Quote:
Originally Posted by dem00n
So it's back again and pretty bad.
I'm past the warranty (over 36K miles), is the taillight still a TSB and i can get it replaced for free? Or am i screwed now?
I picked up some silica packets, i'm going to give those a try. Also going to try and sealing the taillights.
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It's an easy fix, a lot of people are blowing it out of proportion and treating it like the end of the world. I agree its a problem we shouldn't encounter, but it's small and easy to resolve. The taillight assembly is fine, its the gasket that fails and allows water by, which then seeps in past the bulb sockets.
I made an earlier post outlining how I fixed it permanently if you don't want the visible snot method mentioned above.
Here's a stepped version:
1- pop out trunk liner (enough to get to the fender)
2- remove 4 small nuts and two light connectors and remove taillight
3- remove bulbs (note the bulbs are not gasketed, this is how water gets in once the foam gasket fails)
4- gently remove thin foam gasket and clean with soap and water or isopropyl alcohol
5- pool water into corner and turn upside down to remove as much water as possible
6- set up hair dryer on lowest possible heat and tape up a cut soda bottle or cardboard to funnel air into the largest bulb socket
7- let sit and monitor for an hour or two until dry
8- squeeze a small bead (1/8" (3mm) diameter) of silicone sealant onto the taillight side of the foam gasket anywhere it meets the plastic flange and around the hardware (the foam will be squished in these areas)
9- carefully place gasket onto the taillight, and repeat silicone bead on fender side of the gasket
10- reinstall taillight (note the plastic tab on the outer edge must be inserted first) and lightly torque nuts. Done.