Tail Light Condensation

[kodyo]

Originally Posted by smg1138

I called Toyota today and they finally got the replacement part in. I think they had it for a while and just forgot to call me. lol Hopefully this will take care of the issue.

It won't. It hasn't for anyone I know. It'll last 6 months and then fail again.

[Kelbyat07]

Any of you guys are getting headlight condensation? The Toyota guy seem thought I hit something, he said he was just joking but I have a feeling that he wasn't really. I am getting it replaced tomorrow, I hope it doesn't come back like what you guys are experiencing.

[sweetfrs]

alright i guess i have the condesation too; has toyota or subaru released new tailights that will fix the problem or are they just going to replace them with a new lights?

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by sweetfrs

alright i guess i have the condesation too; has toyota or subaru released new tailights that will fix the problem or are they just going to replace them with a new lights?

As far as I can tell, the TSB is only to replace the taillight assembly and/or the gasket that "seals"to the body. There has been no revision to the design or updated part number.

[sweetfrs]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

As far as I can tell, the TSB is only to replace the taillight assembly and/or the gasket that "seals"to the body. There has been no revision to the design or updated part number.

thats not cool i wish they would make a new part. so when they do fix it does that mean that i wont have the condensation anymore?

[RFB]

Originally Posted by sweetfrs

thats not cool i wish they would make a new part. so when they do fix it does that mean that i wont have the condensation anymore?

They have already abrogated their responsibilities under the warranty by saying its normal due to the expense of replacing tail lights.

Its a design flaw easily fixable by reading the threads -



CERBERUS

[wheelhaus]

Originally Posted by sweetfrs

thats not cool i wish they would make a new part. so when they do fix it does that mean that i wont have the condensation anymore?

They may or may not fix it, impossible to know. To TRULY fix the problem, I'm afraid the chassis sheet metal forms need to be redesigned. The problem is not the tail light itself, the housing is fine and is sealed around it's seam like any other tail light assembly. The problem lies in how the gasket fits and how the sheet metal it bolts to is so thin, and deforms easily. The light bulb sockets are not sealed (and technically don't need to be), so any water that gets past the gasket has a chance to wick past the bulbs into the housing. It's not really an easy "fix" because as I mentioned, the tail light itself is fine.

A few permanent solutions would be to A- replace the gasket with better material (this has worked for some but to me isn't ideal because the sheet metal can still deform), or B- a sealant, which I recommended a few times in this thread but makes the installation semi permanent, (could be problematic for some) or C- fabricate a more rigid bracket that sits on the sheet metal opposite the taillight that would prevent the thin sheet metal from deforming at all.

[RFB]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

They may or may not fix it, impossible to know. To TRULY fix the problem, I'm afraid the chassis sheet metal forms need to be redesigned. The problem is not the tail light itself, the housing is fine and is sealed around it's seam like any other tail light assembly. The problem lies in how the gasket fits and how the sheet metal it bolts to is so thin, and deforms easily. The light bulb sockets are not sealed (and technically don't need to be), so any water that gets past the gasket has a chance to wick past the bulbs into the housing. It's not really an easy "fix" because as I mentioned, the tail light itself is fine.

A few permanent solutions would be to A- replace the gasket with better material (this has worked for some but to me isn't ideal because the sheet metal can still deform), or B- a sealant, which I recommended a few times in this thread but makes the installation semi permanent, (could be problematic for some) or C- fabricate a more rigid bracket that sits on the sheet metal opposite the taillight that would prevent the thin sheet metal from deforming at all.

Due to the nature of the water flow from the back window into the tails the permanent solution is a proper rigid body metal base for the lights.

And perhaps a re-design of the black plastic top of the light where it contacts the water channel (and allows water to flow under it and into the gaskets) with a body metal lip over the top of the plastic to redirect the water flow.



CERBERUS

[sirsol66]

Just noticed this problem on my 2013 (Build date is April '13), after a year of ownership. It started late last week with a small area of condensation, and has been growing everyday.

Any reason why its popping up now rather than before? I have a spare set of taillights (with red paint) that I can throw on after sealing, but I'm tempted to just take them in to get the free gasket so I double up when I install my new ones. I'm not sure I want the dealership touching my car though...Thoughts?

Also, has anybody tried using RTV or even petroleum jelly to seal around the bulbs?

[wdninja]

Originally Posted by sirsol66

Just noticed this problem on my 2013 (Build date is April '13), after a year of ownership. It started late last week with a small area of condensation, and has been growing everyday.

Any reason why its popping up now rather than before? I have a spare set of taillights (with red paint) that I can throw on after sealing, but I'm tempted to just take them in to get the free gasket so I double up when I install my new ones. I'm not sure I want the dealership touching my car though...Thoughts?

Also, has anybody tried using RTV or even petroleum jelly to seal around the bulbs?

At this point I'd say just go back and read more of this thread.

I will say doubling up the gasket isn't a good idea. A single new (better) gasket (but properly sealed to the housing, unlike the factory gaskets) is a good idea, in combination with building a dam using some sticky tack, Sugru, or some other removable, flexible material to divert the flow of water.

[sirsol66]

Originally Posted by wdninja

At this point I'd say just go back and read more of this thread.

I will say doubling up the gasket isn't a good idea. A single new (better) gasket (but properly sealed to the housing, unlike the factory gaskets) is a good idea, in combination with building a dam using some sticky tack, Sugru, or some other removable, flexible material to divert the flow of water.

I have this this entire thread as well as the one on the BRZ forum, quite a few people have suggested a thicker custom gasket or doubling up the OE one. I have already purchased a new set from Toyota that I will use on the new taillights when they're installed, right now I'm letting the other set air out.

The idea of building the dam doesn't appeal to me, as it traps the water on top of the trunk area, instead of letting it flow down and out as its intended to. I'm not suggesting the Toyota/Subaru design is ideal (far from it), but I'd much rather have condensation in my taillights than salt water sitting on the quarter panel of the car, especially since this car doesn't have any other drain holes. We'll see if my condensation comes back in a few days, it was just very weird that there was no hint of it until a year after the car arrived.

[wdninja]

Originally Posted by sirsol66

I have this this entire thread as well as the one on the BRZ forum, quite a few people have suggested a thicker custom gasket or doubling up the OE one. I have already purchased a new set from Toyota that I will use on the new taillights when they're installed, right now I'm letting the other set air out.

The idea of building the dam doesn't appeal to me, as it traps the water on top of the trunk area, instead of letting it flow down and out as its intended to. I'm not suggesting the Toyota/Subaru design is ideal (far from it), but I'd much rather have condensation in my taillights than salt water sitting on the quarter panel of the car, especially since this car doesn't have any other drain holes. We'll see if my condensation comes back in a few days, it was just very weird that there was no hint of it until a year after the car arrived.

Alright, my recommendation given your preferences is to seal the new gaskets to the housings with some kind of weatherstrip adhesive to create a stronger barrier than the factory "tape strip." It didn't happen right away because the barrage of water erodes the crap factory "seal" over time.

[sirsol66]

Ah, I didn't realize that the factory gasket had something tape like on it. I'll see what kind of silicone I can find, thanks for the advice. Any specific suggestions from someone that's had good luck?

[wdninja]

Originally Posted by sirsol66

Ah, I didn't realize that the factory gasket had something tape like on it. I'll see what kind of silicone I can find, thanks for the advice. Any specific suggestions from someone that's had good luck?

3M Automotive Weatherstrip Adhesive (1oz tube) works well and isn't expensive. I've used it to install my gaskets in 3 of my own sets of tail lights (factory, Colin, Valentis), and for installs for at least 10 other people with good results.

Here's a video I made for my site showing how I apply the adhesive, you can skip to 4:40 for the application.

[ame]http://youtu.be/eF62JXlSufM[/ame]