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Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level!

gb7FRz26

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Ford F-150 Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level! 2


According to the XLT owners manual, the taillight fluid level should be zero milliliters, which also happens to be zero ounces.
The water ingress to the taillight never looked too bad from the outside, despite the gif above. It was always 'just some condensation droplets'. Then this morning I got the fast blinker clicking when turning right. O'Reilly did not have the bulb, they were close though and spent plenty of time trying to find it. The up-to-2020 bulb won't fit the housing and has plastic tabs that prevent it from going into the socket completely.
The Ford part number for the halogen 2021+ F150 Taillights is JL3Z-13466-D and was $25 at the local Ford dealership, can be had for $10 online.
Rather than link places that sell the bulb, here's an easy Google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=JL3Z-13466-D

<sidebar> I'd like to thank the Ford programmers that took the time to write the lines of code that makes the completely digital relay click noise and blinker light go into fast mode when a lamp is out. Externally, the blinker speed stays the same. But instead of a message on the dash, you get what car drivers are used to for the last hundred years, fast click, fast blink on the dash. The relay noise is just a recording on a speaker - you can tell because it stops when the chime is on and the lights are still blinking. Unlike Chrysler products I've driven, the sound is consistent and never skips a beat, like it's its own module or the process running to make the noise is running on a real-time OS. Makes zero difference practically speaking, just one of those interesting things to nerds like me. Every once in awhile in a CJDR product, the blinker would hesitate maybe 200 milliseconds and you'd go "Huh. CPU must have been thinking about something else."

Oh, also found out that behind the darker piece of red plastic, next to the white reverse light must be a microwave transceiver, because this happens when it's unplugged:
Ford F-150 Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level! faults


Confirmed all four blink/brake bulbs are the same dual filament part and interchangeable.
Closeup of a new OEM bulb from the local Ford parts department:
Ford F-150 Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level! bulb



Also for fun, here's what my plug harness looked like before cleanup (still works):
Ford F-150 Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level! plu


Please note I don't know which trims have a different lamp assembly and the above info is for my '21 XLT. The Lariat / Platinum might have LED, perhaps. And hopefully is sealed better.
Now that it's all fixed, I think I'll go drill a little weep hole...
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Eric

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2.gif


According to the XLT owners manual, the taillight fluid level should be zero milliliters, which also happens to be zero ounces.
The water ingress to the taillight never looked too bad from the outside, despite the gif above. It was always 'just some condensation droplets'. Then this morning I got the fast blinker clicking when turning right. O'Reilly did not have the bulb, they were close though and spent plenty of time trying to find it. The up-to-2020 bulb won't fit the housing and has plastic tabs that prevent it from going into the socket completely.
The Ford part number for the halogen 2021+ F150 Taillights is JL3Z-13466-D and was $25 at the local Ford dealership, can be had for $10 online.
Rather than link places that sell the bulb, here's an easy Google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=JL3Z-13466-D

<sidebar> I'd like to thank the Ford programmers that took the time to write the lines of code that makes the completely digital relay click noise and blinker light go into fast mode when a lamp is out. Externally, the blinker speed stays the same. But instead of a message on the dash, you get what car drivers are used to for the last hundred years, fast click, fast blink on the dash. The relay noise is just a recording on a speaker - you can tell because it stops when the chime is on and the lights are still blinking. Unlike Chrysler products I've driven, the sound is consistent and never skips a beat, like it's its own module or the process running to make the noise is running on a real-time OS. Makes zero difference practically speaking, just one of those interesting things to nerds like me. Every once in awhile in a CJDR product, the blinker would hesitate maybe 200 milliseconds and you'd go "Huh. CPU must have been thinking about something else."

Oh, also found out that behind the darker piece of red plastic, next to the white reverse light must be a microwave transceiver, because this happens when it's unplugged:
faults.jpg


Confirmed all four blink/brake bulbs are the same dual filament part and interchangeable.
Closeup of a new OEM bulb from the local Ford parts department:
bulb.jpg



Also for fun, here's what my plug harness looked like before cleanup (still works):
plug.jpg


Please note I don't know which trims have a different lamp assembly and the above info is for my '21 XLT. The Lariat / Platinum might have LED, perhaps. And hopefully is sealed better.
Now that it's all fixed, I think I'll go drill a little weep hole...

View attachment 84190

View attachment 84191
Damn. Is this normal? In all honesty I wish I was as handy as the fellas on this forum but with work and kids and everything else in life I literally have no time to touch my vehicle except for filling gas, car washes(automatic drive thru’s) and oil changes. I’m planning to keep my next f-150 forever and I feel like it’s gonna turn into a pile of shit without me checking all these things regularly.
 
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gb7FRz26

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Damn. Is this normal? In all honesty I wish I was as handy as the fellas on this forum but with work and kids and everything else in life I literally have no time to touch my vehicle except for filling gas, car washes(automatic drive thru’s) and oil changes. I’m planning to keep my next f-150 forever and I feel like it’s gonna turn into a pile of shit without me checking all these things regularly.
Just keep repeating this to yourself: Ford knows how to build trucks. You see plenty of 20+ year old F150's still on the road*, and I want to keep this truck for 20 years.
* unsure if that's just statistics, they sell sooo many trucks.

I was told by other F150 owners as well as the dealership I bought it from that "Some condensation in the taillight is normal, don't worry about it."
I recently told my dad, who was looking at my doors not lining up exactly right, "This is a Ford, sir, and you're used to Toyotas. Fit and finish isn't really their specialty." It's true though, not to disrespect any Ford plant people. Toyota takes it to a completely different level. I wish I could find the article I read 15+ years ago about them retooling some plants to where the acceptable tolerance for Corolla doors went from 1mm to 0.5mm.

I forgot to put instructions in my post! Sorry, everybody. It's dead simple, and Youtube can guide you like it did me. Open the tailgate, remove two 8mm bolts, and now the taillight housing will come out (gently). There are four pins that line it up when you go to put it back on - just be aware of where they are.

> I’m planning to keep my next f-150 forever
If I keep up my current usage, I will be at ~426,400 miles when the truck is 20 years old, and spent 1.0 to 1.3 times the price of the truck was new in just gas.
 
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HammaMan

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That's why you choose only the highest grade blinker fluid. :ROFLMAO:

Personally I suggest the tackiest silicone dielectric. You'd be surprised at how many metal to metal connector contact points are wearing some form of it.
 

03 svtvenom

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My driver side tail light has had condensation since day one. Was getting pretty bad as of late. When I installed the Morimoto’s I literally poured out about 3/4 cup of water out of the drivers side light. I couldn’t believe how much was in there.
 

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Je1279

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I had a 2" crack in the tail light assembly of my old truck. Like you, eventually the bulb stopped working. When replacing the bulb and assembly, I dumped 3" of water out of it from condensation that had accumulated. I could not believe it. I did not have any water in the bulb though. That is impressive.
 
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gb7FRz26

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I had a 2" crack in the tail light assembly of my old truck. Like you, eventually the bulb stopped working. When replacing the bulb and assembly, I dumped 3" of water out of it from condensation that had accumulated. I could not believe it. I did not have any water in the bulb though. That is impressive.
Yeah it was a lot. Bulb broke, come to think of it, I don't know where that shard of glass went. I didn't hear it rattling as I shook out the water.

Ford F-150 Friendly reminder to check your taillight fluid level! 1000034258
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