High Brake Light Glued On?

Hello All,

Just bought my first BMW yesterday. It's a 2009 CPO with ~36K miles. It came in off lease and is in near perfect condition. So far, I love it but, I had a weird thing happen today.

I was trying to clean under the rubber boot that sort of seals the LED bar for the high brake light against the rear window. The boot seemed to flex down a little allowing me to wipe dust and some crud out of there. In the process, something "popped and now, the boot is loose.

I took a close look and it appears the LED bar/boot assembly was GLUED to the rear window. I think I popped one end of it loose.

My Mercedes had a very obvious and deliberate clip to remove the lens, clean, and replace the bulbs. Maybe since LEDs virtually never burn out, they thought permanently gluing it in place was acceptable. The problem is, there is no way to get in there can clean the glass, etc., with this design.

Anybody have this happen and how did you fix it? Just glue it back on?

Any and all help is appreciated.

It's not glued in place. It's held in place by two clips

Actually, it's glued. Found the pad of glue on the glass.

I glued it back on so, no worries. Just seems like a chinsy design.

the light clips to those pads. you release the clips before pulling down the light.
much like how the rearview mirror is glued to the windshield.

if you release the clips properly, the mounting post shouldnt be ripped off the glass

yep and the saga starts with another new BMW owner

have fun, just remember if you think its easy to do, best think again!

Originally Posted by Orient330iNYC

the light clips to those pads. you release the clips before pulling down the light.
much like how the rearview mirror is glued to the windshield.

if you release the clips properly, the mounting post shouldnt be ripped off the glass

Thanks and, I believe you but, I just cannot see any way to release any clips. On my car, there are 2 aluminum pieces, one at each end, that fit into slots on the plastic LED housing. These aluminum pieces are glued to the rear window with a semi-flexible gray/black adhesive somewhat similar to silicone. I wound up pulling off the other side so I could clean everything properly and then glued the assembly back to the window.

There are clips, to be sure, on the trim panel cover that is the same color as the headliner. That comes off with no problem. Then, the assembly with the LEDs, wiring, rubber boot, etc., is glued to the glass. There are no removable clips, at least that I can see/find.

Maybe I shouldn't divulge this but, I'm an engineer and VP of R&D for manufacturer of complex electronic/mechanical devices. I have some experience with clever clips and latches but, to be sure, can't see anything here.

Would love to know the secret.

Dave

Originally Posted by hondo402000

yep and the saga starts with another new BMW owner

have fun, just remember if you think its easy to do, best think again!

Hey, we all have to start somewhere......