Tail Light Condensation

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Boostedpro

I don't know if you guys have tried this yet or not, but after I had new tails installed I ended up with condensation. So I popped the panel in the trinl and used a 1/4 inch ratchet with I think a 10mm socket and got probably an 1/8th of a turn on each nut. Haven't had any condensation since.

From TSB:

caution: Failure to follow the proper tightening sequence and torque specification will result in damage to the new combination lamp. Starting with number 1, hand tighten each nut in order prior to torquing them to the final specification. Torque the nuts down in the same order.
Torque Specification: 4.5 N-m (0.46 kgf-m, 39 in.lb)

[speedracer38]

No response from Subaru yet...

[AVodka14]

Just found it in my passenger tail light yesterday. Yeaaa! Now I have chirps under my hood and splashing in the back. This one is going to be a Tom's tail light replacement and self seal.

[mmsracing]

my dealer just ordered me a new light. I just went in, they took pictures and new light is on the way

[aagun]

Just u have remove it and install it but with more harder torque

[wdninja]

Originally Posted by aagun

Just u have remove it and install it but with more harder torque

That's not necessarily the case and I wouldn't be telling people that. You have to be very careful how much you torque the nuts, because if you go too far you'll crack the housings.

It's listed a few times in this thread, but the torque specs are:

3.25 ftlbs / 39 inlbs / 4.4 Nm

You might get away with a little tighter than that, but I wouldn't push the limit.

[TOTO_86]

I just had mine replaced yesterday, and Toyota replaced both. Although, it was in one of the lights. They said that they're putting in a new gasket, and this supposedly fixes the issue.

[Dpforlife]

I'm on my second taillight with the third on order threw the dealer under warranty. If this one is bad I give up!!

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by AVodka14

Just found it in my passenger tail light yesterday. Yeaaa! Now I have chirps under my hood and splashing in the back. This one is going to be a Tom's tail light replacement and self seal.

Did you do anything for those chrips?

[AVodka14]

Originally Posted by N1rve

Did you do anything for those chrips?

Nothing about the chirps. I could care less. I am taking the car in for it's first oil change and getting the tail light replaced.

Could be a little zoo in my car if I can get some fish in my tail light housing to go along with the crickets.

[aagun]

Originally Posted by wdninja

That's not necessarily the case and I wouldn't be telling people that. You have to be very careful how much you torque the nuts, because if you go too far you'll crack the housings.

It's listed a few times in this thread, but the torque specs are:

3.25 ftlbs / 39 inlbs / 4.4 Nm

You might get away with a little tighter than that, but I wouldn't push the limit.

the nuts and bolts are made of steel also you have tail light gasket. so that make safe from losing bolts tiered or brake the tail. i not say torque it until the tail broken .

[wdninja]

Originally Posted by aagun

the nuts and bolts are made of steel also you have tail light gasket. so that make safe from losing bolts tiered or brake the tail. i not say torque it until the tail broken .

You did say to torque it more. How is someone going to know how much "too much" torque is? That's why the torque specs exist. As I said, you can go a little tighter than the specs, but not too much.

There are a lot of factors and variables at play, including the temperature you're working in. Plastic breaks more easily in cold temps, for example.

Do whatever you'd like with your own tail lights. I just want people to be aware that you can easily over torque the tail light post nuts. We're trying to prevent condensation in this thread, not potentially cause more.

G'day.

[cycleboy]

My driver's side has had water in it since the one and only decent storm we had in Ca. Today I decided to start doing something about it. I got some removable adhesive (so-called snowman snot, but mine's blue!), and alcohol to dry out the existing water. Intending to get some new gasket material too, just didn't do it today.

CRITICAL WORD OF CAUTION - Be careful what you use for your drying agent. More below.

First off, here's the gasket after I took it off. Lots of crap stuck on the tiny adhesive area. Of course this isn't going to hold up when it is the runoff path for half the back end of the car!

It is lighter though because racecar!



So I pulled one bulb from the housing and couldn't figure out how the water got in because it looks like the lights are an enclosure-within-an-enclosure - they aren't! Next, I poured in a little of my alcohol with a funnel to dry out the existing puddle and drops in there.

CAUTION - MAKE SURE WHAT YOU USE FOR THIS HAS NO SOLVENT IN IT! To put it mildly, I fucked up big! I couldn't find methanol easily, so I got denatured alcohol at Home Depot. Should be just fine though as it is similar enough.

Well, what I got apparently has a tiny bit of acetone in it (from Home Depot, supposedly "greener" denatured alcohol. MY ASS!). I didn't notice the smell right away when I opened it and poured it in, but I did a few seconds later. Hoped for the best, but today is not my day!



Eff You See Kay! Shit! Crap!

Well, looking on the bright side it appears I'll be getting some aftermarket tail lights very soon. I guess I have to figure out which ones I like.

On the downside, I wasn't planning on spending that $ on that mod. . .

[kodyo]

Get OEM tails for cheap then. $150 for a set is common.