Condensation in Rear Tail lights

[Fordphanatic]

Has anyone noticed condensation collecting in there rear tail lights? My truck has less then 9000 miles on it and today I noticed water in my passenger side rear light. Hope this isn't to big a deal to have replaced under warranty. Here's a couple pictures

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[Waveslider]

Happened on my 2015. Eventually got bad enough that the tail light was about ⅓ full of water.

 

[Fordphanatic]

Happened on my 2015. Eventually got bad enough that the tail light was about ⅓ full of water.

We're you able to have it replaced under warranty?

 

[Old Bear]

I don't have my truck yet, but in general, those assemblies are not airtight. Typically there is a very small vent hole in the light so that air pressure can equalize. That lets humidity in, which can lead to condensation on the inside. When it warms up, the moisture will evaporate and escape through that same hole. All normal up to this point. If, however, water actually accumilates to the point that there is standing water, that is not normal, and should be taken to a dealer.

 

[Waveslider]

We're you able to have it replaced under warranty?

I don’t remember if I had the issue before warranty ran out so unfortunately can’t be of any help on that front. When I noticed it started filling with water I bought a new light and it solved the problem.

 

[Fordphanatic]

I don’t remember if I had the issue before warranty ran out so unfortunately can’t be of any help on that front. When I noticed it started filling with water I bought a new light and it solved the problem.

I hope they cover under warranty. The platinum tail lights are around $1800 new if you can even get it! Thanks for the response.

 

[alkoser]

This is from the owner's manual:

 

[Fordphanatic]

This is from the owner's manual:

Thanks for the reply. No amount of condensation is acceptable to me on a almost $80,000 truck. I sure hope my dealership takes care of it.

 

[fordhouston]

i know the early 13th gens were notorious for having water get into the tail light housings.. hopefully this isn’t an issue to return for us gen 14 owners.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

First thing to try is pull the lamp and inspect for cracks or other possible seam issues. I'm almost 100% certain that on the LED tails the only gasket they have is around the BLISS module. Chances are if that's where the leak is it's either not seated correctly, has a faulty gasket, or has some debris on the mating surface. You can pull that out and look for any indication that it did not seat correctly with the housing. You can also apply a very thin layer of clear silicone to the gasket and let it cure before reinstalling it.

To get all the moisture out get some of those huge ziplock bags that the lamp will fit in. Next get some of these desiccant pouches. They are amazing too. I use them to keep the humidity well below 10% in my 3d printer filament storage boxes. Each one absorbs 15g of water and are easily rechargeable with a microwave. Pull the lamp and remove the blss module and put in the bag with a desiccant pouch or two and let it sit overnight. The silica pouches should absorb all the water from the lamp and then reassemble it and install.

If you do this and the moisture returns you may have an issue with a poor seam weld and the lamp will need to be replaced. Ford should replace it under warranty if that is the case.

 

[Hardballer26]

So my taillight has a crack in it, possibly due to water inside and it froze. The entire taillight has stopped working. I just took it off and I'm starting the thawing/draining process.

Hoping the thawing/draining and desiccant packets help. I'm going to contact the dealer to get their thoughts and see about a replacement. I will absolutely need a new taillight but I'm hoping I can possibly get it to work for a short while before a new taillight comes in, likely not for at least another week or so.

Mine are the BLIS/LED ones similar to the pictured one in this thread. I've also noticed some electronics not working well since then. My moonroof buttons work sporadically and sometimes not at all. CarPlay has also disconnected more often than usual, unsure it if it just coincidental or has something to do with this. Would love any insights if anyone has had a similar experience and will report back my results.

 

[Fordphanatic]

So update I had mine to the dealership yesterday and they replaced my tail light under warranty. Thank you warranty! The light itself was almost $1300. Mine was not cracked just a bad seal.

 

[powerboatr]

and... the led lights do not produce much heat if any so the condensation takes longer to dry or burn off. my 21 250 i parked the rear into the sun and it dried them out, but of course we had just done some serious mud hole fording at the lease and they were full of "stuff"
my 16 exp front headlights would occasionally do the same thing.
so far i have not noticed an apprecaibly level of condesation in my rear or front lenses

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