Acura 02-06 RSX DC5 Taillight Gaskets 33502-S6M-A11/06335-S6M-305

Genuine Acura RSX Taillight Gaskets - 2002-2006 (DC5)

If you've got water in your trunk on an RSX, the taillight gaskets are one of the first places to look. These are the neoprene foam seals between your taillight housing and the body, and after twenty-plus years they compress permanently, harden, and stop sealing. Water finds its way past, runs down inside the quarter panel, and ends up in your spare tire well. These are the genuine Acura replacements, and swapping them is one of the more satisfying fixes on this car because the problem actually goes away.

Order The Right Ones For Your Year

This is the part to get right, because 02-04 and 05-06 cars use different gaskets and the later cars need side-specific parts.

The 05-06 cars use side-specific gaskets because Acura added an adhesive backing to help them stay put on the taillight during installation. That's why there's a left and a right rather than one part covering both.

All of these are sold individually. If you've got an 02-04 and you're doing both sides, order two of the same part number. If you've got an 05-06, order one of each. It's an easy thing to get wrong at checkout, so count before you click.

Why Trunk Leaks Start Here

Worth understanding, because people chase these leaks in the wrong places for a long time. The taillight housing bolts to the body with this foam gasket compressed in between, and that gasket is the only thing standing between road spray and the inside of your quarter panel.

Neoprene foam does that job well when it's new. Over two decades of heat cycling and constant compression, it takes a permanent set, loses its springiness, and no longer fills the gap. Water gets past, runs down the inside of the panel, and collects in the lowest point it can find, which on an RSX is usually the spare tire well.

The frustrating part is that it's rarely obvious. You don't see water at the taillight, you see it in the trunk, so people replace weatherstripping and check the hatch seal and never think to look at the taillights. If your trunk is damp and you haven't checked these, check these.

Doing It Right

The job itself is straightforward, but a few minutes of care makes the difference between fixed and mostly fixed.

Get the taillight out and remove every trace of the old gasket, including any residue left on the body or the housing. Old compressed foam tends to leave crumbly bits behind and a new gasket won't seal over them. Clean both surfaces properly before you fit the new one.

Also worth doing while you're in there: check the drain holes and seams in that area and clear anything blocking them, and take a look at your taillight housing for cracks. A cracked lens will leak regardless of how good your gasket is. And once it's back together, test it with a hose before you call the job done, since finding out after the next rainstorm means doing it twice.

Use The Genuine Part

On a seal, fit is everything. These are cut to the exact shape and thickness Acura designed for the housing, which is what lets them compress evenly and seal all the way around. A generic foam gasket that's close but not right will leave gaps at the corners, which is exactly where water finds its way in.

Given that these cost very little and the alternative is a wet trunk, mildew, and eventually rust, the genuine part is the obvious call.

Fitment

• 2002-2004 Acura RSX - 33502-S6M-A11 (either side)
• 2005-2006 Acura RSX - 06335-S6M-305 (passenger)
• 2005-2006 Acura RSX - 06336-S6M-305 (driver)

Fits Base and Type-S. Sold individually.

Who Should Grab These

This is for the RSX owner who's found water in the trunk and is working through the possible sources, and for anyone restoring or refreshing a DC5 who'd rather replace twenty-year-old foam before it becomes a problem. It's a cheap part doing an important job, and letting a leak go long enough means dealing with mildew and rust instead of a gasket. Count what you need, get them in, and keep the water outside where it belongs.

Fits: 2002-2006 Acura RSX (DC5), Base and Type-S. Part numbers: 33502-S6M-A11 (2002-2004, either side), 06335-S6M-305 (2005-2006 passenger), 06336-S6M-305 (2005-2006 driver). Material: neoprene foam. Type: genuine Acura taillight gasket. Sold: individually, order two per car.