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Codensation/moisture in (aftermarket) tail lights

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Old Feb 27, 2015
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Codensation/moisture in (aftermarket) tail lights

I know this is a common issue dating back to when the 7th gen first came out over a decade ago, and it finally has affected my lights.

Not my new aftermarket smoked headlights (thankfully, because I don't enjoy taking off the front bumper cover), but in my aftermarket Spyder (authentic, sold directly by Amazon) tail lights.

I think moisture first got in because I didn't have all the turn signal sockets that I needed (it's designed for the 04-05 and I have a 02 em2) and so those holes were left open for a good 1-2 weeks. I live in Seattle and it, well, rains a lot in the winter (half the year) and I noticed about a week ago some fog in the bottom part of the light where the red reflector strip is.

It was on both lights but yesterday when I finally got the parts to convert the 02 turn light harness into a 04-05 compatible version, the fog from the left tail light was gone (and has not returned today). The right tail light, though, still has fog (well, actually small drops of water) inside the bottom where the red reflector is. It seems that area is separate from the rest of the light and the moisture got trapped and can't get out. I used a heat gun on the exterior of the light where the fog/drops are but after a few minutes there was no effect.

It may be an issue of too much moisture since it's not just fog but actual numerous water droplets so it may just take longer with the heat gun. I'm wondering if there is anything else I need to do, like take out the light and open it up (ugh)? Or aim the heat into one of the holes where the bulb sockets go into, rather than just heating it up from the exterior? If nothing works I guess I could just buy another pair and return this one to Amazon (it's the last one they had so I can't get a new one from Amazon).

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Old Feb 28, 2015
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Re: Codensation/moisture in (aftermarket) tail lights

you can try baking it in the oven. 200 degrees for 10 min or so will probably do it. (Also works on electronics if you happen to go swimming with your phone. ) Then maybe examine the edge of the lens for gaps that need some extra sealant.
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Old Mar 2, 2015
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Re: Codensation/moisture in (aftermarket) tail lights

Originally Posted by drhawkinz
you can try baking it in the oven. 200 degrees for 10 min or so will probably do it. (Also works on electronics if you happen to go swimming with your phone. ) Then maybe examine the edge of the lens for gaps that need some extra sealant.
Thanks for the suggestion, although I'll probably just return these to Amazon and buy another pair just in case it's a build issue.
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Old Mar 9, 2015
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Re: Codensation/moisture in (aftermarket) tail lights

Update for anyone interested (probably no one!): I ended up being cautious and returning the original Spyder tail lights to Amazon and getting another pair of similar lights off ebay for almost $60 cheaper and when it came it looks like authentic Spyder as well. Anyway, I was careful about minimizing time that the light socket holes were exposed before installing the bulbs/sockets and so far, about a week out, no further condensation.
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