how do i replace the 3rd brake light bulb?

[daniel]

i don't even know where to start, but i imagine it is pretty easy.

any help?

thanks

[sticksdaman]

open the trunk stick your head in there... look up.. the rest explains itself

[daniel]

thanks. i had such a one track mind that i thought it had to be done via the interior. :facepalm:

[daniel]

ok i looked in there and there was nothing.

so how do i REALLY change out the bulb? how do i remove the rear shelf thing?

[smonkbmw]

remove rear seat. remove rear speakers. remove rear seatbelts. lift up.

[daniel]

remove rear seat. remove rear speakers. remove rear seatbelts. lift up.

f that. that's how you get to the 3rd brake light bulb?

[redhatpat]

I thought the early cars were done from the interior, and the later cars from the trunk? That's one bulb I haven't had to replace yet.

[daniel]

the 88's must be "early" then, because there is literally no access to anything by opening the trunk.

[mentaleeill]

slide the plastic off the back of the housing from the inside of the car.

[Van Westervelt]

88s are similar to an early car. Last poster takes the cake. The housing is two piece and accessible from INSIDE the car, without removing anything else. You slide the front half up and off and you will see the bulb resting in the remaining housing that rests on the glass.

Now that you can replace your brake light, I assume you will be putting up your swap car for sale as its too complicated? ;)

[daniel]

carpeting completely covers my 3rd brake light housing, making any kind of plastic cover inaccessible. maybe the rear shelf is from a late model.

[Van Westervelt]

Then there is a little hole in the trunk with a plastic bulb holder in it. Its directly under the brake light, and is only accessible via in the trunk.

[daniel]

just a quick update.

it turns out i have a late model shelf in an early model body, so i did in fact have to remove the whole back seat and the rear shelf in order to swap out the bulb.