how do i get it out and stop it from ever doing it again?!

 

You'll have to get access behind the liner in the trunk to unbolt the light assembly, remove the lights, and take it out. Then you can drain out the water and let it dry. You can get rid of the water marks by swishing around alcohol in there.

Also replace the gasket with the new improved one from Mazda. That will prevent future puddles.

 

I used this ebay gasket as it is cheaper than the Mazda one http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...p1702440.m1253 and its worked great. Remember to do the alcohol thing from the previous post otherwise you'll have water marks on the inside (like I do because I was rushed drying it out).

 

Never knew that alcohol can take out water marks...i still have a few water marks left from 2 years ago. Anyway, never had a water get inside the tail lights anymore since i drained, blow dried, and put on new gaskets that i bought from the Home Depot.

 

Whatever you do, do not drill a hole...

 

or you can try this http://www.rotaryfx.com/product_p/lig1056.htm

 

drill holes on the black part on the bottom part of the assembly, thats what i did, cheap and effective noo need to replace the gasket, i did both of mine for free and they've been like that for 3 years

 

It concerns the condensation, you reside in a hot climate which is completely different living near the shores.

 

thank you all very much. yea this years summer in ohio was a scorcher lol but thank you all again, im purchaseing the gasket now

 

Bad thing is I got water on my passenger side tail light also.
Good thing is I took it out and drain all the water out.
Bad thing is I pour alcohol in and was trying to get rid of those water marks.......

Now my taillight is "frosted" ......anyone knows some kind of cure to this problem?

If I cant fix it I will get it tinted in red and hope this is cheap fix in compare with $159 used one on eBay.....

 

It must be water not the alcohol, alcohol has a high freezing point, it's not freeze spots probably calcium build up. Try putting vinegar, if that doesn't work, acetone... See if that would clear it then blow dry it this time.

 

Thanks Grace Excel.......i've tried vinegar, Acetone, and two other types of alcohol but no luck.

I believe thats the calcium build as well, tried CLR remover (calcium, lime and rust) but still.....

it helps a little when i put Isopropyl alcohol and let it sit for a while but after it dries it turns back to frosty again.

I am afraid the alcohol eats the coating surface like camera lens or filter, it leaves a hazy film of residue....

 

Toothpaste or another very smooth polishing compound?
They also sell polycarbonate coatings for head\combination lights in case you're really THAT paranoid!

 

I've tried everything and nothing works :> good news is dealer is going to order a new one for me at no charge :>

Also they will fix the airbag light for pas side harness problem.

thanks for all your help. KY

 

I had this issue with one of my headlamps on my other car. What follows is just a guess on my part. I couldn't confirm it.

I think the inner side is coated with some type of anti-fog coating from the factory.

I think when water enters, the impurities get embedded (stained) into this coating to turn it into a cloudy film.

I was able to thin (soften) it with alcohol, but the issue is that I couldn't do a half-*ssed job about it. It was very time consuming to completely strip the coating with alcohol and rags. My arm was hurting.

The result was a super-clear lens.

----

Regarding condensation... from what I understand, all modern lamp assemblies require some sort of ventilation and cannot be completely sealed. Having it completely sealed would lead eventually to condensation.

For example, if you swap bulbs on a humid day, all that humid air will be sealed inside the lamp assembly. Then on a cold day, the condensation will appear. It will disappear when the temps go up, and return again on a cold day, etc. It's a closed system.

On the other hand, if the lamp housing is vented, it gets a chance to equalize itself with atmospheric air, and "clean itself out".

I think the Mazda improved gaskets were redesigned to prevent water leaking into the housing, but not to create a closed system.

 

dozer has the right idea. The only drawback with extra holes is that too much ventilation introduces dust and perhaps insects that can crawl in.

 

Thank you Dynamho!

 

UPDATE:

Good news is i got the taillight "for free"

Bad news is they charged me $130 for labor

And FYI to buy a chip key and have it cut at stealership cost you around $120 ($59.99 program and cut and $49.99 key)