Why do only the right rear lenses fade?

[sdg3205]

And only the amber portions at that?!

It's always confused me. Perhaps I've missed some left ones that were faded but all I've seen are right rear faded amber ones.

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?t=4905

Here's a thread I started about reprinting them last summer.

[Jonathan]

My guess is it would trace back to a bad batch of plastic resin or colouring or whatever. Not likely we ever put a statistical analysis on it to show which VINs were affected, but I think something in the manufacturing of them likely led to it. I can't see there being anything related to how your car is facing relative to the sun, or even heat or UV rays or whatever within the car that would cause only one side to fade. That's my theory anyway. What do you think, Dave?

[sdg3205]

I'm honestly not sure. It seems like the materials would all be the same, and the process automated, which leads me to think a flaw in the automated process resulted in all right amber portions being at risk, but some unknown variable acting as the catalyst for the fade, hence only being on a small portion of cars.

[Lukas]

Recent photos of both lenses faded, and one lens faded:

Julee actually commented on this when they were in town for the DMCMW tech day. She'd seen it on both lenses. I think it's just a bad batch of amber colouring.

Personal observation is that it seems to happen on higher mileage cars - the one with faded lenses on both sides has 60000 miles

Probably not related to VIN - in Brisbane we have a 5000's, 6000's and 10000's VIN affected.

1779617797

[kings1527]

And only the amber portions at that?!

It's always confused me. Perhaps I've missed some left ones that were faded but all I've seen are right rear faded amber ones.

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?t=4905

Here's a thread I started about reprinting them last summer.

I'm not sure how true it is, but I heard a rumor that there was a problem with the UV coating on a large batch of lenses on the amber side. To my knowledge, mine are original and I haven't had any issues.

[flux3d]

I've always thought it must have something to do with the UV fastness of the pigment used in the amber sections of the tailights. Different pigments or colours react differently to UV, with shorter wavelength colours tending to react quicker and fade. Think about a photograph that's been left in the sun. After a while my the longer wavelengths colours, such as blue and purple, are left, with shorter wavelength colours such as red and amber tones fading. Mind you, in saying that the red part of the lenses should be more likely to react, but I'd put my money on the pigment used in the amber sections as being the culprit. It's probably just not as UV safe as the red. Maybe knowing that red is more likely to fade they added UV protectors to the mix, but didn't to the amber. Hence it fading quicker.