Opening Tailights

Opening Tailights

I tried to look for a thread on this but had no luck. I thought I had seen it here before. It just recently rained prety hard here in S.Cali about a month ago and one of my tailights practicaly became a fish tank. I've heard of using a heat gun or even the oven to melt the glue or whatever it is to open the tailights. If someone could give me a walkthrough or a website on how to go about doing this I would really apreciate it. Thanks.

I got the altezas. Yeah, I should of put that silicone stuff when I first got them but now I have to see if I can still save them cause it's kind of embarrassing driving around like that. I guess for now I'll have to put back my originals but I still want to try and get the water out. any suggestion anybody?

what kind of altezzas do you have? chrome, black, gun metal? if they are depo brands, then they're no good, they really need 2 be sealed before installing, them, that's what taiwan aftermarket parts do... i encountered the same problem before, mine is even chrome finish, luckily i was able to save them... if you've got the CF style, then dry them using a vaccum and then seal all of the possible areas where water could pass through...

Yeah, I got the cf ones. So you think I should just try to pry them open just enough to get the water out, using a vacuum also. Then seal them. Well, i'll let you guys know how it went. Thanks guys.

forget about openning them bro, you'll make it worse, just use a dual vacuum, d one dat sucks air or emits air and try as much as possible to drain them, long as the CF finish is not messed up like what chrome ones usually do, you'll be fine... once dried, just seal em really good, not only on the edges, but the inner part of the tails as well, where you could fins possible gateways for water to pass through like the sidings of the backlight slots and the factory sealed joints and clips... luckily for you, you have the CF finish than chrome, mine really sucks, i do want to change them in the future...

I'll try all of this. The only time I have to do this would be on Monday but I'll let you guys know how it goes. But in the mean time, don't be shy on any other ideas. Thanks.

Hair dryer and some silicon.

My thoughts exactly. But not just a hair dryer. It needs to be one equipped with a cooling button. Turn it on regular drying first to dry out what's left of the water after trying to drain it. Then turn it on cooling to rid of the fog effect. This is by far the fastest and more efficient way of doing it. Depending on the amount of water left in there after draining, it should only take you an hr or two tops to dry. And if it's just fog, then the cooling setting of a hair dryer will clear that up in a matter of a few seconds. No need to leave it overnight. Or buy a new vac.

That is about the wildest idea I have heard yet. How did you even concoct such an idea?

I did it. I drained all the water out, as much as possible anyway, and with the hair dryer in the regular hot position i took care of the rest of the water. after a while, i put in the cool position and took care of the fog. there was a lot of, well not that much but, dirt left over. luckly i have the cf ones so you cant tell that much but i'm happy with the results. now i just have to seal them. what do i use again? clear silicon? what was that stuff again?