How to rebuild the 3rd brake light in the 89+ spoiler

GrimJack

Administrator
Dec 31, 1969
12,377
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56
Richmond, BC, Canada
idriders.com
Does your 3rd brake light look like this?
P1000850.JPG


If so, you can fix it with some basic skills and about 9 hours of spare time.

Needed:
- 10mm socket
- Philips screwdriver
- Soldering iron
- De-soldering tool or tape
- Side cutters
- Dremel
- Silicone glue
- Replacement LEDs - 56 of them

Remove the interior cover from the bottom of the hatch. It's two screws that hold on the roll cover and several clips.

Screws - there's one of these on each side:
P1000863.JPG


Clips:
P1000864.JPG


P1000865.JPG


P1000866.JPG


The spoiler is held on with 4x10mm nuts and two philips screws. There is a screw and a nut on each side, and two additional nuts in the center.

Screws:
P1000860.JPG


Side nuts:
P1000861.JPG


P1000866a.JPG


Center nuts:
P1000865a.JPG


Disconnect the electrical plug to the 3rd brake light:
P1000865b.JPG


Remove the center spoiler section from the car. Turn it over, peel back the gasket on the center pillar, shine a flashlight inside and remove the screw that holds in the light.

Carefully pry the light out of the spoiler. Mine slid out pretty easily, if you need to pry at it with a screwdriver, remember to tape it first. When you get it out, it looks like this:
P1000852.JPG


Remove it from the mounting bracket by removing the three screws:
P1000853.JPG


The red lens appears to be heat welded to the backing... so break out the dremel and make a bit of a mess. Use the narrowest cutting blade you can, so that you don't leave too much of a gap that will need to be refilled with silicone later.
P1000854.JPG


The circuit board is held onto the grey back with 4 screws. Pull those off, and you can slide the circuit board out enough to work on the back. Use a solder sucker, or solder tape, or whatever your favorite method of desoldering components happens to be. Remove the LEDs a few at a time, and solder in new ones. Make sure you get the polarity right when putting the new ones back in.
P1000855.JPG


I suggest plugging it back in a few times to test the new LEDs. I leave the new LEDs untrimmed so that I can tell which ones I've already replaced... once they all pass, then I go through and trim the ends.
P1000856.JPG


After testing to make sure they all work, screw the circuit board back down and use silicone to glue the lens to the backing plate. I use painters tape to smooth out the silicone.
P1000857.JPG


Remount the light to it's mounting bracket:
P1000858.JPG


Replace everything in reverse order from how you pulled it apart, and enjoy the brand new 3rd brake light!
P1000859.JPG


P1000859a.JPG
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
16,757
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Fort Worth, TX
superbrightleds is a bit expensive for those, can get em cheaper if you know where to look (hint: buy in bulk and from the same lot and they all match)
 

supra90mkiii

Member
Apr 2, 2005
227
0
16
Racine, WI
Not sure if the rear taillight has changed designs between the 89+ years, but my 90 appears that it uses 5mm LEDs. Had purchased 3mm because of this write-up... too small.
 

supra90mkiii

Member
Apr 2, 2005
227
0
16
Racine, WI
I'll get some pictures tonight. One other difference I noticed too is that my circuit board is two pieces, connected with jumper wires that are soldered to the boards. The board in the write-up appears to be one piece.
 

GrimJack

Administrator
Dec 31, 1969
12,377
3
38
56
Richmond, BC, Canada
idriders.com
Yes, mine was definitely a single board. Rather odd, as there's only one part number listed for this. I wonder if anyone else with the 90+ can chime in with theirs. There is a possibility that they are functionally equal... or perhaps yours is just an oddity.

Or, maybe there's another part number that fits?