So, my wife just stopped me reversing the '12 out the garage because the RHS brake light was out, all other functions of the unit work as advertised.

On closer inspection, there is a considerable amount of condensation it that unit. I presume that there must be a crack in the assembly allowing moisture in.

I know that there are no easily replaceable parts, and I basically need to buy a new one. Now here is my dilemma; A used part off eBay is @$250, a new upgraded pair from China are @$500ish. Given that the LHS unit is 13+ years old, I'm leaning towards buying a new pair. The question is, are the connectors the same on pre and post face-lift models?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

wombat

 

When you buy a used part from eBay, you receive it quickly and have recourse.
eBay Guaranteed Fit (Exclusions apply)

Why spend more? If you have a problem with something you bought from China, it takes a long time to resolve.

 

Stuart,
You are correct.

I removed my defective tail light yesterday morning, and there was a visible crack where the clear lens meets the black plastic. I took the unit to my local dealership and they were kind enough to compare a pre and post '16 light. The electrical pig-tail is identical. They wanted $1059 + tax for a new part, I thanked them for their time and hit the internet!

Back to Stuart's advice. The Chinese parts would not be delivered until February, obviously far to long to be driving around with a defective tail light! Still not keen on doing the job on one side, only for the other to fail in the near future, I found a US based supplier that will deliver in 3 days.

The US supplier offers a 12 month warranty, and charges $255 per side. I can pretty much guarantee, that the "Made in France by Valeo" label is total bollocks.

wombat

 

My yard (FLORIDA) has several XJs... including facelift models. I wouldn't mind inquiring for you.

 

Spare parts/breaking yard is the way to go.

Yes, the pre-facelift and post-facelift taillights are compatible and plug and play. I updated mine to 2016+.
The headlights require a harness adapter and some light programming as well documented in some other threads.

 

So, I finally got around to fitting the new tail-light today, and it is new, not something recycled out of a scrapyard. I checked the back of the unit for any makers details and the "Made in France" and "Valeo" had been 'rubbed out' with something akin to a soldering iron. Anyway, the cluster is super easy to install.

1. Pull the trunk seal up and peel back the trunk liner to access the 3 unit retaining nuts....You will see 4, but the larger one helps hold the bumper on. Ignore it.

2. Remove the 3 nuts (either 7 or 8mm, can't remember and there has been some gin since then!)

3. Pull the cluster out from the base, then lift up and out.

4. Disconnect the plug. It sits behind the bumper and has a "fir tree" locator and a guide pin that hold it (the connector) in place. A second pair of hands is useful, but not vital, to hold the lamp while you relocate the connector.

5. Put it back together! Don't over torque the nuts.

I had already removed the light, but from start to finish the job should take under 20mins.

I still have the old light and, given the amount of water it had sloshing around in it, I might turn it into a fish tank for a Beta fighting fish!

wombat

 

So the question is---does it work as required?
And follow up--- where did you buy it?

 

Six Rotors,

Yep, the unit is fully functional. Everything works. I got it off eBay, although it was shipped by amazon. If you are interested I will PM you the link.

wombat

PM sent

 

Thanks for the information.

 

I have had leaking taillight and headlights on a number of cars. Each time it was an easy fix of running a bead of silicone sealant across the top plastic weld seam to stop water from getting in and drilling a couple of holes at the bottom to let the water out. Never needed to pay for a replacement because that is always the solution.

 

Lotus,

The problem I had was that I didn't notice the condensation until it was too late.

I had washed the car about 2 weeks earlier, and not driven her since. I presume that the crack had developed sometime in the period between her last 2 washes. Anyway, 13 years isn't a bad return of service.

I remember my old XK8 having a condensation issue in the headlights, the dealership installed (free of charge), a small vent tube at the base of each unit. Problem solved.
wombat