Water in tail lights...the final word
 

Hi all

I have read through all the posts re: water in tail lights. What I cannot confirm with confidence is does replacement of the gasket with the genuine Mazda gasket fix the problem for good?

Also, is this effecting every RX8? Or have some people found they have not been effected by it? Would you say it was as high as 50% being effected?

I know some drilled hole sin their light..........I would prefer not to if possible. Cost of Mazda Gaskets is $52 each.

Feedback appreciated.

About 2 years ago, the stealership drilled my taillights, the drilling is a no go. It didn't do shit for my taillights, it didn't get better nor worse. I've been too lazy to try the gaskets, my car is garage kept and I live in sunny Florida so condensation is rarely an issue for me.

Yep still an issue heres a pic from my friends 2010 RX8 R3 with condensation
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...8/DSCN0119.jpg

I drilled mine a few years ago... no condensation since.
One guy here replaced his gasket 3 times and still had condensation.
I could really care less what you (or other people) think is the best way.
Its your car... do what you feel is best.
I'm sure some people will chime in now and start crying...

52 is way over priced get it online at say rotaryfx.com for 40 bux you can prolly find it cheaper elsewhere. Its a pretty solid fix Ive had to replace mine twice but there is a one year warranty on the part and a stealership will replace the gasket if you give them the old one its really the only way to legitimately fix the problem

The only way to fix this problem is to add silicone sealers to the side of the gasket. Beef it up.

Stock gasket, well, its good if have a stable local climate.

Some people like Jon drill a hole, depends on the location of the hole, some people actually made it worst.

My gasket is still ok for now(this is my 4th replacement, all under warranty), gonna add some silicone sealers when it gets warmer.

That sums it up. RTV is your friend. Sad to see this on a new R3, some things just annoy the shit out of me.

No wonder Mazda said its "NORMAL"

When every f-ing RX-8 has it ...

IT MUST BE NORMAL! RIGHT ?!

This is just sad ...

^Agree... its sad that Mazda has left the end users to self correct a problem because they refuse to deal with it.

One would think with the "redesigned" second gen taillights, they would fix this issue... :icon_no2:

Incompetent design and neglectful resolution.

As nycgps said, the best solution is to beef up the seal with sealant after you've dried out the light.

I carefully removed the original gaskets without breaking them, cleaned them up with water (it's obvious where they were leaking), applied a thin coat of black RTV to all four sides and re-installed. No problems since. I'd say try that first. If that doesn't work go for the foam weatherstripping fix. If it doesn't work then try the redesigned fatter foam gaskets from Mazda (which are ridiculously priced at $55 each). Lastly, abandon all hope and drill the holes. All in that order. I'm betting that if you do a good job, the first fix will take care of it.

I did this^^, and mine have been good ever since.

Sounds good. I am in Oz, so not sure what RTV is? Is it like Sikaflex? a silicone based weatherproofing compound. Sikaflex seems to be only available in black. Does it matter what colour you use. Can you see the jois from the outside?

Cheers

RTV (in the States) is silicone based adhesive typically used for caulking or sealing. Here it comes in a variety of colors. The color doesn't really matter for this application since you can't see it anyway. RTV, by the way, stands for Room Temperature Vulcanizng meaning no heat is required in order to get it to set to a rubber like consistency. You should be good with Sikaflex.

Water in Tail Lights - No Warranty!
 

Thanks for the Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) Sealant solution. No Thanks to Mazda for not guaranteeing their Tail Lights Leaking. Here's the letter I wrote with a "Sorry Charlie" response from Mazda.

Mazda North American Operations
PO Box 19734
Irvine CA 92623-9734

Attn: Department Head of Customer Assistance Center

April 9, 2010

RE: Water Leakage or Condensation in Taillights – 2005 Mazda RX8

To the Department Head of the Customer Assistance Center:

This is the fourth contact made to Mazda concerning this problem. I have visited the local Dealer, phoned and emailed your Customer Assistance Center. Their responses were not what I expected.

The taillights on my Mazda fill with condensation and the water has taken since February to dissipate, (it still has condensation in one light). I have been driving over 50 years and driving Toyotas and Hondas since 1968. I have never seen or had this problem with any other car!

I would like to point out I did not use the warranty during the time it was in force. I did not notice a problem with the lights until February as I have always kept the car garaged during inclement weather. I live in California and the weather is very mild most of the time.

The response of your customer service staff has been “it is not our problem your warranty has run out.” I was completely confident in Mazda’s customer relations until now. In light of the problems other auto companies have been having, one would think it would behoove your company to be more on top these small and easy to please problems therefore retaining happy repeat customers. It is much better to build a bridge with your customer than to watch them fall into a precipice never to be seen again.

Please reconsider this small request to either repair or replace my taillights, it is a matter of integrity.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
______________________________________
Bruce

(They emailed me back with a "Sorry Charlie" Response)

TSB..CONDENSATION OR FOG IN FRONT AND REAR COMBINATION LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS...ALL MAZDA'S

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1258686463

BTW...Headlamps and Tail Lamps are NOT made by Mazda, NOR are ANY other Car Maker's...they are Made by "KYOTO" in most cases a Japanese manufacturer who also make them for Toyota, Honda, Neessan, Suebaru, Suzuki, etc etc.

Here's a little secret...It's worked on both of the RX-8's I've owned.

Remove your gaskets without breaking them.

Dry out the housings using a blow dryer or whatever method you prefer. Make sure ALL moisture is out of the housing.

Apply vaseline to the entire gasket.

Re-apply gaskets and you're good to go. I've had absolutely no problem since doing this. I have even encountered extreme temperature swings (-25 degrees in the winter and 95 degrees so far this summer)

The RTV solution is likely a more acceptable, peace-of-mind solution, but I have had flawless success with the vaseline. Cheap, easy fix. Hasn't failed me yet.

I used the new gaskets and have not had any issues since.

There's no need to drill a hole because the light housing is already vented; the leak needs to be stopped.
A drain hole treats the symptom but does not address the cause.

Whether you use new gaskets or re-seal the originals as long as you have a good seal the problem will go away. :)