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3rd gen tail light condensation

3K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  GreyFox 
#1 ·
So I've been around plenty of vehicles and have seen a good deal of leaks, drips, trickles, pooling, and condensation in headlights, tail lights, etc.

I know back in the day the glass projectors were sealed. Then came the sealed plastic housings that had issues with the heat from the bulbs to cause expansion issues/leaks in the sealed housings. Then the industry added little vents/snorkels to the housings to better vent the areas. Now with the advent of LED, those housings do not get warm anymore and do not disperse or vent out the moisture as well.

I have some condensation building up in both taillights, only a little bit, and I am assuming this is normal, considering other vehicles I have owned in the past.

Question I have is, does anyone know if the LED versions have any venting? I looked at the housings earlier and did not see a specific vent in the back of the housing, but that doesn't mean Nissan, or any manufacturer, does not have a more hidden vent along the seam/seal??

Curious if anyone who is more familiar with these, and the headlights, knows if the LED version of these lights is still vented?
 
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#2 ·
I don't see a vent, but the housing does have a bunch of screws. Maybe water is getting in through one of them. You could add silicone around the screws. There's also a couple of pieces of "tape" on the housing. That's another area where water could get in. If you're still under the 36/36k warranty, you could go to the dealer and get new housings. It depends on how much it bugs you.

For the past 2 years, my passenger taillight has been chipped, but no water has gotten in. It hasn't bugged me enough to buy a replacement.
 
#3 ·
I don't see a vent, but the housing does have a bunch of screws. Maybe water is getting in through one of them. You could add silicone around the screws. There's also a couple of pieces of "tape" on the housing. That's another area where water could get in. If you're still under the 36/36k warranty, you could go to the dealer and get new housings. It depends on how much it bugs you.

For the past 2 years, my passenger taillight has been chipped, but no water has gotten in. It hasn't bugged me enough to buy a replacement.
Agree I could let warranty take care of it as the lights ARE NOT CHEAP because of the sensors etc. But the condensation is very mild right now, and appears to be "normal" compared to the last few vehicles I've owned (Hondas and Mitsubishi).

I do not want to seal up the light if in fact IT IS vented?? Maybe vented by those screws??

My guess right now is they probably are vented, even though the LED's do not throw off any heat. I assume any of these modern day vehicles with LEDs would just leave it vented as the natural contraction/expansion of the plastic housing on vehicles STILL move, even without the halogen bulbs assisting in this process??

If anything, an extra venting hole would be prudent IMHO ;)
 
#5 ·
I've seen a few complaints about moisture in the tail lights on 2022-23 Nissan Pathfinders as well. Disappointing indeed.
 
#8 ·
Mine dissipates after 12-24hours, no issue...so far. Again, its nothing new to me and I've seen many worse. Moist air WILL get in to most housings. It's how well it clears up is what I'm curious about. The truck is only 8 months old, and I suspect the colder environment, along with the milder winter our area is having, is playing a part in this. Truck just gets rinsed once every two weeks to keep raod salt at bay, but I washed it numerous times over the first 5 months without noticing it? But it was warmer outside as well. I'll just keep an eye on it until springtime to see what's up. ;)
 
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