agreed. i've been in the trunk messing around so many times i didnt think about instructions for tail light removal.. nice write up

 

There was a pretty wet storm that passed through here on Friday and one of my supposedly "fixed" tail lights got soaked inside. I pulled it off yesterday and there wa so much water inside there when I turned it downwards the water came pouring out. I already spent half an hour with a blow drier trying to get all the water out yesterday, but there's still plenty in there. There's so much water in there that I'm convinced the only way to completely clean it is to remove the glass from the assembly and dry it down with a towel. If my car were still under warranty I'd obviously take it to Mazda but that's no longer the case.

So is there a DIY anywhere here on completely disassembling the tail lights? I just don't see any screws or bolts where you can pry it off from.

 

dude the blow dryer will work eventually. you just have to leave it for a looong time.

 

The blow dryer will dry up the water eventually.

I doubt it. I tried to separate them and I believe they are plastic-fused together. I also tried baking them even though there is nothing holding them together that would soften without melting the entire taillight.

Sorry but I don't believe those instructions exist.

 

WTF really? I tried and couldn't pull it apart...

 

I was wiping out some more water from my tail light a few hours ago by trying to squeeze in a paper towel as recommended above when it suddenly slipped off my arm onto the floor...so here I am with a nice set of little dings on my assembly and now I'm absolutely livid. Pardon my french, but I think Mazda's really got a lot of ****** nerve to make this a warranty-only repair issue and not a recall. The symptoms didn't even start showing up on my 8 until 5 years later, and thanks to the faulty design of the tail light assembly, apparently water can still end up seaping into it during a heavy/windy downpour even if you "upgrade" to the thicker gaskets. And just by reading all the posts on this thread and the other threads, it's ridiculous to see how much time owners have spent attempting to completely clean out these pieces of ****. Worst of all you could end up needing to buy a full set of bulbs for the entire assembly if the sockets get wet, not to mention the traffic hazard/violations for driving around with a dead tail. **** like this is a real reminder you're driving a Mazda

 

Back to my original post.... The holes were drilled, condensation went away, and has yet to return....just saying.

 

^ Just wait for your first warm humid day followed by cooler evening. Inevitable.

 

Just an FYI, when I took my RX8 into Mazda to have the tail light fixed (I have two inches of standing water in my light), they said they could either charge me $400 to have the entire thing replaced or do the poor man's version of drilling a hole in the assembly to drain the water out for $160. I haven't done either yet, but drilling a hole seems to be what Mazda recommended.

 

^ I give up. Drill it to your heart's content.

 

dont give up now! they almost believe!

 

Looks like people are back to beat the dead horse and once again wrong with their observation with the drilling method.
Just let it go... obviously some people don't care to listen to you (including myself).
Its not the end of the world because someone doesn't agree with your method of repairing a stupid tail light.
ITS A TAIL LIGHT... nothing to get worked up over and its definitely not a topic for the little children to use to attack others.

 

Ummm.... yeah, that's what we do to convert it into a "mid-pipe"
Many people punch out the cat material when it clogs.

Nobody called it a proper fix... we call it an option.
And why are you getting worked up anyway? Its not your car to worry about.
This is just an internet forum... no big deal... life will go on.
If you get worked up over things like this, just stay away and don't post!

And that it how it should be... amen!

And don't be quick to judge others, you may have no clue what someone's background/education/experience really is.

 

Easy gents. We're all impassioned in the use and maintenance of our RX-8's. Hence the valued insight no matter which side of the fence. Therefore it's difficult to not get emotionally involved in some of these discussions. We all want what's best for the original posters, hopefully dispelling misinformation along the way, and recognizing in the end it's the OP's choice on course of action.

 

I did the same with my tail lights, now I am trying to figure out how to get rid of the hard water spots that were left behind

 

White vinegar often works for water spots. Let it sit overnight.

 

pardon me for not wading through more of the pointless arguments for this bit of relevant data, but silicon can be found in a general auto parts store, right?

 

hardware store might be better.

 

ok, so lowes. ummmm, which section of the store ya think? near caulk and the like?

 

yep exactly. just ask for silicone sealant and someone will show you

 

thanks for the help. got the silicone and will attempt the fix as soon as it gets a lil warmer. I'll let ya know how it turns out.

 

Good luck!

 

Hey Jon and Huey... I have a question for yall, and i didnt want to start a new thread...
My clear corners are virtually brand new and the passenger side corner recently started to leak. I just got Gasket sealant from my buddy who sealed his tail lights but the gasket sealant is BROWN, obviously this would stick out like a sore thumb on a clear corner, especially if I messed up. Any suggestions that would not require me to spend $80 on some new JDM Clear Corners? Ive used some clear silicone thats like $5 for a small tube, but that was on my old clear corners on my last 8, that didnt work. Maybe I should try a different brand or? I used GE Caulk Singles- 100% Silicone sealant and the Brown gasket sealant is Permatex.... Help thanks

 

WTBRotary!- I would first try 100% clear silicone sealant.
Tape it with blue painter's tape like you would for caulking so it doesn't go where you don't want it.
Once you get a bead of sealant on it, dip your finger in water and run your finger along the seam.
The water is so the sealant doesn't stick to your finger.
Then remove the tape.

Also consider that the water could be getting in where the bulb socket inserts into the corner.

 

^^^ Thanks Ill try that, I dont have Blue painters tape. Ill go get some and try that. I didnt do it nearly as professional/correctly the last time. The last time I took the corner and got a toothpick and tried my best to seal it but I dont think I got a good bead in the cracks. Also I dont think its the seal where the bulb socket inserts into the corner because I dont believe my corner was leaking until I ran into a buddys fence (LONG STORY) at a install party on a slanted drive way. I didnt run into it that hard but I scratched my bumper a little and popped the bumper out a little. Had to pop it back in, but I didnt hit the fence nearly enough to crack the corner, it was just a little nudge. Ill give yall a update soon as I try this. Thanks Jon