'90 Tail light reflector?

[Guest zljim]

Hello everyone! New owner of a reatta here, and really happy to have found this site! Fixing up a few odds and ends on my 'new' 90, and I have a question...the reflector lens that is below the tail light assembly...is it possible to replace only the reflector lens? If so, I am looking for a drivers side lens. If there is anyone that is willing to part with one, please let me know.

Jim

[padgett]

Yes, it is a seperate piece. Jim or Steve may have one.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Yes I have that part. Does anybody have an idea why it is always the left side that is broken? I notice that often times the left side doesn't fit as well as the right.

[Rawja]

It also has more of a tendency to fill up with water.

[Ronnie]

It also has more of a tendency to fill up with water.

I'm going to have to take a closer look at mine... I thought it was a solid piece of plastic.

[Guest 90REATTALONG]

Can someone tell me how to remove the reflector len below the taillights on both sides, I believe I have water inside it, dark in color and when I'm on a hill the darken move around.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

The tail light must be removed. Plastic thumbscrews on the inside behind carpet. Once tailight is out there ar 4 or so 10 mm nuts on each reflector. This has nothing to do with water in the tailight.

[Ronnie]

Steve, can water get in the reflector?

[Jim]

I have been selling Reatta parts for about 11 years at reasonable prices. I do have a good reflector and can be reached at jfinn@cpinternet.com

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I dont think water can get into a reflector but i have seen them get enough dirt behind them that they appear dark. Taking them off and cleaning will cure that. I have completely disassembled the tailight/reflector assembly and cleaned the inside of the tailight lens then reassembled and sealed. A labor of love for a nice hot summer day.

[wws944]

One tip when removing the taillight assembly: Remove the license plate first - especially if you have a frame around the plate. Otherwise there is a lip on the bottom of the assembly which can get hung up on the top edge of the plate/frame.

[Jim]

As a guess, I would say about 1/4 of the reflectors get water in them if the car sits outside. The water gets in for the same reason dirt gets in. The red reflector is glued to the backing and the glue separates allowing water and dirt to get in. Anytime you are following a Reatta at night and one reflector is dark and not reflecting it has water in it. Stop and shake the back end of the car and you will see the water moving.

When this happens on my reflectors I drill an 1/8 inch hole in the bottom ends to allow the water to come out.

The main assembly can be taken apart as they have a sealer between the three sections but the reflectors are glued together and cannot be easily taken apart.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[Guest reatta1991]

My Reatta is a '91, not a '90, but the drivers' side reflector was just replaced because...yes, it had water in it! The dark 1/4" at the bottom flows from side to side as you move the reflector. (If it isn't water, I can't imagine what it would be!) Eventually I'll get motivated to drill some small drain holes at the bottom, then put it on the shelf for an emergency.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I have never seen a reflector with water in it. If water is routine in the reflector then the corrosion in the rest of the car must be extensive. It doesn't rain very much here so we dont have that problem.

[Jim]

It rains in Texas, it rains in Oklahoma, it rains in the Carolinas, it rains in Georgia. To assume because water gets in between two pieces of glued plastic that the rest of the car is rusty is just plain ----------------

Northern cars rust because they use salt on the roads. Where they do not use salt and even though it rains the cars do not rust. I have here Texas cars, Oklahoma cars Carolina cars and a 250,000 mile Georgia convertible and all are rust free and as a good underneath as any California car.

I was following George Madsen one night through Chicago and he was driving as nice a Select 60 as you will ever see and when we got to his home I pointed out his left reflector was dark. We then shook the rear of the car and you could see the water sloshing around inside.

There is an old saying, be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Jim (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Corrosion is a relative term. There are also different kinds of corrosion with rust being a generic term for the oxidation of Iron and Steel. All corrosion needs an electrolyte. Plain water is not as good an electrolyte as saltwater. Desert southwest cars seldom see water and never see salt. The humidity is also low here. Before I moved to California I had never seen a truly "rust free" car like Jim. When water gets between two pieces of plastic you can rest assured it got between two pieces of metal too. No rust holes doesn't mean corrosion free.

Generally speaking I don't see any rusty cars. I don't see cars with serious electrical gremlins which can be caused in part by corrosion in the wire harness.

A rustbelt definition of "rust free" and my definition of corrosion free are not even close. All depends on what you are used to seeing.

When it comes to knowing where water collects in a Reatta my hat is off to Jim. He has got me there. I have just never seen it in a Reatta.

[KDirk]

For the record,

I had water in my drivers side tail lamp reflector (not the lamp lens, but the red reflector underneath it) when I bought the car. I drilled some small holes and used a air gun to blow out the moisture. I then sealed around the edges (and the holes I drilled) with a clear elastomeric sealant to prevent further water intrusion.

I can easily see where this would occur, as the back half of the reflector is black plastic, molded to the front half (transparent red plastic) and the seams at the edges are not very well done. Since they are simply heat-pressed together, many years of expansion/contraction and vibration on the car can break the seal between the two halves. I believe they may also be dissimilar plastics (in composition).

Another issue related to this is the close out baffle (rubber strip) on either end of the tail lamp housing. If this is not seated correctly, water will get in around it. Note that all edges of the reflector must be water tight, including the bottom edge that sits atop the bumper filler panel. This is because water that gets into that seam between the reflector and the filler panel will actually "wick" upward into the reflector over time and fill it up again. I wouldn't have believed this, but it happened on my car.

I initially repaired the top and side edges with sealant, thinking that leaving the bottom open would provide a drain. I then discovered after a few car washes and rain storms, that the reflector was dark when light hit it about 3/8" from the bottom. Sealing the bottom edge has prevented a recurrence of this issue for well over a year now.

This also has nothing to do with rust or the condition of the body overall. My car's body is as solid and rust free as can be. As well, the parts involved (the reflector and the rear filler panel) are all plastic, thus water trapped in that spot will not cause rust. It will cause the reflector not to reflect, and it just looks bad at night when one shines when light hits it, and the other doesn't.

That is my experience with the issue, at any rate.

KDirk

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I went out this evening and looked at the car I just bought and low and behold the left reflector had a quarter inch of water too! I stand corrected.

In a cold climate this water would freeze and blow up that reflector, and in a warm climate it will mildew. Can't win.

[Rawja]

I drilled a few teeny-tiny holes in the bottom of the reflectors along the bottom seam with a dremel on my old '89 (off the car of course). Problem solved.

[Jim]

In a cold climate this water would freeze and blow up that reflector, and in a warm climate it will mildew. Can't win.

I tried but my efforts fell on deaf ears.

I have seen many many of these reflectors with water in them and in the cold weather they do not blow up. Most of the time nothing happens but sometimes when the water freezes it will separate a little more the red plastic front that is glued to the black plastic backing. This glued area has already separated a little and that is how the water got in there in the first place.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Well I guess my original question has been answered. Apparantly rain combined with below freezeing temperatures can damage our tailight reflectors. When I take mine off again I think I will drill drain holes like Roger did and attempt to reseal the joints with clear silicone. It is no wonder people call and ask for reflectors all the time. I generally dont see bad ones. It seldom rains or gets below freezing here.