You do need a gasket on there. however, the "updated" gaskets are BS. The dealer replaced mine twice on each light (even replaced the tail light once) and the problem still returned.

RTV in conjunction with a usable gasket cures this. Mine is just now starting to get moisture in it again slightly but it has been three + years since I sealed it with RTV and a used gasket. So I will reseal it and be done with it for at least another 3 years. If you live in a dry environment this is a non issue. If you live in a humid environment drilling them will just make it worse.

 

One may also wish to consider gaskets from RotaryFX. $25 vs $40 for the Mazda originals and they are somewhat thicker, include silicone sealant, and are made with denser foam.

http://www.rotaryfx.com/product_p/lig1056.htm

 

I already touched on this subject a couple of posts back.

 

Ok, I noticed a small separation between the lens and the black plastic housing on both lights- when I rinsed them out this time, I held the lights up and noticed water seeping through very slowly, barely noticeable and I missed it the first time .

After more cussing and a fine line of sealant around that edge, and another layer around the outside of the weatherstripping, it seems to be fine now. It poured rain and it was nice and dry on the inside.

 

This might sound like a stupid question, but How do you get the destilled water out after cleaning the inside???? Do I just have to wait?

 

I used a rolled up paper towel to get most of it and then I used my wifes blow dryer for the small drops.

 

I let my lights sit in the sun for two days. What you could also do is use a wet/dry vac with two ports. One for vacuuming and one for blowing. Stick both nozzles into the light for some pretty intense airflow. But even that would take a WHOLE day, and I highly doubt you want to run a shop vac on for that long.

 

i used this method today while I had my lights out

the only problem I had was that the weather stripping wasn't having anything to do with bending like a circle lol

it keeps popping off, hopefully just the reseal with the silicone will be enough.

 

RTV fixes everything As for drying the lights out after rinsing them, you can use a blow dryer but letting them sit in the sun is the best.

 

I bought the aftermarket seals from rotaryfx, and I have to say they are amazing!! They came with silicone, which I didn't use, but they are 3-4 times thicker than oem!! Great investment!!

 

Drilled 3 holes today on each tailight. One of them didnt need it but i did it anyways. The other one had a coral reef living inside of it. I pumped some air in it with my air pump to dry it out, left it in the sun all day. Almost all the condensation is gone. Finally after 4 years I get clear taillights!

Its a pretty darn easy job. You just need a flat head screwdriver, 10mm socket, 1 hour and 3 beers.

 

No.

 

Congrats! You did not fix the problem at all. Now you will still get water in them and it will eat away at the reflective coating.

Epic Fail!!!

 

There is an easy fix for this. www.rotaryfx.com has great seals thr are 3 times thicker. Fixed my lights and haven't had any problems since. Replace this and the condensation will evaporate and look good!!

 

ive had water tank in my taillights for 8 years. Now that I drilled holes everything is gone. I doubt another few years will mess up my taillights. A lot of people on here prefer the 3 holes method to the gaskets that may or may not work.

 

The point is that the moisture will return so you have not fixed anything, you could have just removed the bulbs and let them sit in the sun and gotten the same results. Had you replaced the gaskets and used RTV you would never have had to worry about it again.

 

you'd be surprised... Give it a few weeks before the chrome plating on the reflectors start pealing if they haven't already. Like 9KRPM said, moisture is still present in your tails whenever your car is exposed to water. It may drain out after a certain amount of time with those stupid holes you drilled, but the internals of your tails are still exposed to the corrosion that water carries... Have fun.

 

the peeling chrome happened on my drivers side light after sitting thru a cold winter ... got lucky and found a replacement fairly cheap on ebay.

After that I went the RotaryFX route with plenty of RTV and haven't had to worry about that light since.

Around Summer time of that year the passenger side started to leak and a week later I had it uber gasketed and RTV'd.

I'm sure I've said all this before but since we're revisiting the whole "drill holes" jerry-rig, I figured I'd repeat myself.

 

You'd figure with my efforts of putting up a proper thread on how to PROPERLY repair the tails (to counter the B.S. hole drilling thread), it would stop people from repeating the mistake of drilling their tails. Oh well.

 

No matter how hard you try, you can't teach the dense.

 

Is there anything better to use to clean the inside of the light than water? I have some dirt deposits on it that make the bottom look like crap. I don't know if just water will do the job. Also, it won't damage the led on the corner of the light will it? That was my main concern about putting water in.

 

Just use a little bit of dish soap and distilled or RO water and then rinse well. Tap water will leave deposits. Don't fill the light completely, just enough to slosh around. DO NOT USE RUBBING ALCOHOL OR ANY HEAVY DUTY CLEANERS.

 

After reading this I went out and bought all the stuff I needed to complete this task ( except for some reason I bought white silicone which I thought was clear ) I did take the old gaskets off and where the tail light housing leaves a channel in the gasket I fill with a thick bead of silicone and replaced the gasket.

Thanks for posting your fix for this, I will try and remember to update my results later on.

 

i've used this method to repair my lights since late last year.

i have zero knowledge of working on my own car prior to this repair and let me say it..

it works perfectly. no water has gotten in my headlights since the repair

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.

 

Thanks for the DIY. I did this today, and it was relatively quick and simple (90 minutes; #2 goes a lot quicker than #1 as always). The gaskets were in OK shape. Certainly looks like it will work... we'll see.