Headlight rear cover electrical question

[KlutzNinja]

As I posted in the larger thread about headlight bulbs, my left low beam just died. I checked under the hood yesterday and found that its rear cover, or cap, has been gone the entire time I’ve had the car (2+ years).
What I plan to do is replace the low beam bulbs and switch the rear cover on the right low beam over to the left, that way when I get a new cover I can add it to the right side and not have to remove the bumper or play around with the fuse box.

However, I have a potential rodent issue if I let my car sit for a day or so without driving it; for all I know they were why the low beam died in the first place. Usually they lounge near the engine cover or the battery and don’t chew anything, thankfully. I don’t lIke the idea of leaving the right low beam housing exposed, since that’s the one with a large enough gap you can access it yourself.

My question is, as I don’t know diddly squat about electrical matters, can I cover the opening with something like painters tape while I wait for the new cover to arrive? Will that cause any reaction or trap heat or some other bad effect? I can’t imagine it would trap heat any more than a solid plastic cover but I really don’t know how this stuff works and I was hoping someone here can help.

[SAEED_KIZZY]

As I posted in the larger thread about headlight bulbs, my left low beam just died. I checked under the hood yesterday and found that its rear cover, or cap, has been gone the entire time I’ve had the car (2+ years).
What I plan to do is replace the low beam bulbs and switch the rear cover on the right low beam over to the left, that way when I get a new cover I can add it to the right side and not have to remove the bumper or play around with the fuse box.

However, I have a potential rodent issue if I let my car sit for a day or so without driving it; for all I know they were why the low beam died in the first place. Usually they lounge near the engine cover or the battery and don’t chew anything, thankfully. I don’t lIke the idea of leaving the right low beam housing exposed, since that’s the one with a large enough gap you can access it yourself.

My question is, as I don’t know diddly squat about electrical matters, can I cover the opening with something like painters tape while I wait for the new cover to arrive? Will that cause any reaction or trap heat or some other bad effect? I can’t imagine it would trap heat any more than a solid plastic cover but I really don’t know how this stuff works and I was hoping someone here can help.

I don't see any problem with painter tape but before sealing it check no water is trapped inside the headlight.

[KlutzNinja]

Thanks! I don’t think headlight water or condensation has been an issue for me (so far), but I’ll keep an eye out.

[Ronzuki]

no self-respecting back yard auto mechanic would use painter's tape...duct tape man!!

[KlutzNinja]

no self-respecting back yard auto mechanic would use painter's tape...duct tape man!!

Lol I was thinking of painter’s tape because it’s easier to remove, but now that I think of it it may be a little too easy to remove. Thanks for the tip.

[KuroNekko]

If it's temporary, painter's tape is fine but duct tape is certainly better for sealing it up.
As for moisture, don't worry. The headlights actually have a little vent that allows airflow but not water ingress under normal conditions. I've seen it when I removed the headlights entirely for bulb upgrades.

[KlutzNinja]

On Tuesday I finally got around to this. When I saw the inside of the headlight without the cover, it was very dusty and had some spider silk threads, but thankfully no signs of rodent activity like I had feared. I brought both painters tape and duct tape just in case one didn’t work out, but luckily the duct tape was fine. I’m no Mythbuster though, so my duct tape skills aren’t great (RIP Grant Imahara), but it should hold until the new cover arrives next month.
Thanks for the help!

[KlutzNinja]

Welp maybe I spoke too soon about the new part. I ordered from Megazip, which seemed to have the lowest price online, but like pretty much every other Suzuki parts dealer, they were sourcing the cover, and the other bits I ordered, from a Japanese warehouse. Just a moment ago I received a message saying Japan has suspended mail and standard shipments due to the pandemic, so the “cheaper” shipping options are out the window, and the new “cheapest” option is FedEx, which can ship my order for a cool $97 or so, which is more than my entire order, and almost 200% of the original shipping cost. In addition to the rear cover I also bought a new splash shield because the one covering my oil pan is cracked and in bad condition, and a new service manual case for the glove box, which I could not find on eBay or elsewhere. I can definitely wait on these two extra items, but hopefully the car doesn’t mind the duct tape a little while longer lol. The Megazip rep said I could leave my parts in their warehouse until Japan greenlights conventional shipping again, which is what I chose to do.
Also, let this be a cautionary tale to anyone else trying to source parts from Japan.

[SAEED_KIZZY]

Welp maybe I spoke too soon about the new part. I ordered from Megazip, which seemed to have the lowest price online, but like pretty much every other Suzuki parts dealer, they were sourcing the cover, and the other bits I ordered, from a Japanese warehouse. Just a moment ago I received a message saying Japan has suspended mail and standard shipments due to the pandemic, so the “cheaper” shipping options are out the window, and the new “cheapest” option is FedEx, which can ship my order for a cool $97 or so, which is more than my entire order, and almost 200% of the original shipping cost. In addition to the rear cover I also bought a new splash shield because the one covering my oil pan is cracked and in bad condition, and a new service manual case for the glove box, which I could not find on eBay or elsewhere. I can definitely wait on these two extra items, but hopefully the car doesn’t mind the duct tape a little while longer lol. The Megazip rep said I could leave my parts in their warehouse until Japan greenlights conventional shipping again, which is what I chose to do.
Also, let this be a cautionary tale to anyone else trying to source parts from Japan.

good to know, thanks KlutzNinja. I also have some parts to buy from Megazip.

[KuroNekko]

Yeah, I experienced a two month delay in shipping from Japan a while back. My mom lives there and send me a package through a very reliable courier that typically takes about 7 to 10 days to deliver from Japan to the US. The package my mom sent in late April arrived in late June this time. When I tracked it, the hold-up was in Japan for most of those two months because they weren't shipping to the US due to COVID-19. Ironically, one of the items my mom sent me in that package was a high-quality cloth mask with replaceable filters.
I also have an order from China that hasn't arrived... and it's been three months now.

As for the duct tape on the headlights, that should be adequate, especially for spiders. They are apparently too busy trying to huff gas in the Kizashi anyway.