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What is the fix so stop moisture from entering taillights?

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AWIZRD

New Member
Supporting Member
Sep 9, 2018
4
0
Gilbert, AZ
Hello all,
My right rear taillight is notorious for showing moisture inside the taillight after a good rain. I have contemplated removing the assembly and giving it a good dose of silicone, but thought I would throw the question to the group. Sorry, no warranty here still looking at picking that up since I just bought the car - 2014 P85D
Thanks
 
Bump.... But in my case Model 3 tail light:

fog1.jpg
 
Having not dealt with warranty/service centers/anything-yet-because-my-leg-is-being-pulled-by-my-sales-adviser, I can tell you that it is a rather easy fix for most cars.
Now, I'll admit my knowledge is minimal regarding Tesla parts, but I recall my brother saying the clear lens was gently held on with some sealant (assuming silicone) when he broke his tail light and needed just a replacement cover (which is not available).

Use this information at your own risk, I am not responsible for any damages that may occur from attempting to separate your lights.

If that's the case, you could remove the tail light, gently bake it in an oven to loosen the adhesive.
I typically do 200-220 degrees Fahrenheit and check it every 10 minutes.
I remove all of the racks except for one and put it on the very bottom, and set the light on a piece of plywood (make sure it's clean, otherwise the wood can smoke) and place the tail light on there, making sure it's not touching any part of the stove.

After 10 minutes I remove it with gloves (I use just basic mechanics gloves, but you may need something thicker depending on your heat tolerance) and use nylon spreaders ($5 at harbor freight, they're yellow) and see if the light will separate. If it does, continue until the glue cools down and re-bake as necessary.

After you have it apart, you can either add more silicone, if that's what there, or use a butyl glue, which is what I typically do.
I use some from Morimoto, as they're my go-to for anything light-project wise.
Morimoto RetroRubber Butyl Glue - Custom Headlight Build Materials From Morimoto
 
Also, I was looking up some information regarding Tesla tail lights having condensation issues, and it seems it's rather rampant and a pretty big issue.

If I ever manage to get my MS I'll see if it has the issue and see if I can isolate what is causing the issue, if so I'll post a, hopefully, permanent fix.

Some of the posts that I've read seem to believe it's part of the appliqué causing issues, but I don't see how that would... But then again, limited knowledge currently.
 
There is nothing wrong with the design BUT the foam sealing gasket is applied incorrectly.
Take a Look here on how I fixed it:

Tail Light

You may not know the answer but do you think just taking them off and resealing that gasket will fix the leak? I know you purchased a new unit due to the LED Light being dead but I believe all of mine still work so I'm considering just taking it apart and flushing out the bugs/water and resealing it one weekend.

But I would hate to have it all taken apart then figure out I need to order a new tail lamp!
 
You may not know the answer but do you think just taking them off and resealing that gasket will fix the leak? I know you purchased a new unit due to the LED Light being dead but I believe all of mine still work so I'm considering just taking it apart and flushing out the bugs/water and resealing it one weekend.

But I would hate to have it all taken apart then figure out I need to order a new tail lamp!
As long as you can get the moisture out and ensure the seal is still good there should be no reason that wouldn’t work.