3rd Brake Light Problems?

W

Wa'ya

Active member
I've noticed that the 3rd Brake Light has been a reoccuring problem for my Z4 model and prior year models, mine is a 2007. I was wondering if this was settled in later years or does late model Zed's still have to battle with cracking brake light lens?
 
I had to do my 2006 one last month as it had cracked down the middle and sheared off an end piece. When you get the thing out it's designed to break as it has a massive cut-out in the bottom edge of the lens that serves no purpose except provide a weak point to crack through.
Reinforced the inside of the lens with sellotape and glued it up properly so hopefully that is the end of it.
 
Yep Georgio we have talked about this before, mine is an 07.. same thing cracked dead center where the outer lens is weakened in the design.

I have a new light assembly which I bought and I am planning to strengthen prior to installing it.

My idea is to take three 5/16 flat washers epoxy them to the black backer housing of the light to bridge the weakest parts of the light fixtures, Then to also epoxy the washers back to the mounting bolts themselves so that everything is pulling against itself instead of the lens...

I haven't gotten into the cavity where the light mounts yet but I might end up laying a bead of clear silicon around the lip of the lens also to soften the pull which might be cracking the upper lip of the lights.
 
Weaker springs where fitted to later models. I did away with the std nut, which results in too much load on the lens, and replaced them with nylock nuts and a washer, tightening them just enough to hold the lens in place without loading the lens too much. So far, so good!
 
FFS!!!-its a premium brand car part -what a faffin around paying all that for a piece of fookin plastic then having to spend time and money on various glues/resins etc :headbang: (mines cracked)-rant over
 
Yeah, just would have made more since to have made the light housing out of a fiber reinforced plastic instead of how it is made!
 
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