Condensation in tail lights

TURBOlence

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WHAT? So condensation is to be expected? WOW
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jtsang25

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That blows.Agreed that this will look like hell in no time. I think I read in the manual that this could happen and is "normal". What I don't understand is why they would intentionally design the taillights to "breath". The headlights don't apparently have this "breathing" design and appear to be sealed as have many of my other cars that have had LED tail lights. I wonder if there's a vent hole you could locate in the housing and try to seal it up.
Theres a small hole on the face of the tail light
 

DioParker

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I got my first FR-S in February, 2013 (the first model year). This was one of the first issues to pop up. Investigation showed it to be an error in a manufacturing process at the plant. There was no recall but, as you state, if the customer brought the issue up to the dealer there was a technical service bulletin issued which allowed the dealer to replace it under warranty. Mine developed this problem but, interestingly, not until over 2 years after I acquired it. The approach on the Supra issue is interesting (and I will be watching mine now). I wonder if experience from the first round informed the approach on this round.

Dennis

I remember when the other car designed by Tada-san also had condensation in the tail lamp housing. The only thing Toyota could do is replace it under warranty. You're going to be chasing your tail on this one unless you bake it, split it, clean the inside and seal it yourself.

attachment.jpg


https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2199381
 

DesmoSD

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I got my first FR-S in February, 2013 (the first model year). This was one of the first issues to pop up. Investigation showed it to be an error in a manufacturing process at the plant. There was no recall but, as you state, if the customer brought the issue up to the dealer there was a technical service bulletin issued which allowed the dealer to replace it under warranty. Mine developed this problem but, interestingly, not until over 2 years after I acquired it. The approach on the Supra issue is interesting (and I will be watching mine now). I wonder if experience from the first round informed the approach on this round.

Dennis
Hey Dennis, that's very unfortunate. From what seems to be the trend with both of these tail lamps (IMO) is that the housing of both protrude out past the body and the top is at an inward angle (creating a valley for water to flow from the housing to the back cover) vs most cars where the tail lamps are flushed and tucked under the body. I think it's more of a design flaw in conjunction with manufacturing error since it kept occurring.

This was one visual thing that I don't like no both cars (86 and Supra). I like the clean and traditional lines where the tail lamps are flush with the body lines and trunk. Tail lamps sticking out a few mm to create a divide are fine but these are too aggressive. Not appealing to me at all.
 

digicidal

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It's pretty clearly a design flaw present for everyone, but the only ones with problems (thus far) seem to be those in the SE and NW... both incredibly humid climates. My guess is that (if they even thought that much about it) was that an ambient 30% or so was used as the design parameter for evaporation... and those with higher averages will have problems. Your charge/intake pipes are less likely to crack within a year or two however... so there's a bright side. I already know what the official response will be to that... :eek:
 

jtsang25

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It's pretty clearly a design flaw present for everyone, but the only ones with problems (thus far) seem to be those in the SE and NW... both incredibly humid climates. My guess is that (if they even thought that much about it) was that an ambient 30% or so was used as the design parameter for evaporation... and those with higher averages will have problems. Your charge/intake pipes are less likely to crack within a year or two however... so there's a bright side. I already know what the official response will be to that... :eek:
I live in middle of canada. Pretty dry up here and I have it
 

legacy_etu

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Itll affect every unit. There is a visible hole on the face of the light

I think I know the feature you're talking about. Are you sure it's a hole? It looks at quick glance like it's where they gated the plastic part when they were molding it. Admittedly that's a weird spot (highly visible) to put a molding well for the gate. I'll have to tqke a closer look to see if it goes thru.

Maybe someone who's suffering from this would want to try putting some PPF over the light or even just slap a small clear sticker over this if its really a hole to see if that helps.
 

jtsang25

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I think I know the feature you're talking about. Are you sure it's a hole? It looks at quick glance like it's where they gated the plastic part when they were molding it. Admittedly that's a weird spot (highly visible) to put a molding well for the gate. I'll have to tqke a closer look to see if it goes thru.

Maybe someone who's suffering from this would want to try putting some PPF over the light or even just slap a small clear sticker over this if its really a hole to see if that helps.
Ill take a look too actually. If it's a hole. Ppf should cover it.
 

s219

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If there is a hole, put GorTex vent material over it, not PPF. GoreTex will let vapor pass but not water. PPF will block everything which means vapor will be trapped in the light. Unless you have the ability to evacuate all moisture from the lights before sealing them, don't do it.

As far as I know, BMW has used vented headlights and tail lights for many years now. We occasionally hear about condensation problems on the BMW forums (sometimes by people who pressure wash their cars) but it's not considered to be a problem by BMW. I've even seen expensive aftermarket lighting that is vented, although most of those use GoreTex vents to prevent water entry.
 

legacy_etu

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Checked that feature on the face of my tail lights and it's not a thru hole. It is a well from the molding process .
 

digicidal

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Checked that feature on the face of my tail lights and it's not a thru hole. It is a well from the molding process .
That's what it looked like to me as well... I just never got around to poking it with a needle to see if there was a tiny hole or not. My guess is that if moisture is getting in through washing, it's gotta be somewhere on the top/back of the housing or something.
 

DioParker

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That's an interesting thought, digicidal, regarding a possible reason for the moisture leakage. I can say (though I am only 1 point in a data stream) that my second FR-S, which I had longer than the first, never exhibited the problem.

Regarding design, while it never leaped out to me as a design point that I particularly liked neither did the protruding tail lights strike me in any negative way. They were ok. As a tangent observation, I do like the overall headlight presentation (shape) on the FR-S better than that on the Supra. The lines (to me) are more distinct and have more of a predatory appearance.

Hey Dennis, that's very unfortunate. From what seems to be the trend with both of these tail lamps (IMO) is that the housing of both protrude out past the body and the top is at an inward angle (creating a valley for water to flow from the housing to the back cover) vs most cars where the tail lamps are flushed and tucked under the body. I think it's more of a design flaw in conjunction with manufacturing error since it kept occurring.

This was one visual thing that I don't like no both cars (86 and Supra). I like the clean and traditional lines where the tail lamps are flush with the body lines and trunk. Tail lamps sticking out a few mm to create a divide are fine but these are too aggressive. Not appealing to me at all.
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