Water moisture in my left rear taillight 2014 Ram 1500

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14RAM1500BG

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It there a fix for a tail light that has moisture/water in the tail light housing assy? Is there a way of testing to see where it is leaking? or is a bad seal at the sockets. Is it a common problem? Thanks for any help Also I notice the back up bulb shows out on the dash on occasion but when I checked both bulbs light up fine.
 

Curmudgeon

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2014 1500 Laramie 4x4 QC, True Blue Pearl
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5.7L Hemi
I have this going on from time-to-time with my left front headlight. Also a 2014, factory projectors with halogen bulbs.
I asked my dealer to check it and replace if necessary. It's not bad enough to change the light output but I was concerned about rust or corrosion over time, degrading the lamp.

Instead the dealer told me to use the headlights on every drive, day and night, and it would eventually dry out. I might have thought they would have replaced the unit and take the profit.

I ran the headlights as suggested and it eventually dried out. Since then it has fogged up two more times, then dried out again.

I haven't noticed the tails but will look now. My truck came with the factory LED turns and tails so I don't see the benefit of leaving them on to dry out. On my units I can at least remove the whole rear lamp assembly and I can still remove the reverse bulb to access that chamber.

It is easy enough to remove it from the truck. Might want to try that, see what kind of access you have from all sides. Worst case scenario, prior to simply waiting it out or replacing it, check your kitchen oven? Ours has a convection option and it is digital so I can set it as low as 120F, hardly enough to cause damage from the kind of heat folks see in Texas and Arizona, but I would hope the oven is accurate and consistent.

Exercise caution. Some of my ideas can be whacky, and like many, this plan is not without risks. ;)
 

tron67j

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Drying out a light no matter how it is done does not fix the seal problem. The natural process of the light assembly cavity warming up allows more moisture to be captured in that void. Then when the air in the assembly cools down the moisture condenses and builds up in the light assembly.

If you can take the assembly off seal up the lightbulb openings and immerse in water and look for bubbles. Then fix that area up. If nothing found, it is the seal at the light socket that needs replacement.
 

mikeru

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It's likely that the contacts for the back up bulb are corroded because of the moisture in the tail light, causing an intermittent problem. But why waste your time trying to fix the leak then trace down a possible electrical issue? Replacements are less than $40 each if we're talking about incandescent tail lights.

 
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14RAM1500BG

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Thanks for the help. BTW, How good is the quality on those ebay replacements? Never used them. I will try on putting it in water and see it I can locate the leak. . I may try Permatex flowable windshield sealer on it if I find a leak . I will check the bulb contacts while it is apart. Thanks
 

EagleChief

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I know this doesn't help the moisture getting into the housing, but could help alleviate the buildup of water inside the housing.

Take a very small drill bit and drill a hole in the lowest portion of the housing. This would allow the water to drip out and help prevent the pooling of water inside the housing.
 

jawzs2

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My right side on my 2014 was leaking, there is a hole in the top of the lamp that was supposed to be covered by a piece of what felt like fabric. It had come loose and wasn't sealed. I just put a dab of silicone on it to seal it up and it's been fine ever since. You can see what I'm referring to in the second pic in this for sale thread, the blue dot on top.

 
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