Water in rear tail light housing.

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xxxdominion

Contributing Member
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10 July 2013
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112
Location
Panama City Fl,
Before I go diving in head first into ripping apart the rear end of my newly acquired NSX, I was wondering if there is an instructable post on how to disassemble / re assemble the rear tail lights to remove moisture? Somehow there is water leaking into the trunk / tail light areas. Ive had to wash the car 5 times as i do not have a garage and it seems to never stop raining here in Panama City Fl. Any suggestions?:rolleyes:
 
It's a lot of work man, I just did it.
 
Behind each light there is a heavy rubber gasket that needs renewal. I did not think it was such a big deal when I did it on my '91. Behind the trunk liner there are some long studs with nuts on them. Remove the nuts and you will find the tail lights very stuck to the body. It is a struggle to break that bond; as I recall I had a lot of pushing and a little cussing to do. Once off, install the new seals and button it back up again.
 
grybrd said:
Behind each light there is a heavy rubber gasket that needs renewal. I did not think it was such a big deal when I did it on my '91. Behind the trunk liner there are some long studs with nuts on them. Remove the nuts and you will find the tail lights very stuck to the body. It is a struggle to break that bond; as I recall I had a lot of pushing and a little cussing to do. Once off, install the new seals and button it back up again.
Click to expand...

Roger that. thanks for the tip.. anywhere I can order new seals?
 
Thats not going to help you. The gasket grybrd is referring to keeps water from going into the trunk from the lamp housing holes. Your problem is water in the tail lamps which that gasket has nothing to do with.

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If you are getting moisture or water in the lamp, there is a break in the seal of the lamp. Replacing that seal, which is basically some really gooey shit is what is time consuming.
 
I might have misunderstood the OP but he does say, "Somehow there is water leaking into the trunk / tail light areas."
 
grybrd said:
I might have misunderstood the OP but he does say, "Somehow there is water leaking into the trunk / tail light areas."
Click to expand...

Or maybe you got it and I misunderstood him. These are two different problems. Water in the trunk is the gasket grybrd talks of and is a lot easier to replace. Water or moisture in the tail lamp itself requires resealing the lamps and that's a whole lot more work.
 
well....... if water got into the trunk and the moisture gas-ed into the rear tails then the seals are not the issue,

you need to remove the tail and put them in the sun for a few days. or like me new rear 02+ tails and new rubber gaskets so its not my seals. I leave my trunk open in the sunlight in my driveway.

I am getting water in my trunk cuz I have 05 trunk lid with the sub spoiler. there are rubber gaskets on the subspoiler ( under the main spoiler ) and I never remeber to order new ones when I am at the dealer.

so remove the L + R and put in sunlight. but remember the center tail needs to come out first then the other 2 if you dont remove the center first your gonn post a new thread called

" how do I get my light out "

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also note...... the gaskets on the rear tails are one time use only. once compressed they need to be replaced if the light is removed again.

remove light must replace gasket or water will start flowing into the lights like Moses parted the river
 
I replaced all the foam gaskets on the left and right tails, all 4 on my 91. No dice, still water in the tail lights. NO water in the trunk. The new gaskets didn't solve my issue but I understand they have fixed some other people's issues. I think the warping of the lights themselves over time (however slight) is to blame. New or newer tails is likely the only guaranteed fix.
 
A decade ago most of us just drilled tiny holes at the bottom angled edge of the lights which allowed the water to drain and air in to dry out the lights. 5 minutes, unnoticeable and worked perfectly
 
Yes I get the feeling most owners won't drill holes. I did on the RH part and I'm not sure if it fixed mine yet, hasn't gotten wet enough.
 
While "drilling holes" sounds bad, once you see what's actually being talked about, usually people just go "OH!!! That's no big deal at all!!". There's a boat load of threads on this subject, some with pics. but you literally cannot see the holes unless you are REAAALLLLY close. I think I used a 1/32" bit and put in 3 holes per lens. Obviously there are "better" ways but for many of us, the holes worked fine. I never had a condensation problem again.
 
Drilling tiny holes at the bottom (nearly unnoticeable) may be the only long term solution. The gaskets that go between the taillights and the body only stop water from going in the trunk. The moisture in the taillights themselves is caused by the warping of the taillights over time. This is due probably due to sunlight, the high temperatures back there, the way its bolted on or a combination of those. You could buy brand new taillights but in about 2-3 years they'll begin warping and leaking again. EVERY NSX I've seen has some degree of warpage on the taillights, even late 02-05's, its inevitable.
 
Do you HAVE to remove the tail lights to drill these little tiny holes? Because from what I'm reading, if you remove the tails you need to purchase and install new gaskets as well. So if there's a way to drill without removing the tails that would be nice. (because as I look closely at the tails, I'm not confident that the angle of the bit would penetrate through the thick housing walls and reach the inside-area of the tails, to let the air flow in)
 
If we are talking about condensation in the tail lights, you don't remove a thing. It's literally a 2 minute job, if that. A few tiny holes in the bevel at the bottom of the taillight piece.
 
robr said:
If we are talking about condensation in the tail lights, you don't remove a thing. It's literally a 2 minute job, if that. A few tiny holes in the bevel at the bottom of the taillight piece.
Click to expand...
Ok great, thanks.
Doing it that way would make these tiny little holes "noticeable" if you bend down and look at that the beveled edge. I happened to see a thread where the guy did remove the tails and drilled these holes on the exact edge at the bottom part of the beveled edge, so when he reassembled it, these holes were literally impossible to see because they were buried in the tiny crevasse between the taillight housing and the body panel. (but still allowing air flow in)
 
Nobody is going to notice a few 1mm holes other than you if you're laying on the ground under your bumper. they look like they could be factory anyway.
 
drilling holes reminds me of a Star Trek Movie " The Voyage Home " were cheokef fell and banged his head and Doc Mcoy saved him from the Surgeon about to drill a hole in his head to release the pressure he says

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02Or-Hx3yqc

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point is fix it the right way would Honda drill a hole Nope.
 
Sometimes it's OK to be completely anal and replace the tail light lenses and spends lots of time and $$$, and then have it happen again in a few years but IMO this isn't one of those times. The holes completely fix the problem in just a couple of minutes for free and it's not noticeable. Many, many of us have done it.

Here's a pic I found, however I drilled my holes smaller than this. I used the smallest bit I owned and it solved the problem.

3507821000620nb41.jpg
 
Drilling is one solution to avoid get water stuck in the taillights.

In my case, when I had this problem, I simply bought some of those self adhesive rubber doorstrips and put on top of the tail lights before putting them back on the car. I might not look too pretty but once installed it is completely invisible and it worked wonderfully.

Since then, no more problems with water getting in after using a hose on my car.
 
MvM said:
Drilling is one solution to avoid get water stuck in the taillights.

In my case, when I had this problem, I simply bought some of those self adhesive rubber doorstrips and put on top of the tail lights before putting them back on the car. I might not look too pretty but once installed it is completely invisible and it worked wonderfully.

Since then, no more problems with water getting in after using a hose on my car.
Click to expand...

Please post a pic. :smile:
 
Hi sorry for reviving an old thread
But, I found many post about this problem, but none with actual photos...
Could anyone post a photo of the holes please ? or just confirm I understood where I should drilll ?
Capture.jpg


My seam is definitely well bent >>
IMG_20210426_085818.jpg
 
tomatoto said:
Hi sorry for reviving an old thread
But, I found many post about this problem, but none with actual photos...
Could anyone post a photo of the holes please ? or just confirm I understood where I should drilll ?
View attachment 169476


My seam is definitely well bent >>
View attachment 169475
Click to expand...

I advise against drilling the holes. You need to first figure out where water is getting in. There are three points:

  • The trunk seal
  • The tail light gaskets
  • The light bezel seams/glue


The first two let water into the trunk, which turns into a swampy sauna and the humid air goes into the lights (they are vented to the trunk in the back of the units). Often, changing your gaskets solves the wet trunk problem, which solves the light fogging too.

Drilling holes in the lights really does nothing- the light units are already vented to the trunk cavity. If you have a dry trunk you won't have any problems. Instead, drilling holes introduces another path for water or water vapor to get into your lights and trunk. My 91 had this problem and changing the tail gaskets and sealing the bezels with silicone (my trunk gasket was ok) solved it 100%. No drilling necessary.

From what you're describing, your bezel seams are warped. Before you break out the drill, first make sure that your trunk is totally dry- check the padding under the styrofoam tool basket- it soaks up water like a sponge. Even a slightly musty smell is evidence that you have a water intrusion. If it's good, try changing your gaskets (clean the mating surfaces well!) and sealing the bezels with a good silicone sealant. I bet that fixes it, assuming your trunk is dry.
 

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