May 30, 2009 01:37AM
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Admin
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Posts: 600 : Portland, OR |
May 30, 2009 07:08AM
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May 30, 2009 10:10AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
Makes it sound like it has tabs that lock into the carpeted fiber board on the rear shelf. I would try squeezing the base fore-aft or side-side to see if it will lift. If not, I guess you do have to do some "interior disassembly" to get it out safely.
But on the sunny side, if you get it out in one piece, you won't remember the half hour it took to get to it. If it breaks, well, beer time. alan |
May 30, 2009 11:32AM
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May 30, 2009 11:46AM
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Posts: 255 : Heber City, Utah |
If I remember correctly there are two studs welded to the sheet metal that the brake light housing goes over and two plastic nuts secure it in place. You would have to remove the rear shelf to get to them! A lot of work just for that. If you are just wanting to change the bulb that can be done from the trunk.
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May 30, 2009 12:06PM
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Admin
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May 30, 2009 02:32PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
No, it supposed to pop right off (can't prove that by me though). Daniel, do you mean the Po has changed something not allowing you access that lamp housing. My PO didn't get mine all the way back right, she sits a touch off kilter.
Just remember, the lamp fits on to the base that Is bolted down, as I remember! |
May 30, 2009 04:36PM
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Admin
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May 30, 2009 05:08PM
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May 30, 2009 06:35PM
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May 31, 2009 01:01AM
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Posts: 600 : Portland, OR |
May 31, 2009 01:30AM
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May 31, 2009 02:27AM
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Admin
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well you are going to go to the e30 picnic, right? you live right next to it. it would be silly not to. and i am spending the summer there, but i will be back in august. |
May 31, 2009 01:43PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
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I don't know about how close I am. Certainly closer than Oklahoma, but not exactly a day trip. You live closer than I do right now :-) |
May 31, 2009 02:37PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 600 : Portland, OR |
psh its only like an hour longer than i have to drive. it is possible i will have a hotel room near issaquah for saturday night. if i end up getting it i will let you know (ill find out in the next couple days). |
May 31, 2009 02:41PM
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May 31, 2009 03:15PM
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May 31, 2009 03:59PM
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Posts: 584 : Vermont, USA |
Getting back to the subject at head, I finally just checked my '91. It's absurdly easy to change from underneath in the trunk. The bulb holder pops out with a twist. It takes about half a second. What year is your car? Is there something covering up the bulb holder? Pulling up the carpeting on top looks like it would be a lot of work, possibly destructive, and still not accomplish anything useful. __________ Dave '91 325iX |
May 31, 2009 06:30PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
Nah, if it is anything like my 84, you just remove the speakers, the back seat (no biggie) and then the fiberboard base should pop out. The carpet is glued to the fiberboard. I think the speaker screws are what keep the fiberboard in place, I don't think they use pop buttons like the door panels, but you can tell by looking from the trunk.
alan |
May 31, 2009 07:34PM
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Admin
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Posts: 584 : Vermont, USA |
OK, but once you've done all that, you still need to pull the bulb out from the bottom, in the trunk, so there's no point. __________ Dave '91 325iX |
May 31, 2009 08:45PM
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Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
May 31, 2009 10:37PM
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Admin
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there is a small, flat, black trim piece inside the trunk, but it is not directly underneath the brake light, and it doesn't seem to easily twist. |
June 01, 2009 12:56AM
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You have trim pieces on the inside top side of your trunk? I'm pretty sure when you look up inside my trunk you see the metal frame, not unlike looking at the back of my trunk. But I haven't a clue how stock my trunk actually is, and I have very little experience with other E30's. Can the trim piece be removed to unveil anything underneath? Based on what others here have on their cars, it seems more likely it is being hidden by that, then by the rear seat. Just wait for the weekend, and we can take a poll at the picnic ;-) |
June 01, 2009 06:56AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 187 : Bucharest, Romania |
hm... anyone thought that two pictures might easily solve this ? one from '84, another from '91 ?
i also knew that the builb can be changed from the trunk (makes sense, too). perhaps you have an aftermarket 3rd light ? i'm not sure that in '84 they had it at all... at least on our contintent. my chassis number (1987) doesn't give me any parts for it. they only seem to exist from 1988: [www.realoem.com] i think first type from the diagram is for the break/wagon; second one is for the sedan/coupe (you can see how the bulb base goes out through the bottom) and the 3rd one - i have no idea what it is for. -- A physics truck just turned over outside. There's physics everywhere! Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2009 07:00AM by jaffar. |
June 01, 2009 07:15AM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 584 : Vermont, USA |
In North America the center brake light was required beginning in 1986. Since Daniel's car is a 1988, it's probably a factory unit. I don't know why he can't see the bulb in the trunk, though. Apparently they changed something between 1988 and 1991, or maybe a previous owner installed some sort of covering on the top of the trunk that hides the bulb access.
__________ Dave '91 325iX |
June 01, 2009 08:23AM
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Posts: 609 : SoCal |
June 02, 2009 04:41PM
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Posts: 78 |
The three shown in that picture are (from left to right) the M3 version, the sedan/coupe version and the Convertible version. As I recall, the earlier ones that are all plastic and not covered with carpet come apart from the inside and the bulb is replaced. You just have to pull the plastic housing cover off to access it. On the later ones like Daniel is describing it should be accessible from the trunk as others have suggested. That is what I remember, but I haven't owned an e30 in quite some time now.
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June 02, 2009 04:45PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 78 |
Follow Up.
[www.realoem.com] The lamp on the left in this picture is the earlier one that is accessible from the interior I believe. |
June 02, 2009 04:46PM
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June 04, 2009 07:23AM
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Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |