Since LED lights must be sealed units, a warranty claim seems reasonable. But considering the strangeness of this incident, I can imagine a lot of head-scratching by the SA and the rest.
BHPian r2212xx recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Bizarre Mosquito Presence Inside Taillight
I was cleaning my car, 2021 Toyota Urban Cruiser, the other day and noticed a mosquito seemingly stuck to the rear reversing light. I tried flicking it, only to realise it was not on the outside but on the inside of the light housing. It was a strange sight, so I brought a torch for further inspection, only to discover a pile of dead mosquitoes in the reverse light housing and the attached red taillight section, with many collected at the lower end. Here are the pictures.
Most of the mosquitoes are stuck in the inner crease between the reverse light and the taillight. There is no effect on light function, and most of the mosquitoes are visible if one looks hard and from close range.
It was a bizarre sight. I checked the light for any breaks or cracks from where the mosquitoes could enter but found none. I blew air at the taillight unit to see if it would move the dead mosquitoes inside, but they wouldn’t budge, indicating there was no gap as such. I never noticed any condensation. I clean the car once a week with a rinseless wash spray, so I would have noticed any water ingress or condensation. These mosquitoes were not there earlier, so being sealed at the factory is ruled out.
Now, it is not uncommon to have insects inside taillights and headlights, but these are incidents one may not usually associate with LED lights, which are single, sealed units. Even if we assume that these lights still have some open vents tiny enough for insects to enter, I have never heard or read of a group of mosquitoes all getting trapped in only a particular segment of the taillight.
Being an entomology student while graduating in zoology, I have never read of this behaviour among mosquitoes. Ants are usually the top candidates for entering spaces in hordes, primarily due to their burrowing nature and their social plus migratory nature. Ants can also be attracted to fragrances and substances, such as waxes, which is also the case with cockroaches. However, this is not the case with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes tend to get attracted to spaces where human presence is or was there. Attraction towards bright light is also ruled out since my driving happens to be limited to sunlight hours. Moreover, the section of the taillight that is infested is not something that turns on frequently. The brake light and indicators are on the other panel, and those are the ones that most frequently switch on.
To summarise, it is strange for mosquitoes to behave this way. One thing I have learned is that consider anything to be a potential pest.
Besides sharing this strange event, I thought of potential actions and wanted to know members’ opinions.
- Claim warranty: Since LED lights must be sealed units, a warranty claim seems reasonable. But considering the strangeness of this incident, I can imagine a lot of head-scratching by the SA and the rest.
- Open and clean: This may potentially be more harmful since it may ruin the water tightness of the light. Nevertheless, if there is a genuinely safe way to do it, I am open to considering it.
- Leave it: After all, it is not impacting the light’s performance. Over time, the heat of the metal and sunlight will turn the insects into dust, which will be less noticeable.
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