Taillight Condensation

kingjohn · Mar 23, 2009

Hi guys, I've searched but can't seem to find anything about this. Does anyone know if you can get into the taillight to dry out condensation as the dealer who is trying a warranty claim thinks it's a sealed unit. I would have thought you could get the bulb out to push a tea bag in to dry it out, but on looking at the back of the light it doesn't look that simple.

Any advice gratefully received.

John

windymiller · Mar 23, 2009

my rear light and sometimes rear indicators do the same:dunno

Rage Rider · Mar 23, 2009

windymiller said:
my rear light and sometimes rear indicators do the same:dunno

Mine too, and my clocks on occaision. I just thought it was one of the RSV's little quirks as it seems pretty common from what I can gather. It happens whether it's stood still or if I go for a ride, even in the dry, which is odd. Personally I wasn't too worried as nothing seems damaged or stopped working yet but it probably isn't a good thing and it'd be better if it was sorted I guess as moisture in supposedly sealed units is not a good thing.

Interesting it may be a warranty issue but I can almost garauntee that my local dealer wouldn't touch it with a mile long barge pole!

teddy staff · Mar 23, 2009

how about the little packets of incadesent u get with certen electrical items u buy which whickes away the moisture mite be all right if bike was laid up for a while but could be seen as potential fire hazard if left in & u use the lights due to heat from bulb belive me theres some fair old heat are buses are suposed to run with lights on all day when we have dashes out to replace instrument bulbs u can see what the heat does to circuit board and bulb holders for being on so long

kingjohn · Mar 24, 2009

Windymiller - the indicator lenses come off with a small allen key, so you can seal the edges with vaseline - problem solved.

Rage rider - your dealer can't refuse to carry out warranty work. If they do then give Aprilia UK a call, they'll sort it out. SP motorcycles in Exeter tried mine, but it's just out of warranty.

Teddy - the sachets of silica stuff would work great, but tea bags are good (and they come with a built in bit of string to pull tem out).

John

andirsv1 · Mar 24, 2009

kingjohn said:
Windymiller - the indicator lenses come off with a small allen key, so you can seal the edges with vaseline - problem solved.

Rage rider - your dealer can't refuse to carry out warranty work. If they do then give Aprilia UK a call, they'll sort it out. SP motorcycles in Exeter tried mine, but it's just out of warranty.

Teddy - the sachets of silica stuff would work great, but tea bags are good (and they come with a built in bit of string to pull tem out).

John

Really good ideas John........but should we really have to resort to these type of measures for modern bikes??????:dunno:dunno

kingjohn · Mar 24, 2009

andirsv said:
Really good ideas John........but should we really have to resort to these type of measures for modern bikes??????:dunno:dunno

No, we shouldn't and that's what the warranty is for. It's just a shame mine decided to wait until it had expired....

These are cosmetic things in my mind and not something I'd get excited about, not like a structural fault (dodgy swingarm anyone??)

John

windymiller · Mar 24, 2009

I have pissed about a bit before with them, but now just dry them when needed, n dealers seem to just fob you off, (lives too short)
cheers:thumbup

kawasakiinit · Mar 25, 2009

kingjohn said:
Hi guys, I've searched but can't seem to find anything about this. Does anyone know if you can get into the taillight to dry out condensation as the dealer who is trying a warranty claim thinks it's a sealed unit. I would have thought you could get the bulb out to push a tea bag in to dry it out, but on looking at the back of the light it doesn't look that simple.

Any advice gratefully received.

John

john the unit is a sealed led set up (no heat)
the rear indicators get wet and one of mine suffered with water ingress and all the silver coating came off on the reflector part behind the clear cover to reveal black plastic ?. not the desired effect eh.

as for the rear light they all do it, my mate just took delivery of an 08 on 09 plate brand new out of the van no miles and there it was misted up ??

i thought of drilling a small hole in from where the wires go in and sitting it on the boiler in the house over night to get the moisture out and then silicone it up whilst still warm never got round to it yet.

kingjohn · Mar 25, 2009

Ah, I feared as much. It is a little annoying, but not something I'll lose any sleep over - was just pondering it as I had some time on my hands last week....

John

Rage Rider · Mar 25, 2009

kingjohn said:
Windymiller - the indicator lenses come off with a small allen key, so you can seal the edges with vaseline - problem solved.

Rage rider - your dealer can't refuse to carry out warranty work. If they do then give Aprilia UK a call, they'll sort it out. SP motorcycles in Exeter tried mine, but it's just out of warranty.

Teddy - the sachets of silica stuff would work great, but tea bags are good (and they come with a built in bit of string to pull tem out).

John

You are totally right but unfortunately my local dealer is not the dealer I bought it from and so they rightly or wrongly politely tell me to piss off back to Taz Motorcycles in Peterborough where I bought it to do any warranty work. Apparently the subsidies they get for warranty work are so poor it almost costs them money and they don't have the benefit of having sold the bike to me to soften the blow for them. Although I did go and see them and said if they can match the Taz price I'll buy it from them but they didn't get close. Oh well , can't say I didn't give them a chance.

I understand their point on some level but it's annoying as a customer because in my eyes a dealer represents the company and it's products regardless of where the dealer is and if they've sold you the bike or not. In an ideal world.....etc etc. Don't get me started on the dealer thing.

Back to the topic in hand, to be fair Taz are happy to do whatever warranty work I want really as I bought the bike new from them last September but I live in Southampton and to be honest I can't be arsed to go up to Peterborough for a misty tail light so I guess I've only got my own lazy self to blame. However should I need to go to Peterborough at all, or could I go to the official Aprilia dealer 7 miles from my home. You would think so. Definitely won't be getting my RSV4 Factory from them.....yer right.....I wish!

kawasakiinit · Mar 26, 2009

Rage Rider said:
You are totally right but unfortunately my local dealer is not the dealer I bought it from and so they rightly or wrongly politely tell me to piss off back to Taz Motorcycles in Peterborough where I bought it to do any warranty work. Apparently the subsidies they get for warranty work are so poor it almost costs them money and they don't have the benefit of having sold the bike to me to soften the blow for them. Although I did go and see them and said if they can match the Taz price I'll buy it from them but they didn't get close. Oh well , can't say I didn't give them a chance.

I understand their point on some level but it's annoying as a customer because in my eyes a dealer represents the company and it's products regardless of where the dealer is and if they've sold you the bike or not. In an ideal world.....etc etc. Don't get me started on the dealer thing.

Back to the topic in hand, to be fair Taz are happy to do whatever warranty work I want really as I bought the bike new from them last September but I live in Southampton and to be honest I can't be arsed to go up to Peterborough for a misty tail light so I guess I've only got my own lazy self to blame. However should I need to go to Peterborough at all, or could I go to the official Aprilia dealer 7 miles from my home. You would think so. Definitely won't be getting my RSV4 Factory from them.....yer right.....I wish!

i bought mine from kjm superbikes in wigan (wrightington) and they did warranty work on my brembo masters clutch and brake leaking in the first 400 miles from new ? and then rocket center in blackburn did my clocks for me after the tide came in inside them :dunno my clocks have now melted due to after market screen apparently so steve(rockets) is gonna try and get me replacement face even though its out of warranty last june.cant slag either company really . sounds like the dealer close to you is very short sighted as one day you will buy another bike .....

Rage Rider · Mar 27, 2009

kawasakiinit said:
i bought mine from kjm superbikes in wigan (wrightington) and they did warranty work on my brembo masters clutch and brake leaking in the first 400 miles from new ? and then rocket center in blackburn did my clocks for me after the tide came in inside them :dunno my clocks have now melted due to after market screen apparently so steve(rockets) is gonna try and get me replacement face even though its out of warranty last june.cant slag either company really . sounds like the dealer close to you is very short sighted as one day you will buy another bike .....

Sounds like you've had much better experiences than I have with dealers other than the one you bought your bike from. The dealer near me, who shall remain nameless, is a small dealer and a bit old fashioned in some respects, one of which being "you didn't buy the bike from us so we're not going to fix it." I had an issue with my tail unit/seats and even got an Aprilia rep on the case and he agreed with me and said it needed to be done by the dealer and they eventually did it but so begrudgingly it was unreal. Bordered on outright rude and made me feel like a real nuisance.

Anyway the upshot is that I will NEVER buy a bike or pretty much anything from, or recommend them unless they change their attitude and/or management. I may or may not get my servicing done there for convienience but I'll ponder that when the time comes as there's another dealer about 40 miles away but I don't know what they are like.

Anyway good luck getting your new clocks. Incidentally when you said the tide came in in your clocks, did they genuinely fill up or just have lots of condensation as I sometimes have the latter. My bike's kept outside under a cover and it usually occurs after it rains and then as it dries out under the cover the condensation appears in clocks and lights etc. Also had it happen on my GSXR750 K6 but rarely and never to the same degree.

Nadz · Mar 27, 2009

Rage Rider said:
I may or may not get my servicing done there for convienience but I'll ponder that when the time comes as there's another dealer about 40 miles away but I don't know what they are like.

Do you mean Wareham as the one 40 miles away ? If so i bought my bike from a guy near london and not from a dealer at all, and the guys in wareham have no problems at all with any work i would want to have done. I rate the service of these guys :doug

Rage Rider · Apr 1, 2009

Nadz said:
Do you mean Wareham as the one 40 miles away ? If so i bought my bike from a guy near london and not from a dealer at all, and the guys in wareham have no problems at all with any work i would want to have done. I rate the service of these guys :doug

Sorry I forgot about this post until now! And yes I do mean the one in Wareham. Think I might be paying them a visit soon to check them out but it's good to hear that you rate them as the one near me doesn't have a clue about good customer service sadly and dare I say fulfilling their responsibilities as an Aprilia Dealer! Subsequently I'm reluctant to give them any more of my cash so I need a plan B and the chaps in Wareham must just be the ticket!

Whereabouts in Weymouth are you Nadz?

Nadz · Apr 1, 2009

Near Redlands if you know the area

Rage Rider · Apr 2, 2009

Nadz said:
Near Redlands if you know the area

Ah ok, I sort of now it vaguley, either way not too far though. You never know our paths may cross in the future.

Rage Rider · Apr 2, 2009

Nadz said:
Near Redlands if you know the area

Ah ok, I sort of now it vaguley, either way not too far though. You never know our paths may cross in the future.

Not sure why this turned twice, oh well.

Taillight Condensation

Help Support Aprilia Forum:

kingjohn

Guest

windymiller

Guest

Rage Rider

teddy staff

kingjohn

Guest

andirsv1

kingjohn

Guest

windymiller

Guest

kawasakiinit

Guest

kingjohn

Guest

Rage Rider

kawasakiinit

Guest

Rage Rider

Nadz

Rage Rider

Nadz

Rage Rider

Rage Rider

Similar threads

New Posts