Quote:
Originally Posted by NebHurr8
Any ideas what to do or how to troubleshoot this problem? My girlfriend is thinking about taking it to the BMW dealership, but I thought I would post here first.
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Read through the link that Quicksilver posted above. Don't be discouraged by the size of the thread. It is got the info you need.
Then pull the entire light assembly out: open the the side panels on both sides of the trunk to reveal the back of the lights. There are two hex nuts that need to be removed on either light and unplug the wire connector. The whole assembly should slide right out the back of the car.
Remove all the sockets/lightbulbs assemblies and pay attention to where the socket prongs touch the contact board (the metal plate that is attached to the back of light assembly). It seems that you may have some burning of the prong and/or contact board. Look for any holes, black spots or oxidation on the metal then sand or scrap off any oxidation on prongs and board. Fill any holes you find with solder, then file it down to be flush with contact board. Then gently pull/bend the prongs up a little to create firmer contact with
the board when you re-install the bulb/sockets.
It seems that light-bulb grease (99cents at any auto shop) will help with the contact points, so I used it where the bulbs connect to the sockets and where the prongs on the socket connect to the contact board.
If you take it to the dealership they will tell you to replace the whole assembly or charge you a ridiculous amount of money for the procedure mentioned above. If you already have a soldering iron you may be able to fix it without spending any money!
I hope this helps...
Rui