Cadillac Owners Forum banner

Moisture in taillight sections...

1K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Realtor1 
#1 ·
Any success in eliminating the moisture in the taillight sections? 95 STS. Thanks!
 
#5 ·
I had the same problem with my 92 SLS. After speaking with a mech friend of mine, he explained to me this happened because of condensation buildup. And the fact that there is not enough air getting inside the taillights to dry out the moisture. His suggestion, which worked by the way, was to drill little holes along the bottom of the taillights to let more air in. I'm not talking about going crazy with the hammer drill, but a few small holes strategically placed should allow the moisture to escape, while not letting to much get in. Hope this helps. I now own a 99 STS and do not have that issue.
 
#7 ·
Drilling the holes in the right places, namely at the bottom most point you can, will allow the water to escape. That will actually help keep the things from freezing.
The water will drain out the bottom or evaporate. If there is mist in there it might freeze but actually apart from replacing the housings, drilling them is a good alternative.

The idea is to let the water leave.
Drilling them also has the added incentive of equalizing the air between the inside and outside. The difference between the two is what would cause condensation in the first place.

Out of the possible repairs available I would say that the drilling procedure would be an acceptable one.
Be careful not to drill in the wrong spot!
 
#8 ·
STS1320 said:
Yea but wouldnt drillin the holes during the winter time make them crack because of the water in there and then freezing and when stuff freezes it expands
Water when frozen will not break an enclosure unless the enclosure is almost completely filled and the enclosure is sealed. In other words, you can get a solid piece of ice at the bottom if the original water has room to expand as it freezes and expands. There are many variables involved such as the rate of cooling, the temperature, the shape of the enclosure, etc.;)
 
#9 ·
I tried the "drill holes in the bottom of the lights method" about 6 months ago and it worked. The key is to drill them in the right place and with the right sized bit. I also used the same method to remove the brownish film from the taillight as well. Drill about 3 or 4 small holes in the bottom of the light(in between the recess and the black plastic) and use a disinfectant, CLR, or in my case bleach diluted( dip the whole housing in it) and it will clear the brownish film and stop the taillight from fogging. It will take a while to remove the fog (about 5 days) but once it's gone it won't return. (of course if you drive the car at night alot it will take a shorter amount of time) but the method will work.
 
#11 ·
I drilled also guess I did it in wrong spot, I still get the condensation but it does go away fast...I tried to do the reseal thing and it just didnt work for me...good luck...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top