07 Mazda 3 Tail Light Water Leak Gasket Repair
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- Опубліковано 3 гру 2021
- www.mikeschmeee.com
I gladly volunteered my services to the owner of this 2007 Mazda3 as it was in need of some repair. The vehicle's tail lights had several milliliters of water pooling inside so I attempted to repair the old and worn out gasket before spending significantly more on OEM Mazda parts. I tried this method a number of years ago on my old 97 Honda Prelude, which had a similar water leak issue, though the water was leaking into the trunk not the tail light of the Prelude. Both tail lights on this Mazda3 had the same amount of water within it (not accurately shown within the video) and one tail light had a long crack along the extension part of the tail light housing, which I repaired with some Gorilla Glue (super clue) and some duct tape. These repairs are an effort to minimize costs and to see if this old method of using foam from a crafts store still holds up.
Music:
L'Etoile danse (Pt. 1) by Meydän
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Axela
Mazda3
Mazda 3
Taillights
Tail Lights
Taillight Gasket
Tail Light Gasket
Mazda 3 Taillights
Mazda 3 Tail Lights
Mazda 3 Rear Lights
DIY Tail Light Gasket
How To Install Tail Light Gasket
How To Install Mazda 3 Tail Light Gasket
How To Install 07 Mazda 3 Tail Light Gasket
How To Install 2007 Mazda 3 Tail Light Gasket
1st Gen Mazda 3
DIY
Zoom Zoom
Mazda3
Mazda Axela
Mazda BK
2003-2009 Mazda 3
2003-2009 Mazda3
2003-2009 Mazda BK
03-09 Mazda BK
03-09 Mazda3
03-09 Mazda 3
Mazda Tail Lights
Mazda Taillights
Mazda3 Tail Lights
Mazda3 Taillights
2007 Mazda 3 Tail Lights
Taillight Gasket
Tail light Gasket
Mazda3 Taillight Gasket
Mazda3 Tail Light Gasket
Mazda3 Taillights Gasket
Mazda3 Tail Lights Gasket
Mazda3 Tail Light Water Leak
Mazda3 Taillight Water Leak
Mazda 3 Tail Light Water Leak
Mazda 3 Taillight Water Leak
Mazda3 Trunk Water Leak - Авто та транспорт
I don't normally comment on UA-cam videos unless I have a question. So you are the first one that I will comment on the quality of the video. The information was to the point and what I needed. Thank you for not moving the camera all over the place as you show what you are doing. Thank you for not commenting about things that are not related to the repair. But most of all, thank you for not using some obnoxious techno music.
Most welcome. I enjoy creative simple and easy-to-follow videos to educate others on repairs.
exactly the video i needed! thanks so much, had a water leak for years before i tore everything out in the back to find out where it was. now off to find foam sheets!
Cheers!
Thanks for this video, very helpful.
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2023-08-08 Update - original comment has not been edited.
The silicone caulking did not work. Failed on the first major rain storm. Silicone did not adhere to the raised edge of the plastic lens housing (which was very “slippery” type plastic). First dried it out again (same “dashboard” method) and submersed in water up to/close to the raised edge to ensure lens or housing did not leak. Then cut a gasket (as shown in original video) from polyethylene foam sheet 1/8” thick (no adhesive backing, holds in position via bolts and guide post). Tested next major rain storm and it remained dry.
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Original comment from July 2023.
Some additional pointers based on my recent experience (2007 Mazda 3, Sedan)
> To really dry out the tail light housing put it on the front dash of car facing the sun with the lens facing the sun also. Will dry out in a couple of hours with the direct sunlight and resulting heat buildup inside the housing and the car (windows closed).
> Once its dry, test the exterior lens for any cracks or leaks by placing it face down in shallow water (so only the lens-to-housing seam is submerged) to see if water comes in the lens/housing seal or any hairline cracks. If it leaks then you know where to focus after you dry it out again. Doing that test while the lens is still loaded with condensation and pooling water may not reveal the problem.
> If no leaks via the lens then the water/moisture ingress is most likely via the foam gasket at the back (as demonstrated in the early part of this video). It could be deteriorated around the perimeter edge resulting in leaks during rain or washing (could leak past on either the housing side or the body panel side). OR, the two nuts securing the housing may have loosened with time….suspect that was my case, and that it was leaking on the body panel side of the gasket, as nuts were not as tight as expected (barely hand tight and no other issues, gasket OK, lens OK). Tail light on the other side did not have condensation and nuts were tight. Of course do not overtighten them to cause housing to crack.
> I felt my foam gasket was in good condition and reusable. However to be sure of a good perimeter seal against the housing I put very small bead of silicone into the formed groove in the foam (ie. side that contacts the raised edge of the housing) and also ensured it was sealed around base of the bolts…but not too much so not to impact the flat sealing surface that will contact against the body panel. If this doesn’t work I will resort to making a gasket (and update this comment).
> Another source of condensation could be from water/moisture in the cargo area (sedan trunk model particularly). The back side of the housing and light bulbs & sockets (via open/center part of gasket and body panel) are not sealed from the trunk environment. So if transporting wet things, or there is a leak into the cargo area or rear quarter panel, that could be a source.
I could find that gasket NOWHERE! thanks to you I've bought 5mmm EVA foam and can do any gasket type and cheaper! :D
Nice!
Love your vids shmee, miss the prelude tho.
Thanks. I miss it too. Looking for another one. Currently accepting all donor preludes that are free of charge, hah. I wouldn't mind showing the progress from zero to hero. It would be an interesting video series and it wouldn't be recorded in the typical vlog style. I got some neat ideas.
glad ur still posting
Thanks. Trying to, whenever I feel inspired.
@@mikeschmeeedotcom well you'll always be helping and entertaining people even if you stop posting, I just fixed my g25 haha
@@MilkIsSalty Nice! Glad to hear it. I'll have to find another G25 or G27 on the market and re-make those repair videos that I created so long ago. The quality is not that great by today's standards, hah. But it gets the job done for now I guess. Thank you, cheers!
this the reason I am replacing my tail lights right now. I think the main solution to this is preventing water from seeping down the gap between the drain line of the trunk and the tail light panel in the first place. I've yet to find a solution for that though, but first thing that popped in my mind is applying a rubber lining in between.
Sometimes as a last resort, drilling a tiny, tiny hole in the clear lens at the bottom left corner of the passenger side, or bottom right corner of the drivers side, tail light to let all of the water out can help. However, it opens the door for condensation and eventually burning out light bulbs. Again, it's a last resort thing - in my opinion.
Great video. You can also buy the OEM gasket and fit it
Thank you. These DIY "gaskets" were only a few dollars from a local arts & crafts store. Dealership quoted around $90 (if I remember correctly) for the entire set. The owner of this Mazda3 wanted to try a more affordable option. The DIY gaskets are still holding up with no leaks into the taillight even after several long and intense rain falls.
Where did you get the foam sheets? Maybe an art supply store might have it like hobby lobby..I know they have foam sheets but I'm not sure if they're thick enough ...I know they have one side with glue on it.. And are you 100% sure it was just the foam seal..How has it held up? My Mazda 6 is doing the same thing..But it doesn't completely fill with water like that.. If I let it sit for a couple days it dries out..I guess I'll take the headlight off and maybe try to soak it with water see if there's any cracks then I'll try this... Or I can just buy a whole new light for 40 bucks..
Yes, an art/hobby store. I purchased the foam sheets from a place called Michael's. I bought several foam sheets, and applied three layers to get as close as possible in terms of similar OEM measurements by comparing the thickness of the OEM tail light gasket to my DIY version, and so far, it has held up with some intense rain fall and melting snow.
Technically, I am not 100% sure if water was entering the tail light through a poor seal due to an old and worn out original gasket, as I did not record any video of water entering the tail light. I only assumed water enters through the backside of the tail light as it's the only thing that makes sense to me based on the design of the trunk, its immediate surrounding area, and based on my experience with Honda Preludes, as they too experience the same issue.
The local Mazda dealership quoted $80 CAD for brand new OEM gaskets - along with pre-payment and a several day wait - so, the owner of the vehicle opted for a cheaper alternative while I do the work, and make a little video of it. Both adhesive and non-adhesive foam sheets from Michaels are $1.50 CAD each, and multi-packs are available for more savings, about $12 depending on what size one wants (as of Dec 2021).
It's all subjective, but trying the cheaper option might be worth it. But again, this DIY foam sheet gasket thingy is holding up strong so far. There is no water entering the tail light.
Hope this helps!
thank you
You're welcome!
How did you dry out the moisture left inside after replacing the gasket? Did that not lock the leftover moisture in?
I let the taillight sit in a position that allows the water to flow out of it, for several hours in a warm location.
If you have some moisture left inside after dumping out most of the water, you could try a blow dryer. In theory it should work?
they dont sell those foam already made to replace the existing one ?
It's been so long that I'm not sure at the moment. It's possible there may be an aftermarket option available, but at the time of recording this video and repairing the vehicle, the cheapest option was to cut out the foam gasket instead of purchasing a replacement part from the parts department of a local Mazda dealership. At the moment, my guess is that Mazda does not sell the gasket separately and only with a new taillight with the gasket already installed.
Hi, i also have the same problem, my left tail light has a mold inside i attempt to open the tail light using heatgun hoping it will separate but i ended up almost melting the plastic i think the adhesive is different from butyl. Until i saw ur video i realize that the moist inside is because of that gasket. Its too late because i also need to clean the inside. Do you think it still posible to open that ? I tried wd40 to spray around the tailight to loosen the adhesive but its not working.
If you are trying to open the tail light, put it in the oven at about 350, it will separate the glue from the clear lens and housing.