changing brake light bulb
Re: changing brake light bulb
No shortcuts that I know of. Must remove about 10-12 plastic pop rivets that hold the lining of the trunk. Then remove the lining to access the tail light assembly. A mirror made the process of determining the location of the stop lamp assembly easier. After removing the assembly and changing the bulb (while standing on your head), you get to put it all back together again. I'm now waiting for the turn signal bulb to go out in the next couple of days so I can do it all again.
Re: changing brake light bulb
Originally Posted by glitch1221
No shortcuts that I know of. Must remove about 10-12 plastic pop rivets that hold the lining of the trunk. Then remove the lining to access the tail light assembly. A mirror made the process of determining the location of the stop lamp assembly easier. After removing the assembly and changing the bulb (while standing on your head), you get to put it all back together again. I'm now waiting for the turn signal bulb to go out in the next couple of days so I can do it all again.
Re: changing brake light bulb
The owners manual for the '05 Roadster says to open access panel, but in real life there is not one. Guess it was a change from '04. I removed all the rivets to ensure that I was not going to cause an unnatural crease in the cardboard lining by bending it to access the light bulb.
Re: changing brake light bulb
Originally Posted by glitch1221
The owners manual for the '05 Roadster says to open access panel, but in real life there is not one. Guess it was a change from '04. I removed all the rivets to ensure that I was not going to cause an unnatural crease in the cardboard lining by bending it to access the light bulb.
Re: changing brake light bulb
Those little doors on the coupe aren't so easy to get off. It's easier to push the door in towards the light fixture and then work it out through the opening than it is to follow the what the owners manual saysshich is lift up and pull out. YEA RIGHT!! I ended up cutting about a 1/4 inch off the tabs of the doors so they will be easier to get off the next time. What a pain in the tush!! I think the Roadster has the advantage on this one, even though you have to take out the plastic rivets.
Re: changing brake light bulb
Originally Posted by bigpapapuff
Those little doors on the coupe aren't so easy to get off. It's easier to push the door in towards the light fixture and then work it out through the opening than it is to follow the what the owners manual saysshich is lift up and pull out. YEA RIGHT!! I ended up cutting about a 1/4 inch off the tabs of the doors so they will be easier to get off the next time.
Re: changing brake light bulb
Hey fun seekers......had to replace the back tail light on my alabaster white 05 roadster...logged on to the always useful forum, and found a posting somewhere that suggested you lower the top just to the position where the tonneau cover is vertical and the rest of the top is hovering above the seating area, then look inside and you can see and change the bulb without alll the agony of removing plugs and contorting yourself out of shape to get at it from the trunk........well I at first thought it silly, but I tried it and, guess what, it worked.....so want to thank that Crossfire guy or gal for the suggestion...........oh and someone added that you must complete your replacement within 20 minutes or the top hydraulics start to give out.....that happened to me but didn't create a problem, as soon as it started I put the top up and then lowered it to the above verbalized position, and finished the job.............way easy good luck to all you wonderbar Crossfire people Ron
Re: changing brake light bulb
Hey fun seekers......had to replace the back tail light on my alabaster white 05 roadster...logged on to the always useful forum, and found a posting somewhere that suggested you lower the top just to the position where the tonneau cover is vertical and the rest of the top is hovering above the seating area, then look inside and you can see and change the bulb without alll the agony of removing plugs and contorting yourself out of shape to get at it from the trunk........well I at first thought it silly, but I tried it and, guess what, it worked.....so want to thank that Crossfire guy or gal for the suggestion...........oh and someone added that you must complete your replacement within 20 minutes or the top hydraulics start to give out.....that happened to me but didn't create a problem, as soon as it started I put the top up and then lowered it to the above verbalized position, and finished the job.............way easy good luck to all you wonderbar Crossfire people Ron
Re: changing brake light bulb
Hey fun seekers......had to replace the back tail light on my alabaster white 05 roadster...logged on to the always useful forum, and found a posting somewhere that suggested you lower the top just to the position where the tonneau cover is vertical and the rest of the top is hovering above the seating area, then look inside and you can see and change the bulb without alll the agony of removing plugs and contorting yourself out of shape to get at it from the trunk........well I at first thought it silly, but I tried it and, guess what, it worked.....so want to thank that Crossfire guy or gal for the suggestion...........oh and someone added that you must complete your replacement within 20 minutes or the top hydraulics start to give out.....that happened to me but didn't create a problem, as soon as it started I put the top up and then lowered it to the above verbalized position, and finished the job.............way easy good luck to all you wonderbar Crossfire people Ron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Re: changing brake light bulb
Why would they give you an access panel when you can get in thru the 'top opening'? I can't believe you people never noticed the opening - how many of us have peered in there to see the level of the fluid?
You have about ten minutes before the hydraulic pressure is released (they do this because leaving the pressure on contributes to leaks, the system was not designed for continuous pressure).
But here is MY COMPLAINT: How do you get the bulb assembly back in? The wires are just to short to easily manipulate the lamp assembly.
You have about ten minutes before the hydraulic pressure is released (they do this because leaving the pressure on contributes to leaks, the system was not designed for continuous pressure).
But here is MY COMPLAINT: How do you get the bulb assembly back in? The wires are just to short to easily manipulate the lamp assembly.
Re: changing brake light bulb
It depends on the seal design how much it leaks in a given situation, split rings types probably leak most , lip seals probably the least. The surface finish of the bore will be a major factor in the leakage and it will be finished to achieve the best conditions for the seal in use.
The design is quite involved in many applications, hydraulics, pneumatics, vacuum and combinations.