tailight and water

sounds like the gasket isn't seated properly?

 

i guess you have to take it apart again, and make sure it is mating properly to the two surfaces. is it a gasket, or o-ring?

 

it's baffling. on the genII, you can change one or two bulbs from inside the hatch. but if the third one goes, you have to replace the whole assembly!

 

Both my taillight began to fill with water very badly so i drilled wholes in the bottom so the water could drain out.

 

Its not a gasket or o ring

 

well id imagine bc they want the money from us to have to buy the new assembly as apposed to just the gasket.
I know that people have taken apart the assembly to paint the back round, im waiting on responces right now to find out what they did to seal it back together bc i am interested in painting the inside of my lights

 

still under warrantee?

 

i wish.... i had called the dealership they said because of my miles that there is no way it would be covered i only have like 36k miles. Drilling the holes was super simple and cost nothing so atleast i didnt have to pay an arm and leg for a usable solution i guess.

To replace them they are around 100$ which i may still do anyway

 

something must be defective, or maybe it only happens after the lens has been removed?

 

for the longest time I put off buying a prius due to the short warrantee so when I found a couple of cheap older ones I jumped on them, I figured what do I have to lose..can always part them out and get most of my money back, I don't think Id buy a new one even though they run for ever..just a thought but have you tried resealing the window with silicone? I know the Gen 2's leak from cracks in the roof seams and fill the area by the 12 volt battery

 

My '86 Accord Hatchback collected water in the right taillight assembly when it got old. Removing the assembly, I found a small dent in the frame that seemed likely to have occurred in the manufacturing process, before painting. The gasket likely sealed it during the early years, but eventually stiffened with age and leaked. Numerous other local Accord hatchbacks of the same vintage appeared to have the same problem.

My solution was two parts: drill a pair of drain holes, as you just did, and make a duct tape 'roof' above the dent, bridging the gap from frame to lamp assembly. This tape bridge was at the base of the drain channel around the hatch opening, exposed when the hatch is open but hidden when closed. That car now lives just six blocks away, the guy finally has it over 300k miles, and this solution appears to still be working.

 

I have never removed it, this happened before thought about making any changes

 

has to be a defect then, there just aren't enough complaints here. too bad the dealer won't go the extra mile for you.

 

i thought the warranties were fairly standard (outside of the hybrid) what are you comparing to?

 

Ya they were kinda dicks, and it probably is a defect because i bought the car in San Diego where it never rains. Here in NY that is not the case, if i still lived there id probably never know the would fill up

 

right. there must be a product that works like silicone, but can be pulled apart. i wonder if toyota tech manual mentions anything.