow warm dry air into and through the cluster at the wire connection points to dry it out. Then when your sure it's dry and the wire connections are dry too. Use some dielectric grease on the rubber seals on the connections and reinstall everything. If that doesn't do it. You may need to reseal the glass on the instrument panel itself. Or there is a Crack in the cluster somewhere.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Those instruments are sealed to only keep dust out. To keep air out there would need to be a hermetic seal. That might happen on a space shuttle but probably never on a tractor. Now we're back to a couple of solutions as in reply #2. Changing the moisture content of the air to lower dew point temperature would be impossible in this application. That leaves us with the second method of raising the surface temp. of the lens. A question: if the gauge cluster is only lighted when driving lights are on we might consider leaving the lights on to keep the gauges lens warmer with the heat given off from the bulbs.

 

[Dave in DE]

Those instruments are sealed to only keep dust out. To keep air out there would need to be a hermetic seal. That might happen on a space shuttle but probably never on a tractor. Now we're back to a couple of solutions as in reply #2. Changing the moisture content of the air to lower dew point temperature would be impossible in this application. That leaves us with the second method of raising the surface temp. of the lens. A question: if the gauge cluster is only lighted when driving lights are on we might consider leaving the lights on to keep the gauges lens warmer with the heat given off from the bulbs.

No bulbs inside LED lit.
No, I'm not saying there hermetically sealed. But for all intensive purposes they are sealed units. The glass face is glued on with a windshield type butal rubber sealant and once the wire connections are installed in the back they are water tight. There for sealed unit. If moisture is trapped inside it will always fog. This water must be removed and unit resealed. The most likely leak area is a wire connection hence the dielectric grease on the seals on the wire connection.

 

[Thereschuckles]

No bulbs inside LED lit.
No, I'm not saying there hermetically sealed. But for all intensive purposes they are sealed units. The glass face is glued on with a windshield type butal rubber sealant and once the wire connections are installed in the back they are water tight. There for sealed unit. If moisture is trapped inside it will always fog. This water must be removed and unit resealed. The most likely leak area is a wire connection hence the dielectric grease on the seals on the wire connection.

 

[Thereschuckles]

Thanx for all the input. When I get a chance I will tear into it and post what I find

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Do LED lights not emit any heat at all?

 

[Dave in DE]

Do LED lights not emit any heat at all?

Heat output depends on type of LED. The high output LED's used in flash lights or head lights. Yes they produce quite a bit of heat. The ones used for lower output very little if any heat.