Third Brake Light Problem

[joey2cool]

My brake light went out after seven years. It could have happened a year or so earlier but took longer for me to notice.

Since my skills and tool set are fewer than most who post here I bought the SMB store replacement light. It cost about $30 including shipping direct from SMB Fresno (I didn't want to create yet another online account).

The old light came out easily after cutting the pigtail wires about two inches from the box and removing a screw SMB had angled into the back of the penthouse to secure the fixture. I didn't reuse this screw as it would require redrilling through the existing hole into the new fixture for alignment. I figure the double sticky back grommet and snug fixture fit is good enough. I used some electrical twist caps for the wire splice after cutting off all but a couple inches of the pigtail from the new light. Then I wrapped electrician tape over the cap ends and tight around the wires.

The old fixture did not have weep holes in it (2010 circa) and neither did the new one despite Peter saying it did. So I drillled my own 1/8th inch diameter holes (one in the middle and one on each side of the bottom in back. Careful not to go too deep so as to avoid hitting the circuits. I doubt this will prevent the next failure. The bulbs can not be changed out - the entire lighting assembly is one piece. My unit showed no signs of gunk build-up inside, but there was a thin patina of green (copper?) corrosion over all the tin parts. The wire terminals looked fine.