More Overpriced Junk | Tom's Tails
 

The deal is I had OEM tails leak twice. Had them replaced and most recent TSB done and they did not leak after.

So, you know I had to screw around and replace them with the USDM Toms.
Followed TSB and made sure they were tightened properly (basically not tightened.)

Well just look at them. Junk @FT-86 SpeedFactory

They are NOT junk. ALL tails are subject to leaking due to the cars design flaw.
Fix the flaw for 99 cents and all is well.


http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3eb3bee8.gif

CERBERUS

Come fix my car then, whats the problem?

The gaskets suck.

Tom's came with new gaskets, is there some secret to installing foam gaskets and tail lights for this car that don't apply to every other car on earth?

get some of that sticky spray from the infomercials and wahla, fixed! If it can make a screen door as the bottom of the boat work, I'm sure it can keep some condensation out of some tail lights ;)

Hmmm I've actually not seen very many leaky taillights lately, but California is also in a drought, so I'm useless here :cheers:

The answer then is to move to California or should I bottle the water and send it to you?

i think all tail gaskets for this car need to be glued to the tails with 3m weather adhesive or whatever you can find

I would gladly take buy them off of you if you are fed up :thumbup:

Well, for what it is worth, I have had the EU spec TOMs on my car for about six months now, and there is absolutely no condensation / leak issue. This is despite the lovely weather we have here in the UK, and the fact I wash my car at least once a week, very often with a pressure washer.

Having said that, I had absolutely no problems with my OEM lights either.

Its very possible its related to the rear frame of the car, or needs extra gasket or extra goo to attach gaskets. I don't know, but things that should be easy aint.

no issues on my TOM's and I have had them on the car for a year in Nebraska. I knew the OEM gaskets sucked and the TOM's ones looked better than the OEM, proved correct. I have the USDM wired JDM ones though with the amber turn signals.

When I took my OEM tails off I remember doing some metal bending, very minor... I think it was around the bolt holes, the tightening done during the build at the factory deformed the metal slightly and it needed some tweaking

I'm going to check mine right now actually, there was a pretty bad rain storm a few days ago

Bottle the water and distribute here for a profit.

I hear your pain. Local BRZ owner had three set of Tom's leak.

Got fed up with it, did the forum DIY new gaskets and all perfect from that moment on. At least its fixable, but nonetheless sucks.

Later on I got a leaky set for cheap, applied the fix too and perfect.

My factory tails and my Tom's tails both leaked. All you gotta do is go to the dealer and order up a set of the "newest" gaskets and install. I always recommend to leave the interior carpet pealed back after install, drive the car for a little while and go back to re-tighten the nuts. This should "fix" it. My Tom's have been leak free now for thousands of miles. Good Luck!!

Tighten them like a mofo...

Tom's tail lights are manufactured by DEPO, one of the best automotive housing manufacturing companies in the world. They are certainly not junk, but I'm sorry to see you've had trouble with them OP. I'm sure a few adjustments to the gaskets will prevent this from happening again (like others are suggesting)

Nick C.

Ok so they are the best and still leak, so its either them or the car. (Probably car)

I followed service manual and TSBs for install. No instructions included, so the fact I have to do any research on it let alone getting new gaskets, using adhesives etc is in my opinion a crock of sh*t namely for something as simple and plug and play as hunks of $500 plastic lights.

Shipping now. Stabilizes temps for higher performance on track when mixed in coolant.

$70 per liter since it's vapor distilled in JDM plastic.

All cars and parts are shit.

But the more expensive shit tastes better.

nom nom nom

In for group buy.

The design of how the housing meets the sheet metal using a dry gasket is going to affect any tail light from any manufacturer. Water is funneled directly on top of the gasket and it gets micro-eroded with water and debris, eventually letting small amounts of water wick past and drip down the backside of the housing, where it can then wick past the bulb seats.

The most permanent fix is a sealant, like silicone or the like. IMO a thicker gasket only delays the inevitable. Ideally you'd run a bead of sealant on both sides of a clean full-circumference gasket so it seals right where the pressure is. I have zero long-term faith in any dry gasket. If the water was funneled differently, even the OEM dry gasket likely would be a non issue.

Do you have an on again/off again girlfriend that bothers you to no end but you stay with because of the time and money you've invested plus the fact that she romps you in bed like few others in her price range?

Just a strange feeling I've got after watching your (excellent) videos :p

Did you hit them with an impact? Be honest. :)

Almost year 2 with mine and still perfect. All seasons driver.

My passenger side USDM Toms leaked as well - as did my OEM before that. It's definitely the car and how the water channels to the dry gasket.

I just installed some usdm ones and felt like the gaskets were thicker than stock, so I'm pretty confident. My old tails leaked once at 6000 and never again (I'm at 13xxx).

Make sure there's no dirt on the car or gaskets when installing as i've heard this is the number 1 cause of the condensation issue as it doesn't seal.

I've owned 4 or 5 sets of tails. From stock, Colins, Crystal Eye, Toms and Valenti and never any issues. Either I'm vey lucky or havn't kept a set long enough to find out

Sent from OmegaROM S5

That's exactly what you aren't supposed to do, champ.

I was being sarcastic, much like half of @Dezoris 's videos