Water In My Trunk On The Side Of Disc Changer....... What Do I Do....

[Mrs.Munoz 96 ES300]

I am so nervous about what to do about my trunk. The water gets in from underneath, I got it out before too much accumalated but ever since then my disc changer hasnt been reading discs the same as before. I'm really frustrated and just thinking about putting an aftermarket cd player in. Does anyone know how to fix the trunk problem and are the two problems related.? Also does anyone know how much it would be to do the aftermarket player? Help please.......

[gbhrps]

Water seldomly gets into the trunk from underneath unless the car has been in a flood. The usual culprits are the seals around the tail lights, the trunk lid seal, the rear windshield, or a faulty rear drain tube from the sunroof. The only way to know for sure is to pull the rear carpets and side panels, have someone get into the trunk with a flashlight, close the trunk lid, and have someone outside of the car systematically pour water from a garden hose over the rear of the car. Start at the tail lights, running the water over the lenses, pausing long enough for results to be seen inside the car. If nothing shows up, progress to the trunk lid, then the rear windshield, and finally the sunroof. As for the CD changer, a repair depot may find that all it needs is to have the reading lens cleaned. Unless water has badly corroded or shorted out the changer's interior workings, it may be cheaper to repair the unit rather than replace it. Finding a replacement unit that is compatible with your dash radio may be a problem. You might try eBay for a used unit, particularly for a 13 year old car. Good Luck!

[Mrs.Munoz 96 ES300]

I am so nervous about what to do about my trunk. The water gets in from underneath, I got it out before too much accumalated but ever since then my disc changer hasnt been reading discs the same as before. I'm really frustrated and just thinking about putting an aftermarket cd player in. Does anyone know how to fix the trunk problem and are the two problems related.? Also does anyone know how much it would be to do the aftermarket player? Help please.......

Ok thank you very much for your help, where can get the lens cleaner????? ok so it was the tail light thing, how do i fix that? because my car had been hit on that side and ever since then my tail light has been loose. So what is the most cost effective way to take care of the light to get it back into place?

[WMalik]

Ok thank you very much for your help, where can get the lens cleaner????? ok so it was the tail light thing, how do i fix that? because my car had been hit on that side and ever since then my tail light has been loose. So what is the most cost effective way to take care of the light to get it back into place?

If you know and see the lens a Swab with ALcohol will work. I have succesfully clean with Nail Polish remover but it has too much sprit in it so I suggest Alcohol that you can purchase a 8-10 Oz. bottle for around a dollar and use cotton or swab with it. Only if you can see the lens that use to read the discs.

For sealing your trunk

The best and something anyone can do is the Silicone caulking that you can buy from any DIY shop like Home Depot and Lowes. Buy the one that is easy to apply or buy a caulking gun to dispence it. Most silicone caulking are water proof and for out door use but look for it that says out door. If it is like for a trunk then apply it and then put Saran Wrap and close the door or Trunk Lid this way it wont stick to the door and form a seal according to the shape. Once dry remove the wrapper

[gbhrps]

If your tail light assembly has been damaged (cracked/pieces missing/attachment bolts broken from the plastic) or the sheet metal where the tail light attaches is bent/torn or misshapen in any way, I would suggest that you get a replacement tail light assembly and repair/straighten the sheet metal. You will most likely never be able to keep the water out otherwise. A used tail light assembly from a local auto wrecker or from eBay is your cheapest route (short of stealing one). If the sheet metal is damaged, you are best to see a body shop for repairs. As for cleaning the disk changer lens (that's assuming that this is the problem) again you are best taking the unit to a repair shop unless you know what you're doing. To get at the lens you'll have to remove the unit from the car and open its case. At that point an electronics tech person should be able to tell you instantly if the water has ruined the changer. If the unit isn't full of water and corrosion it may be able to clean the lens very carefully with a Q tip dipped in the same alcohol that you would use for cleaning eye glasses. Use a stronger liquid and you could melt the lens. If you're a confident do-it-yourselfer then go for it. If not you are best leaving the problems to someone who knows what they are doing.

[Mrs.Munoz 96 ES300]

If your tail light assembly has been damaged (cracked/pieces missing/attachment bolts broken from the plastic) or the sheet metal where the tail light attaches is bent/torn or misshapen in any way, I would suggest that you get a replacement tail light assembly and repair/straighten the sheet metal. You will most likely never be able to keep the water out otherwise. A used tail light assembly from a local auto wrecker or from eBay is your cheapest route (short of stealing one). If the sheet metal is damaged, you are best to see a body shop for repairs. As for cleaning the disk changer lens (that's assuming that this is the problem) again you are best taking the unit to a repair shop unless you know what you're doing. To get at the lens you'll have to remove the unit from the car and open its case. At that point an electronics tech person should be able to tell you instantly if the water has ruined the changer. If the unit isn't full of water and corrosion it may be able to clean the lens very carefully with a Q tip dipped in the same alcohol that you would use for cleaning eye glasses. Use a stronger liquid and you could melt the lens. If you're a confident do-it-yourselfer then go for it. If not you are best leaving the problems to someone who knows what they are doing.

Ok, now my biggest question is how do i disconect the light from the car, like how does the light come off? Is it a difficult task? Also I talk to some of the local audio sellers and they told me there is really no good way around my disc changer. They suggest getting the Navigational system that way I dont have to worry about that problem anymore. But I really would like to switch my changer to my glove box. Is there a way to do that?????

[Lexucan]

Ok, now my biggest question is how do i disconect the light from the car, like how does the light come off? Is it a difficult task? Also I talk to some of the local audio sellers and they told me there is really no good way around my disc changer. They suggest getting the Navigational system that way I dont have to worry about that problem anymore. But I really would like to switch my changer to my glove box. Is there a way to do that?????

Taking the taillight assembly out is easy. Just pull back the trunk lining and there are four nuts to remove, then pull the entire assembly away from the car. It might stick a little as there are four long screws going through holes in the trunk sheet metal, but just wiggle the assembly a bit as you pull and it should come loose. I've done it many times to replace taillight bulbs.

here is a photo showing where the nuts are located:

If you find that your assembly is damaged, I very recently put an ad in the Clublexus.com classifieds forum for a 2nd generation left taillight assembly which should fit your car. Here is a link to the ad:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390204

It has a small chip in the plastic by the licence plate light, but it's very small and unnoticeable. (You'll see it in the pics of the assembly that I posted). The assembly does not leak at all.

As for your CD changer problem, I have the same changer and it sometimes had a hard time reading discs (especially CD-Rs that I recorded myself) so I bought a CD player cleaning disc at Best-Buy and it did the trick. You just run the disc in the player for about a minute and it cleans the laser head inside the player. I think it cost about $15 for the cleaning disc. You should be able to find one at any place that sells stereo equipment, or maybe Radio Shack. Of course the audio guys you talked to would tell you your CD changer is hooped and that you should buy one of their expensive in-dash navi systems instead. They'll make a lot more commission on a new $1000 system than they will on a $15 CD cleaning disc! :chairshot:

Hope this helps.

[Mrs.Munoz 96 ES300]

Ok, now my biggest question is how do i disconect the light from the car, like how does the light come off? Is it a difficult task? Also I talk to some of the local audio sellers and they told me there is really no good way around my disc changer. They suggest getting the Navigational system that way I dont have to worry about that problem anymore. But I really would like to switch my changer to my glove box. Is there a way to do that?????

Taking the taillight assembly out is easy. Just pull back the trunk lining and there are four nuts to remove, then pull the entire assembly away from the car. It might stick a little as there are four long screws going through holes in the trunk sheet metal, but just wiggle the assembly a bit as you pull and it should come loose. I've done it many times to replace taillight bulbs.

here is a photo showing where the nuts are located:

If you find that your assembly is damaged, I very recently put an ad in the Clublexus.com classifieds forum for a 2nd generation left taillight assembly which should fit your car. Here is a link to the ad:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390204

It has a small chip in the plastic by the licence plate light, but it's very small and unnoticeable. (You'll see it in the pics of the assembly that I posted). The assembly does not leak at all.

As for your CD changer problem, I have the same changer and it sometimes had a hard time reading discs (especially CD-Rs that I recorded myself) so I bought a CD player cleaning disc at Best-Buy and it did the trick. You just run the disc in the player for about a minute and it cleans the laser head inside the player. I think it cost about $15 for the cleaning disc. You should be able to find one at any place that sells stereo equipment, or maybe Radio Shack. Of course the audio guys you talked to would tell you your CD changer is hooped and that you should buy one of their expensive in-dash navi systems instead. They'll make a lot more commission on a new $1000 system than they will on a $15 CD cleaning disc! :chairshot:

Hope this helps.

OMG.... that was probably the best advice yet. Thank you. So much. One question about the light, how much do you think the shipping would be on that from where it is to Sacramento California. About the cd player, yeah it seems like there is a reading problem which would make sense as to why it wount play all the way through. And it is really just with the CD-R. So I'm definately going to do the cd cleaner you suggested. Thank you so much