fogging up tails?

[modmonster2008]

I wanna know if theres a solution to tail lights fogging up on the inside, my 88 tail lights are condensing water in the turn signals area and its irritating, i wanna know if theres a solution to fixing that other than baking the lights and resealing them

 

[suprageezer]

I just finished installing a set of nice taillights, gaskets, and trunk seal today. Here's what I did. I cleaned the tailights out with dawn soap as good as I could, then I ran them through the dishwasher a bunch of times turning them every way I could imagine water spaying into them. Then I rinsed them in hot water really good in the shower. Next I rinsed them really well with DI water, then laid them in the over at just over 200°F for a few minutes so the DI would evaporate quickly, took em out let them cool off. Went out to the car removed the old ones, cleaned the surfaces really good removing all the dirt, grim and wax build up. Then I used old-fashioned carnuba turtle wax to get a nice waxed surface on the paint behind the taillights. I then installed NEW Toyota Gaskets I got from Champion Toyota. Installed my nice set of taillights I cleaned and the look new. It's the old gaskets that allow water to run down into the causing them to fog up. It also allows water to run into your trunk as does a worn and torn trunk seal.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

I wanna know if theres a solution to tail lights fogging up on the inside, my 88 tail lights are condensing water in the turn signals area and its irritating, i wanna know if theres a solution to fixing that other than baking the lights and resealing them

New taillight gaskets from toyota.

 

[dumbo]

New taillight gaskets from toyota.

thats better

 

[modmonster2008]

how much did the new tail light gaskets run? im still thinking of switching to the 89+ tails since they look better, im sure the tail light gaskets are diff. from pre-89?

 

[Poodles]

The tail lights are also two piece and they can leak where they join (especially if the bolts where overtightened). Also, any cracks will let water in as well.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

I drilled 2 3/32" holes in the lens on the bottom edges. So far works pretty good.

 

[Jayhall]

new tail light seals are the easy fix. As I recall, mine were only $60 at the local dealership. After those were in, they never fogged up again.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

I drilled 2 3/32" holes in the lens on the bottom edges. So far works pretty good.

......

There's no point in posting this, because nobody else should be doing this. New taillight gaskets will fix the problem with the taillights fogging up.

Your fix is completely.. wrong.

 

[super.secret.supra.club]

......

There's no point in posting this, because nobody else should be doing this. New taillight gaskets will fix the problem with the taillights fogging up.

Your fix is completely.. wrong.

if it works out for him then let him be happy.

althought before drilling holes you should have looked at other and better means of preventing the lights for condesating.

ed.d.

 

[ValgeKotkas]

......

There's no point in posting this, because nobody else should be doing this. New taillight gaskets will fix the problem with the taillights fogging up.

Your fix is completely.. wrong.

They didn't help me. Infact, with the old lights I never had fog, but as I changed them with the new gaskets both of them started fogging up.
I'm leaning towards Poodles's suggestion - overtightening (done that myelf too...) or between the two pieces.

 

[WhtMa71]

I replaced my old gaskets when I got my car and they still fog up.
Im gonna take them off eventually and see if I can reseal them.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

My taillights were fogging up, so I installed new taillight gaskets.

Haven't fogged up since.

Make sure you clean off all the old gasket material and make sure it has a good seal. IIRC I used some liquid gasket also to help seal the taillights to the rear of the car.

 

[Poodles]

DON'T use FIPG to glue weatherseals!

(damn previous owner did it with the taillight seals and the targa seals, dumbass)

 

[AGlobalThreat]

I didn't use it to GLUE the weather seals, I used it to help seal the gaskets to the body. It wasn't actual FIPG, it was some generic liquid gasket. It worked great for me. I just switched over to 89+ taillights about a month and a half ago, the "liquid gasket" was very easy to remove, I just used my fingers and rubbed it off. Someone recommended it to me when I first replaced my taillight gaskets a couple years ago, and it worked great for me.

 

[AJ'S 88NA]

......

There's no point in posting this, because nobody else should be doing this. New taillight gaskets will fix the problem with the taillights fogging up.

Your fix is completely.. wrong.

May not be the right way to fix it but it has worked and looks like the right way, replacing the gaskets hasn't helped some

 

[isnms]

If the tail light seal does not fix it:

[post=32358]Re: Water getting in[/post]

I had water getting in around the rear hatch as well, so set about trying to stop it. First I removed the spoiler, used silicon and sealed up every bolt hole plus siliconed under the black rubber "washers" that go between the spoiler and the hatch, then re-installed the spoiler. Next I removed the wiper arm, motor and bushing - cleaned them all up and re-installed with silicone around all that. Next I removed the trim around the bottom of the glass, cleaned the gutter out and put a donut of silicone around each bolt hole. Re-installed the trim. Waited for a rainy day. Hatch still leaks! Damn it all! The water is pooling up inside the big plastic trim on the inside of the hatch. I am damned if I know how it is getting in now.

This is EXACTLY the situation I have. I have intended to do all the sealing up you did and have already done the wiper arm one. Now it sounds like the rest of them are not it either
Let me know if you get yours fixed.


Update with fix 11-6-8
Water in Hatch Trim
I did all the suspects - spoiler trim, wiper motor, window.
I also had water getting into my right tail light and did the seals for them.

After sitting on my new hatch seal for a few month, I finally installed it.
Last night we had a deluge of the sort I should have received a shower when I open the hatch this morning.
No Water In Hatch Trim !!! or the tail light.

not really worth making a new thread but wanted to update this so I could refer others to it in the future.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

When I first pulled the taillights, you could see the outline where the old gasket was. I put a small thin line of liquid gasket on the body where the gasket seals. Then I put the new gaskets on the taillights, pressed them in gently, and tightened them down... Did I say tightened? I meant secured them Those studs are brittle, be very careful not to break them out of the taillights.

Poodles - You said glued, I'm guessing he made it hard for you to remove the taillights/gaskets? The liquid gasket I used peeled right off with my fingers and I didn't have any problems.

 

[ValgeKotkas]

One more suggestion. Look whether the metal piece behind the light (where the weatherstripping goes) isn't bent.
Mine is (from some crash probably...), so that's why it leaks in from there.
But that doesn't explain the fogging....

 

[modmonster2008]

hmm, if i dont find 89+ tails ill probably do this to mine