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There are 2 buttons on the bottom at the near edge, just push up on them and pull. The buttons themselves are part of the light, not the cover though- at least on mine they are.
Hi - how do you change the bulb? Does the back cover just pull off or what?
Hi Larry,
My recollection is that the cover just pulls straight off, parallel to the parcel shelf, and that the lamp comes off the backlight by sliding it upward along the plane of the glass. But the plastic gets very, very brittle with age and sunlight, so you have to be exceptionally careful. I think that once you get the cover off you can see the bulbs and replace them without disconnecting the lamp from the glass.
Please let us know how it goes, and if you have time, please post some photos.
Thanks guys, I don't actually need to change the bulb (I will be changing it though, why not) but my attempts at keeping the damn thing stuck to the rear glass has been quite trying ...so I need to really get in there and stick it on ONCE AND FOR ALL
I already bought a roll of super pricey Scotch VHB tape which semi-worked for a couple of months (but has now quit) and also ordered the recommended solution - a tube of Permatex 30874, "The Right Stuff".
I've been advised this is the cat's meow for keeping the thing stuck to the glass -- even years of Aussie sun can't make it fall off, or so I've heard.
As "the right stuff" looks pretty gooey and I need to see what I'm doing, I think it best that I get the unit stripped down to as little weight as possible (back cover off) before I apply the stickum ...apparently it takes some time to set up so I have to wedge or support it for a few hours ....and as temps are now falling, maybe 24 hours. I don't want to go here again!
Funny how every 40 I notice and quite a few X300's have the third stop light flopping around on the rear parcel shelf or hanging from one corner ..the material they used for the stoplight housing just doesn't want to stick to the glass again once it falls off ....according to guys that have tried going with rear-view mirror adhesive, even that can't re-stick it for more than a few days or so.
Thanks for that tip, I almost wrote "be gentle, the whole thing will come off,,," but figured you knew. I have used 3M 2 sided tape intended for body trim, its sort of a 50/50 blend of did and didnt hold. What is the Permatex's intended use?
...A momentary search answered my own question- It says "Right stuff" there on the tube. and it seems to be a gasket maker.
Last edited by jerry_hoback; 10-14-2020 at 09:26 AM.
I'll personally be surprised if The Right Stuff works - at least the kind I use for quick-set gasket making. Wouldn't rear view mirror adhesive be the most logical choice? At least that's what I've been contemplating trying on the floppy third brake lamp on our X308 after I repair the broken lamp mounting bracket with plastic welder and re-color the faded cover with leather dye....
I'll personally be surprised if The Right Stuff works - at least the kind I use for quick-set gasket making. Wouldn't rear view mirror adhesive be the most logical choice? At least that's what I've been contemplating trying on the floppy third brake lamp on our X308 after I repair the broken lamp mounting bracket with plastic welder and re-color the faded cover with leather dye....
Just relating the experiences of others over on Jaglover's, Don.!
If it were metal to plain glass like the rearview mirror then I believe rear view mirror adhesive would be the answer ...however, polyethylene to black glass paint ....not so much. There are quite a few tales of rear view mirror adhesive failing even when applied by pro glass shops.
The tape I used did last a few months, I just checked and I applied it in February. It lasted pretty well to the end of August, but the summer sun eventually put the kibosh on it.
"The right stuff" was the only adhesive that anyone used that was still holding, in fact, an Australian owner used it and seven years later it's still in place, so worth a try in my book. Maybe Sikaflex marine polyurethane might do it too, but I've got a fresh tube of the Right Stuff so I'm going to give it a go.
I will be very curious to see how The Right Stuff works. My impression, from allowing about 1 inch of the stuff to extend from the nozzle and cure to form a plug to preserve the remaining product in the aerosol can, is that The Right Stuff, when cured, is not as rigid as Permatex Ultra Black RTV silicone sealant, or the even more rigid Ultra Grey.
A product I've had a lot of success with when bonding plastic is Permatex Black Plastic Welder. I order it from Amazon because it is not available in my local stores. A cream-colored version is also available, but the black version is very handy for many automotive applications:
I was just poking around here minding my own business, you know how it goes... I respectfully refer you (and anyone else) to Marc's (Sovjag) posting here and then to the link to his website. He illustrates how he made little legs for his 3rd light. It seems like a viable solution.
I respectfully refer you (and anyone else) to Marc's (Sovjag) posting here and then to the link to his website. He illustrates how he made little legs for his 3rd light. It seems like a viable solution.
Jerry,
For the convenience of those of us who are too lazy or busy or poor forum search function users to search out Marc's link for ourselves, would you be willing to post the link to his post that contains his website link?
Ok, here is the link to Sovejag home page: http://www.jcsovejag.com/jaguarxj/index.php . The site gives write ups on many repair procedures of xj40 and later cars. Clicking on xj40, and then at the right on the lead banner, Dossiers, then scroll down to mounting a 3rd stop (1), http://www.jcsovejag.com/jaguarxj/xj40_feu-stop.php . Lets see if that worked....
Added another layer of 3m hi bond tape last week so 2 patches on the glass and 2 on the fixture now ...It was holding last time I looked - if it falls off again I'll crack open the right stuff ....
Well about 2 weeks ago I opened the "Right Stuff" tube, swabbed the area with alcohol and spread the goop on. It had very little tack at first so I wedged a folded brown paper grocery bag up and wedged the fixture in place.
Because of that initial low tack and the fact it is November w/ temps well down I left it to set up for a couple of days - just the housing though, I left the back cover off.
After a few days and with temps occasionally hitting freezing overnight I decided to leave it undisturbed a while longer ...the only real heat back there has been from the lit bulbs sitting in traffic with the foot on the brake pedal. The only bonus being I can see the HBL is now actually working consistently ....anyway, by now 2 weeks have gone by.
Today I got up the gumption to give it a slight wiggle, thinking if it hadn't done its thing by now it wasn't going to work. I didn't remove my paper bag "wedge" or replace the back cover but from what I sensed, that sucker was pretty firmly stuck.
I'll leave it a bit longer just to be on the safe side, but pretty sure this technique has worked. Will report back when I get up the courage to remove the wedge and replace the back cover!
10-13-2020 | 07:27 PM
....anyway, by now 2 weeks have gone by.
Update
