Marker light gaskets

mojo · 05-20-2007, 05:13 AM

I have noticed a lot of continuous condensation inside my marker lights. Upon opening, I found a lot of corrosion on the bulbs and sockets and the mounting screws are all rusted. And this is on a 2004. The gaskets are dried and shrunken.

So I called JC to get the name of the vendor to see if I could contact them to request new gaskets, but JC said call a dealer and order all new lights. I think not. I don't need 11 new marker lights.

Has anyone had similar problem and found a solution? I googled for neoprene rubber gasket material, but all I found was distributor sites selling 50' rolls.

GlenCoombe · 05-20-2007, 05:22 AM

MoJo, I'm not familiar with the lights on the newer TT. However on the classic MoHo they are not gasketed as they need to breathe. Each lens has a notch on the bottom with the old double bull type. This allows moisture to exit the bottom.
I did have to Vulkem the housings to keep water from entering the wire holes but that didn't have anything to do with the lenses. Good luck on your search, try a local hobby store for closed cell sheets.

lewster · 05-20-2007, 06:05 AM

Mojo,

Your lights are leaking thru the screws that hold them to the back plate, as well as the gasket. I had the same problem with my '06 CCD. You should replace the gaskets AND add an o-ring to the retaining screw. There is a fix for this; check the Classifieds for a kit that replaces the screws with stainless ones and o-rings.

I have some silicone sheet that makes great gasket material. PM me if you need some. Or, you might check at NAPA.

frozen chosen · 05-28-2007, 03:21 PM

I have done all this, using new gaskets that AS supplied, o-rings, and SS screws. After doing this I have not found any improvement. I don't know what to tell you, as nothing I have tried has worked. Any new suggestions would be very welcome.

Kistler · 05-28-2007, 03:37 PM

Mojo, this is sorta tongue-in-cheek, but here in Tucson we have what we call DRY heat....... We are not troubled with rust and condensation

and my vehicles stay clean....except for some dust.

You would find our community (Oro Valley) pleasant for shopping and there are many transplants here.

I don't work for the Chamber of Commerce!

SilverCottage · 05-28-2007, 04:15 PM

I had a lot of condensation in all 11 lights on my Safari 27FB. On half the lights I took off the colored lens and traced the pattern on a sheet of $1 foam from the Walmart craft department. Each light took about 30 seconds to cut with scissors and you can probably get 20 gaskets out of one sheet.

I then put the new foam gasket plus the original foam gasket and the o-rings and stainless steel washers on the screws and it seems to have made a huge difference.

After going through rain and a wash, the lights I had modified seemed to be much dryer than the "factory" lights. I don't know how long the foam sheet will last but it was nice and snug when I tightened it up. The foam sheet sure did not seem any thinner than the factory gasket.