2000outback Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I just bought a used rear light panel for the back of my Outback as mine is cracked and leaking.I got the whole panel with the sockets and wiring.I want to reseal it before I install it.What is the best/easiest method for removing the lens side of the unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 I just did a search on this forum and now I'm even more confused.Where is the sealant that fails and allows water in?The part I have is in one piece and has a back part that houses the light sockets and a front piece that the lights shine through.Do these pieces come apart and you reseal between them our do you reseal this whole thing to the liftgate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 doesn't come apart (at least the Impreza didn't) IF it's like the IMP, the plastic lens ASSEMBLY (2 piece - inner black, outer red/clear but you can't take it apart - or at least not the IMP - I tried) is literally GLUED onto the sheet metal from the OUTSIDE and held on with between 3 and 5 nuts on long shafts (on the IMP I found 4, plus another that was probably supposed to be removed but the plastic pulled out of the shaft so I just put it back the same way - it didn't appear to be holding it, just positioning it) - the "glue" is a thick sealant not really a "glue" I got some 1/4 inch width butyl rubber windshield sealant and put a pass around the plastic where the "old" sealant was. IF you don't get all of the old sealant off, don't worry - the new sealant will stick to the old quite easily and seal. IF you use the butyl, it will be "difficult" to get out later but it WILL be sealed. Others mentioned using a hair dryer to heat up the sealant before trying to push the light assembly off of the car. Soften it up a bit and make it easier to get out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 So what stops the water from getting into the housing.I thought the lens would have to be resealed to the black backing piece.I don't have the old one off yet but this new one I bought has no residue on it from any sealant.It does have some foam gasket material around the ends where the actual lights are.The good news is all of the mounting studs are all there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 as near as I can tell the whole thing is glued together. 2 pieces probably ultrasonic welded. IF you want to / need to put a bead of silicone around the joint on the top and down the sides (not to likely to need it on the bottom) I tried to take apart the IMP tail light assy but didn't have any luck and I wasn't about to "break it" It had been collecting water down from the bad seal - the body to lens seal - and was it's own little swimming pool. The water had been coming into the lens thru the backup light plastic fitting (down the hatch, over the lens, thru the sealant that had been "poked", down the black inside of the lens and into the bulb access. - I suspect it had been leaking for months and in Washington, we are a "bit damp" in the winter ) I was trying to clean the backup light lens - finally gave up and swashed around a towel on a chopstick and dried it. Where it is now, it doesn't matter - PHOENIX - hot and dry (my sister's not mine - I just did all the work) You need to get the sealant - don't worry, just put the new sealant on the same places that are on the lens that's in there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 as near as I can tell the whole thing is glued together. 2 pieces probably ultrasonic welded. IF you want to / need to put a bead of silicone around the joint on the top and down the sides (not to likely to need it on the bottom) I tried to take apart the IMP tail light assy but didn't have any luck and I wasn't about to "break it" It had been collecting water down from the bad seal - the body to lens seal - and was it's own little swimming pool. The water had been coming into the lens thru the backup light plastic fitting (down the hatch, over the lens, thru the sealant that had been "poked", down the black inside of the lens and into the bulb access. - I suspect it had been leaking for months and in Washington, we are a "bit damp" in the winter ) I was trying to clean the backup light lens - finally gave up and swashed around a towel on a chopstick and dried it. Where it is now, it doesn't matter - PHOENIX - hot and dry (my sister's not mine - I just did all the work) You need to get the sealant - don't worry, just put the new sealant on the same places that are on the lens that's in there now. I don't mean tio be a pain in the butt but did yours have this foam tape on it.Is that what you took off and replaced with butyl tape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 sticky like glue strip. Not tape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-fleet-feet Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 If yours (either the old one or the new one) has FOAM tape on it, that's why it's leaking. Foam tape is worthless for these tail lights. You really do need the butyl if you're doing it yourself. Do it once and it's done. You can get it pretty easily if you go into a windshield repair place and ask (beg, grovel, whatever works) for a yard of it. We used 1/4" and it worked just fine. If all they have is something wider than 1/2" I think it will work, but you'll have the bear of a time getting it all tightened down without having excess goop up everything. Not every place sitll uses the butyl; I found it in Washington pretty easily because we get a 'lot' of rain. I got mine for free, but you may have to fork over a couple dollars. Search for 'butyl' or look a couple pages back - aircraft-engineer gave complete instructions on how to replace a tail light with the butyl within the last month. (found it - here you go! Post #5 ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 it was HER IMP I was working on ^ post above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 Okay.Thanks everyone.I'm going to try to replace it this weekend.Mine has about 7 or more studs holding it on.The nice part is I'm not to worried about the one I'm taking off as I have a new one to go back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 Well I changed it today.What I found when I took the old one out was not what was descibed here.It was put together the same as the used one I bought .It had foam tape around the tailight housing the got pinched between the liftgate sheetmetal and the plastic of the housing..Also I noticed the around the taillight housing was a raised ridge of plastic on which the foam tape was placed.The only reason I mention this was in another thread I read on here about this someone said they placed two rows of butyl tape side by side around each side of the tailight housing and on both of mine that would have been impossible. So I put a layer of tape around each housing on the plastic ridge I descibed and one around each hole in the sheetmetal on the liftgate so that they atually met and formed the seal.It tighten up well and when I looked through the liftgate out towards the housing it looked as if it was well sealed.I hope this worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000outback Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 Well,I've washed it twice and no water problems so I think it's fixed. Thanks to everyone for all your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 The butyl was on an IMPREZA - 97 wagon L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now