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My 2006 had this same issue. Its not the pins or connector, its the solder connection inside the light between the circuit board and the pins for the external connector. Really, this is a manufacturing defect - there isn't enough solder on the pins to hold them onto the board so they disconnect over time. thus the intermittent behavior and why it would change if you wiggle the connector.
Anyway, I was able to disassemble my light using a utility knife - you essentially need to break the glue seal between the red outer plastic and the gray base. I worked around the edges cutting and prying gently with the knife. You'll get some splinters and cracks but I was able to separate the pieces. The clear lens inside then pops right out, and you can bend the gray fingers holding the circuit board in with a small screwdriver to access the circuit board.
You will surely see that the pins are floating in their holes. Do a nice solder job and but the board and lens back (I tested it to be sure it was working - yup all LEDs lit up).
I used spring clamps and rubber bands to align the red cover with the gray base, insure all seams looked as good as they could in terms of mating, then applied crazy glue to the seams. I let it sit overnight then added clear "magic" tape over all seams (to provide more holding power), leaving the gaps for the clips open, and insured the tape was well bonded to the plastic by running fingers over it. Note that the clip assembly essential creates pulling tension on that seam, so you really want a fair amount of holding power.
Put it back this morning, and its so nice seeing all brake lights working again!
Had the same issue and ended up buying a new light. Two weeks later I broke my rear glass and during the replacement process the dealer starched up the new light a bit....I was pissed and had them replace it.
I can sell you the spare one I have if you don't mind a few barely visible scratches.
My 2006 had this same issue. Its not the pins or connector, its the solder connection inside the light between the circuit board and the pins for the external connector. Really, this is a manufacturing defect - there isn't enough solder on the pins to hold them onto the board so they disconnect over time. thus the intermittent behavior and why it would change if you wiggle the connector.
Well, don't you know I got an email yesterday from the dealer reminding me that I needed a new center rear brake light (one LED out). Today, after 3 days of rain, bingo - brake light fails while driving home from work. No lights working. I get home and open the rear lid and hear water rushing inside the trim. With the lid up, no leaks by the brake light but you can hear the water rushing up inside of the trim towards the light as you raise the tailgate. With the lid down, water dripping out of the deck lid button and access light on the right side. I can't imagine what's holding so much water that I can hear it sloshing when I move the tailgate. I'm guessing water might be my culprit.
Last edited by ajg617; 06-02-2015 at 04:32 PM.
Reason: more info
On the Avant, you'll need to remove the trim from inside the lift gate. Once all that is removed, you can now see the High-mounted stop light assembly from inside the lift gate. The black plastic(retainer) is what holds the assembly, and you'll need to slide the plastic towards the left This will disengage the retainer from the unit. You'll need to jiggle the unit loose as the clips need to come off the unit before it can be pulled out.
Reassembly requires the clips and retainer to be reinstalled while the unit is outside. The unit just pops in after.
Few tips:
There are 4 flat metal 'springy' clips along the length of the unit as pic:
The black strip is what keeps them 'springy' and holding the lamp in place.
Removing the black strip allows the clips to move and compress (see second clip in pic); but even so they catch on the aperture and won't allow the unit to come out.
You can allow the black strip to fall into the tailgate cavity as you can easily retrieve it later.
I had to remove all the clips before pushing the unit out. Again you can let them fall into the tailgate cavity; if you have a magnet to retrieve them with.
I have an S6 with a spoiler on the tailgate. Maybe because of this it was very tight to push the unit out. I used a plastic tool on the outside of the car to ease the red lens past the tailgate glass. Then a lot of wiggling to get the perfect angle to allow the unit to pop out. Very fiddly.
Had to replace the entire assembly. If you have a performance shop near you, go there. They did mine for 110 out the door. Also, doing it yourself, it's really hard to get the assembly back in, even with the interior pry tools.
09-06-2016, 10:55 AM
