Quote:
Originally Posted by Dadhawk
I guess my luck finally ran out, as has the warranty...
Details in my Owner's Journal here. |
Bummer. At least its an easy fix! The tail light assembly is fine, but the bulb connections in the cabin are not watertight. So if the barrage of dirty water erodes the gasket seal just enough, water seeps/wicks past the gasket that seals the light to the body, and then it can wick in past the bulbs. I wouldn't go with aftermarket tail lights strictly to avoid condensation, as they may be susceptible to the same problem.
You can remove the tail light assembly (4 10mm nuts) and a tab on the outermost edge. Then use a low/warm temp hair dryer and funnel, or methyl hydrate? Can't remember, but it will mix with the water and aid quick evaporation. Either way, you can easily dry the moisture without having to disassemble anything (aside from removing the bulbs). Then reapply a new and better gasket. I'd also recommend using a small bead of silicon sealant on each side of the gasket where pressure is applied to ensure there's a true watertight seal.
Be careful during reinstallation, don't overtorque the nuts as it can deform the sheet metal.
You can even reuse your OEM gasket this way if its still physically in good shape and you can remove it without damage.
I had this problem as well on my passenger side and removed the light, dried it, cleaned the OEM gasket, and used silicone on both sides. Even after a VERY wet summer and winter, its still dry.