Fix for Tail-lights Leaking? Any ideas?

I know I wash my car alot...by hand of course, and I try not to nail the tail-lights with water...but...I have actually had both of the rear-end tail lights replaced for free from the dealership (left and right), but now one of them is foggy and it looks like alittle water got in, is there anything that I can do to help stop this from happening because apparently its the tail-lights themselves, I've had 2 replaced within a year. I am pretty sure they tried to seal them up real good at the dealership after the first one too...Anyone have this happen and if so have you tried anything that seems to keep the water out?

Nick!

This is usually caused by moisture entering the top seam of the taillight housings. Water in the trunk is usually caused by leaking taillight gaskets. Here is a link to a good discussion regarding the topic...

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42552&highlight=gaskets

Thanks, that is good info. :redface:

yeah, i swapped one of my gaskets and leak went away...after 10+ years the gaskets compress and essentially become no good

Double check and see if the lens itself isn't warping away from the back panel. Mine has 1/8 "bow" from heat / old age and it's allowing water to leak in.

ACD

I am dealing with the wet trunk problem now. Gaskets have been ordered ($106.36 for four).

Double check and see if the lens itself isn't warping away from the back panel. Mine has 1/8 "bow" from heat / old age and it's allowing water to leak in.

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This is a good point - after the gaskets are done I intend to run a thin bead of clear-drying silicone sealant across the top seam of the taillights for a little additional water resistance.

Jett said:

I am dealing with the wet trunk problem now. Gaskets have been ordered ($106.36 for four).


This is a good point - after the gaskets are done I intend to run a thin bead of clear-drying silicone sealant across the top seam of the taillights for a little additional water resistance.

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good idea, don't forget to pull your jack and air pump to make sure the very bottom is dry... There's also drain plugs there.. I ended up pulling the trunk lamp out and sticking a fan in the trunk overnight to completely dry it out. Let me know how the silicone works.. if it solve the problem let us know. I'll do mine then.

thanks

AC

Okay, just had the taillight gaskets replaced today at the Car Doctor* in Falls Church, VA. I still need to completely dry out the trunk and apply some clear silicone sealant to the top rim of the taillight assemblies. Will post update when I have had time to evaluate how well it is working.

*I highly recommend them.

ACCD said:

good idea, don't forget to pull your jack and air pump to make sure the very bottom is dry... There's also drain plugs there.. I ended up pulling the trunk lamp out and sticking a fan in the trunk overnight to completely dry it out. Let me know how the silicone works.. if it solve the problem let us know. I'll do mine then.

thanks

AC

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If those are drain plugs down there then they sure dont drain very good. I had the stinky trunk so i pulled everything and Dawned the trunk real good and waited a bit to see if any of the water drained.... end of story, i had to soak it up with towels.

I disassembled the headlights on my 2002 to paint the inside and fix the bouncing. When i reassembled them, for some extra security i used the silicone sealant below. That was about 8 months ago and this stuff is still completely clear and pliable with no drying or cracking. Very good sealer.

I don't think I need to "drain" my trunk so much as to just dry it out. Pretty much my whole drying plan is to take everything out of the trunk (including the mat) and leave it open a few inches and let it air dry over the course of a few days. I am hoping that two or three days of driving (for heat) and airing (for evaporation) will do the trick. It might go a little quicker if it was summer...

I have had good luck with the same silicon sealer, you can get it at Home Depot too. Light coat on all surfaces with my old gaskets did the trick for me, I cheaped out and didn't even buy new gaskets and it fixed the trunk leak my car came with!

This is good stuff, I will pick up some of that sealer, thanks again.

My taillights leak - water droplets in the taillights them selves after a car wash. I do not get water in the trunk at all.

So are you guys sealing up the taillight housing? Can I do that without removing the lights? I assume the gasket you guys refer to seals the lights to the car itself. If my trunk doesn't get water can I assume the gaskets are OK?

My taillights leak - water droplets in the taillights them selves after a car wash. I do not get water in the trunk at all.

So are you guys sealing up the taillight housing? Can I do that without removing the lights? I assume the gasket you guys refer to seals the lights to the car itself. If my trunk doesn't get water can I assume the gaskets are OK?

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You are correct in stating that the gaskets seal the lights to the car itself. If your trunk stays dry you don't need new gaskets.

If you examine the top edge of your taillights from outside the car, you will probably find an uneven gap along both top seams (left taillight and right taillight, but not the center section) between the red lenses and the taillight housing itself. This usually occurs on both taillights but not the center red section. The gap occurs from normal distortion (expansion and contraction) of the lense during hot and cold cycles, opening up a gap along the top rim of the taillights. The taillight design leaves something to be desired in that it is designed with an exposed seam along the top, and age and expansion/contraction allow a gap to form. The gap along the top is what allows water into the taillights themselves.

Note that the moisture isn't "condensation" in the classic sense, it's water getting into the housing from rain or car washing. So-called condensation inside a light lense isn't "naturally occurring". Condensation inside a headlight or taillight lense is an indicator that the housing isn't sealed and there is an opening somewhere that is allowing water to get in.

Run a thin bead of silicone sealer along the top of the taillights (on the outside of the car, not inside the trunk) where the gap is, then smooth it down flush in the gap. You might have to experiment with it a little to get a smooth job, but it just wipes off when it is wet, and is pretty easy to remove even when dry if you have some excess when you apply it. If you get a little smeared on the taillight at first it won't hurt anything. You should do this when your taillights are dry so as not to entrap any moisture in the taillights.

My taillight gaskets were just done; right now I am allowing the moisture inside the lense to hopefully evaporate out (dry winter air can be as effective as summer heat) so I can apply the clear silicone. If the moisture doesn't evaporate I may have to try drilling*, which I have been hoping to avoid.

*Some owners drill a few small holes (using no larger than a 1/8" drill bit) along the bottom edge of the taillights so as not to be readily visible, I think not so much for drainage but to allow a bit of air circulation, which apparently is sufficient to dry out the taillights. I have not tried this so I cannot vouch for its effectiveness, but it is said to work.