My driver side tail light is leaking. I replaced the gasket (which is really expensive for a flimsy piece of foam...) but water is still getting in.

Should I silicone the gasket on or is there something im missing to help stop the leak?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TehMoonRulz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My driver side tail light is leaking. I replaced the gasket (which is really expensive for a flimsy piece of foam...) but water is still getting in.

Should I silicone the gasket on or is there something im missing to help stop the leak?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you sure that is really your problem? Are you sure it isn't coming in the the hatch and area and running into the tail lights?

 

It's not the gasket, It's coming in between the plastic at the top of the taillights. The top edge of the taillights, that's where water is running off the car and fills your lights. Put a small silicone bead around the top edge, between the 2 plastics. It's a problem most aftermarket lenses have, but I have'nt seen this on a OEM lense. But goodluck and let us know.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mugencrxsir1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's not the gasket, It's coming in between the plastic at the top of the taillights. The top edge of the taillights, that's where water is running off the car and fills your lights. Put a small silicone bead around the top edge, between the 2 plastics. It's a problem most aftermarket lenses have, but I have'nt seen this on a OEM lense. But goodluck and let us know. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Youll be my hero if you can snap a pic and upload it of the area you speak of

 

just use silicone and remember to change ur blinker fluid after

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TehMoonRulz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Youll be my hero if you can snap a pic and upload it of the area you speak of</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's the area where the back of the lense meets the front of the lense, there is a lip that runs all the around the tailights. Also it's the portion that hangs under the hatch, lift up the hatch and run your finger along the top of the lense, you will feel the lip I'm talking about. Mean while I'll find you a pic hopefully.

 

Another good idea is to drill a really small hole in the bottom of the housing, letting all the water and moisture to escape. Unless your tail light is filling up with water, then you might not want to drain the water into the car.

 

Is this the area (betwwen red lines) I should silicone?



Fish tanks are NOT fun

 

i had the same problem...i just took the smallest drill bit i could find and drilled a very small hole in the corner....it fixed the problem..it never filled up again..and to be honest with you i couldnt find where i drilled it again if i tried

 

is the hole drilled from the outside? its a last resort

 

Final bump until I give up and seal **** randomly

 

hole drilled in the outside would be the same as from the inside correct? it's going all the way through the light cover from my understanding, I would just take a really small bit as they said, go into one of the corners and just drill through the outside of the light cover in until you've got a nice little hole for drainage

 

I guess I meant to say if you could see it from the outside

 

I get moist but not a fish tank.

 

reasons god gave man the idea for ca glue and it comes with a quick drying activator spray.. we use this normaly to construct frames for fiberglass enclosures, stuff is preaty strong and drys clear.. you can more then likely find it at a hobby store faster then home depot, but put a small bead around the light spray a few spritz's of the activator and its dry. not only will your light not come appart but it will seal any crack that water was geting in from.. unless its from your lightbulb gasket. also looks a lot cleaner then your finger smearing sylicone.

 

yeah you drill it from the outside..
just drill wherever the lowest point you see water is...when you take your bit out you should have a little waterfall coming out...you will never blow anouther bulb again...i promise you that

 

well you will never blow a bulb do to water!!!

 

I had leaking and no fishbowls in the taillights. My problem was the gasket...
I applied a line a window sealer around it where it touched the tail light. No leak now

 

Remove the light and drill from under where you can't see the hole at all (black area). Makes ventine moisture and fluids clean and simple . Had to do this for my aftermarket clear corners due to poor quality .

 

happened to me once. I cleaned them out and put transparent vinyl where ever plastic was. didn't see moisture again. the drill idea isn't bad but I can see that drill hole to start becoming a crack in the future.

 

no the whole is perfectly round so there is no way for it to spread...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TehMoonRulz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is this the area (betwwen red lines) I should silicone?



Fish tanks are NOT fun

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, that is where you need to silicone, but not on the center lense, only on the right and left sides. If you pull the lenses out, and run your finger along the top and you'll see the gap that forms after years. That is where you need to silicone, exactly where you pointed at in the picture.

 

And to properly drain the lenses, you will need to take it out of the car, and leave it upside down over night and let it drain. If for some reason it does'nt drain, you will need to drill a hole in the very bottom of the lense with your smallest drill bit.