I didn't get any responses to this when I posted it a few months back.
I'm trying again, hoping for some comments on securing the lights into the liner of the trunk lid.

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A while back, as part of my earlier post https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj-x300-xjr-26/where-slcm-x300-remote-fob-programming-issues-usa-48049/, I had to get to the lights on the inside of the trunk lid to check for bulbs (there were none), since I understand that they are critical to fob operation.

I got behind the liner and pushed them through, in order to install bulbs, but now I can’t get them to stay in place. If I push the light assemblies into their mounting holes, the next time I open the trunk, they’re dangling down from the holes.

I thought maybe I broke one of the tabs on each of them, since only one end has an L-shaped tab. So I procured replacements, and they look the same! Different tabs on each end!

I see that there’s a layer of stiff black plastic surrounding the back of the liner around each mounting hole. I don’t know if the tabs are supposed to go behind that, or between that and the liner?

I’m about ready to put them in with RTV, unless I’m missing something simple about what holds them in. Any suggestions?

 

That black plastic has to be there. That is what the lamp tabs have to snap behind. It is there because the liner material itself isn't substantial enough to hold the lamps. Even if the plastic comes loose from the liner, it will still hold the lamp OK.

Cheers,

 

i had my bulb housings out also,and they would work their way loose.turns out that they were hot glued from the factory,so juat glue them back in with some weather strip adhesive...steve.

 

Steven300,

Thanks for the observation and the tip. I didn't think that the tabs alone would do the job, because they'd need to be both behind something AND in front of something else, to keep them from falling either in or out.

I thought maybe they went BETWEEN the plastic and the liner, but the liner isn't very rigid.

Good idea to use weatherstrip adhesive instead of the RTV that I proposed, because it can be taken apart more easily if needed.

When the bulbs need changing, I don't know if Jaguar intended that we take down the liner and pull the socket out of the housing (leaving the socket glued in), or if they meant for us to pull the housing out (leaving the liner in place) and then glue it back in. Either way, it seems like quite a hassle just to change a bulb! But maybe they didn't consider it big concern, assuming that trunk lights aren't on much of the time. But my bulbs had been removed by the previous owner, I don't know why.

Thanks again,
George

 

I was looking for the maintenance manual, and found it in the trunk. I noticed that both trunk lights had fallen behind the liner. So I popped a couple of the liner buttons, pulled the liner out from under the latch, and was surprised at how cheesy those lights are attached.

Really? A thin black gasket glued to the liner is all that holds the lights in place? How lame of a design is that? You'd think on a premium car like this they'd figure out a better way to mount those trunk lights.

VERY disappointed in that factory feature...

 

He probably did not have access to a small person to verify that the lights go off when the trunk is closed.