Contsi Posted October 19, 2021 Report Share Posted October 19, 2021 Nice to see the site back online. I had the leak years ago; I drained it an reinstalled but never addressed a fix, as my car is mostly in the garage. How does the water get in and is there a fix? Thanks for any help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted October 20, 2021 Report Share Posted October 20, 2021 It gets in through either a hairline crack in the exterior, degraded seal along the periphery of the two piece tail light construction, or a leaking mounting gasket. It doesn't need to be any type of major leak, just enough to create moisture inside the lens. You can pull the assembly a part but it isn't the easiest task. It is hard to separate the two piece assembly with the factory seal. Some have used a heat gun but it is very easy to overheat the plastic. I found that the best way is with very hot water in a deep sink. Still, even if you can get the seal to be pliable, it is very hard not to crack the tabs on the until when taking it a part. BTW, this used to be very common many years back when 'clear tail lights' were a big thing. BUT even if you do get it a part, there is a piece of chrome plated sheet metal inside around the reverse light and used as a reflector that typically starts rusting. It's best to assess that before even trying to pull the assembly down. Then obviously, you need to go through the lens with a fine tooth comb and verify there are no cracks and then reassembly with a good silicone replacing the factory seal. Let's just say that this isn't the easiest job. I have one leaking on my one CQ as well and I stupidly got rid of all my spare tail lights years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
admin_JAinsworth Posted October 20, 2021 Report Share Posted October 20, 2021 A work-around but not a fix is to drill a small hole in the bottom where the water collects. Jimmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contsi Posted October 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2021 Thanks for all the replies, good to have communication back on the site. I think I'll leave it alone. I may need to leave it outside for a spell this winter; I wonder if there is a way to cover it so water won't penetrate the area where the water would enter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
860QuestTuner Posted October 28, 2021 Report Share Posted October 28, 2021 If it's not cracked it may be the gasket leaking a dripping on bulb mounting area. MKS motorsports has new taillight gaskets. If your worried about leaking you can use some painters plastic on the rear under your car cover. I do this to the hood vent of my evo when stored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted October 29, 2021 Report Share Posted October 29, 2021 I never understood why it is always the passenger side light that takes on water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contsi Posted October 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2021 (edited) 15 hours ago, 860QuestTuner said: If it's not cracked it may be the gasket leaking a dripping on bulb mounting area. MKS motorsports has new taillight gaskets. If your worried about leaking you can use some painters plastic on the rear under your car cover. I do this to the hood vent of my evo when stored. Thanks for the reply. Was thinking of doing that but was worried about condensation build up under the plastic. I'll give it a try and remove on some sunny days. I may also drive the car when weather permits. Just went to MKS - I think I'll do the gasket suggestion as there is no crack, worth it for 45 just in case anyway. Edited October 29, 2021 by Contsis Add more comment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tux Posted October 29, 2021 Report Share Posted October 29, 2021 it'd be so cool if we could get a manufacturer to make the lenses again. I think koyo made the housings... doubtful they'd have original tooling or we'd have the qty needed to get a small run made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted October 30, 2021 Report Share Posted October 30, 2021 New lenses would be great! Even if we could, i'm sure the cost would be high enough to keep most from buying. Both of mine get condensation to some extent in them. Even after having them apart, resealing and using gaskets from MKS. I have a few sets of spares in various states of repair. I believe one set was from you Kev 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldStar Posted October 30, 2021 Report Share Posted October 30, 2021 On 10/19/2021 at 12:24 PM, Contsis said: How does the water get in and is there a fix? On 10/29/2021 at 7:43 AM, kev said: I never understood why it is always the passenger side light that takes on water. I think the most likely reason is due to exhaust heat compromising the seal between the taillight lens and the housing over time, causing condensation and leading to water buildup on the inside. It's the only explanation I can think of that would be consistent across all the environments this happens in. AFAIK the only way to permanently fix that is to re-seal the lens to the housing and possibly modify/relocate the tailpipe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted November 1, 2021 Report Share Posted November 1, 2021 That's definitely a plausible theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contsi Posted November 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2021 I think mine was an actual leak, way too much water in there to be condensation. I did drain it and rinsed as much as could. But still a bit of stain near the reverse lens. Trying to figure out a way to clean it. Other than that the unit is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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