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Condensation in rear lights

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Any idea how easy it is to remove the unit and check for water ingress - ie invert it to see if water flows inside?

Tesla dismiss the fault with nothing other than looking at a photo which, imho, based upon the above is invalid. We had a couple of recent service visits of which condensation was on the list. Even though it had been previously agreed by a visual inspection at a previous SC visit, it was dismissed this time because they wanted more fresh photos. If it was a 10 minute job to remove and inspect the unit, I would have thought that this was better for Tesla to do instead of merely dismissing out of hand.

The following video shows how to get access - dead simple, but not how to remove. nb, the fault being fixed was down to a third party Tesla contracted bodyshop, not Tesla themselves.

@ajp558 - who took his lamps out and sealed them himself when he had the same problem - sent me this video, which although it talks about modding the lights actually goes through the process for removing them:


Jump to 2:30 in the video to begin with.

It doesn't look particularly difficult, looks to be a couple of nuts at the back and a large black nut on top that the boot rests on. Jump to 6:21 in the video to see where he actually removes it. From the looks of it you pull it away from the rear of the car.

I've had a followup text from Tesla asking me to confirm my address, phone number and whether there is access to the drive. I suspect this is probably automated and at some time between now and 08/05 I'll get an actual person who will tell me that it's "within spec" and to go away. If that happens, I'm definitely going to pull them out and try sealing them myself. I do not believe that the "natural venting" excuse is valid, since everyone seems to experience this phenomenon differently, and not at all in some cases.
 
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Further thought - if the lights are proven to be holding water, maybe try to find the natural pooling-location of the water, then drill an additional hole at that point in the underside of the Perspex and complete the DIY sealing works around the top/sides.

Water won’t invent itself inside a properly sealed or vented enclosure, so it’s more likely that the “standing water” inside the units is creating the condensation but Tesla are thinking it’s just a bit of water vapour, and discounting the problem via photo-only / don’t really understand what is happening.
 
I was getting a couple of trim bits sorted at the Skockport centre Friday and mentioned the condensation. They took a look and said that because there was clear droplets inside the units, they would put them on order and replace in about 4 weeks. It’s the O/S outer and N/S inner ones for me. The other two are bone dry.
22CE154E-571F-4F97-B81A-62C7C346B0B3.jpeg
EF0E1A2F-2D04-4392-899F-7BC7B9C9793B.jpeg
 
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The attitude seems to vary by SC. I’ve heard it said that they’ll only replace when there’s actual water running down the inside. In your case I think yours is similar to mine.

The fact it’s two separate components for you does invalidate the whole “they do that, is normal“ excuse imo.
 
The attitude seems to vary by SC. I’ve heard it said that they’ll only replace when there’s actual water running down the inside. In your case I think yours is similar to mine.

The fact it’s two separate components for you does invalidate the whole “they do that, is normal“ excuse imo.
They were actually worse than that photo when I was at the SC, particularly the O/S one. Agreed, many of these things seem to vary by SC and possibly by individual at the SC. Enthusing about the car and a friendly smile doesn’t hurt much either I find.
 
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For me personally this is one of those things that make the car look cheap.

I don't much care for the rationale for LED lights or this particular design of lights or whatever needing to vent, the fact that it happens inconsistently is enough for me to be unhappy with that excuse.

Some people don't get fogging at all, some people get fogging in different bits (per @Gatsojon photos), etc. The inconsistency with which this happens says to me that it isn't normal, and is avoidable - somehow.

I have a bit of an OCD anyway but on an otherwise unmarked car having fogged up rear lights that DON'T clear in a reasonable space of time, or at all, is unacceptable to me. I have heard that there have been iterations of the light to fix this problem too, which again points to the fact that it's not normal (although Tesla will claim it is).

Annoyingly (?) my drivers side one has cleared up, but the passenger side one still has droplets at the top. I don't think that one will clear up of its own accord. if I didn't have an outstanding ranger appointment on 05/08 (I'm expecting this to get cancelled) I'd take the light out myself and try and reseal it somehow.
 
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I think I’ve commented before and others have too, it’s it an issue only with Tesla. Both my two previous cars had the problem. In the first BMW 330D they replaced them under warranty no problem. By the time I had the same (if anything, worse) problem in the M4: “They all do that sir” and they refused to swap them.
 
My drivers side one cleared up for a bit, then fogged up again. Passenger side one has remained fogged with droplets in.

My Ranger appointment is on 05/08, and it looks like it’s going to be hot weather by the end of the week, so sod’s law they’ll ask me for more photos and it’ll be milder or gone completely, for a short time.

Have you had any resistance from booking the service?
 
My drivers side one cleared up for a bit, then fogged up again. Passenger side one has remained fogged with droplets in.

My Ranger appointment is on 05/08, and it looks like it’s going to be hot weather by the end of the week, so sod’s law they’ll ask me for more photos and it’ll be milder or gone completely, for a short time.

Have you had any resistance from booking the service?

Drench the car good the day before and the morning of the appointment, you need to recreate conditions appropriately to get a fair assessment.
 
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Rear light replaced in less than 10 mins. Apparently the old ones has a faulty seal. No issues what so ever.

Lesson learned, should have asked for both to be replaced, my left rear is nowhere near as bad, but in hindsight i should have asked for both to be replaced.
 
My drivers side one has cleared up, but does start to mist up as it gets colder in the late evening / early morning.

Passenger side looks like this (taken a couple of minutes ago, 23C ambient):

IMG_4042.jpg


No sign of that one clearing up, but will be interesting to see what happens when the car ends up in sunshine later today, and with very hot temperatures tomorrow.

Tesla haven't asked for any followup photos yet, appointment is next Wednesday...

Either way, this is what I'm planning to do...
Drench the car good the day before and the morning of the appointment, you need to recreate conditions appropriately to get a fair assessment.
 
Do you think that has caused a change in attitude wrt Tesla accepting that they need replacing? A 'faulty seal' is in my book not 'normal' or 'within spec'.

I may add it on to an upcoming service appt, but regurgitating some picture that they had already seen but previously dismissed as 'normal'.

May well be. I was not challenged at all, they just replaced it. I have now asked for the other one to be done to as its bad.

When i was at the service centre January time, i was given the "this is expected" line and was told what to look for it to need to be replaced.