If you’re getting condensation inside the tail lights of your GT86, or are getting a little water in your boot/trunk, chances are the gasket between the tail light and the body of the car needs replacing.
It’s a really simple little job. You’ll need your new gaskets (of course), an 8mm socket or spanner, a small trim removal tool, some RTV silicone/gasket maker and some cloths
First things first, open your boot and pop out this trim button with your trim removal tool and fold the carpet down so you have access to the back of the light.
If it’s rained recently you will probably find that the metal on the inside of the car is damp. wipe everything dry.
There are four 8mm nuts that hold the light to the body. Take them off and keep them somewhere safe.
Now unplug the light. This can be a little stiff.
The light should come away.
You can see how wet the old gasket is at the bottom.
Peel the old gasket away and give everything a good clean. The back and top of my lights were covered in mud for some bizarre reason.
The raised plastic lip around the centre of the light is what the gasket sits on. We’re going to cover this with RTV to ensure a good seal.
Apply your RTV/gasket maker. Make sure not to leave any gaps that water can get into.
Press the new gasket onto the housing. There are pre-cut holes in the gasket for the metal posts. There’s also a 5th plastic post near the wiring connector.
As you can see there was a little excess material by the wiring connector. If you want to be neat, trim it down with a Stanley blade, but it won’t interfere with the way the light sits.
Then simply bolt the light back up. The factory setting on the bolts is only 4.4nm. If you overtighten them it can damage the gasket, so be careful. Make sure the light is sitting correctly too.
Job done!
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By Richard Francis.
