Hi all, the rubber gaskets at the back of the four side lights on my 1971 XJ6 Series 1 have disintegrated. Got replacements from SNG but how do I get them on? I've got the housing off but how do the electrics work? I need to get those wires out to truly release the chrome housing and slot the gasket behind. Anyone done this job recently? It looks like the main power wire might prise off from the back of the housing, and the small ground wire, too. Lights are working, so I don't want to damage wiring by trying to prise off something that isn't designed for that. I looked in my XJ Manual but found no info there. Thanks for any suggestions! Graham

 

Well, in my experience, these light assemblies have rather short leads on them for use in various applications. There should be another set of those round connectors, male bullets on the light wires, inside the body, behind the side panels in the trunk. It's probably time to clean and treat those connectors as well from the appearance of the light assembly. I would not mess with the connections on the light itself, that may be asking for problems.

 

I agree, if the light is working I wouldn't try to remove the wires from the fixture. Follow them back to where they connect on the other end. If that doesn't work you could cut the wires, install the gasket and splice them back together. Or, and this is what I'd do, just cut the gasket from the bottom edge to the hole, slip it on over the wires and put the fixture back on. Maybe put a little silicone sealant on the cut.

Jeff

 

Thanks so much, Niles and Jeff. Like you, Jeff, I thought about cutting the gaskets, and I also thought about the splicing idea. It may come to that! I think what I'll do is try to find the place where the wires lodge inside the body of the car as per Niles's idea and report back on whether I have success. I've added a picture of the little spring inside the bulb housing just because it's a pretty cool set-up.

Right, off to find the other end of the wires...

 

the two wires for the lamp are easy to get to if you remove the tail light lens and then remove the 3 tail lights assembly screws and pull the assembly back, plenty of access.

the wires are connected to the wiring harness with rubber push-on or pull-off bullet connectors.

grab the rubber connector and pull the wire, hopefully the wire won't break so spray WD40 into the connectors before pulling the wires.

 

^^^
I've Never had one of those come apart correctly! NEVER!!
One of the wires Always comes apart inside the rubber (often in a spot I can't reach) forcing me into Plan B.
Which entails Cut/Splice/Replace with Spade connectors which I have Never had refuse to come apart when I ask them to (even if it required Pliers on both ends), and last just as long as Bullets.

As a consequence of much experience with these, I Despise Bullet Connectors!
(';')

 

Elinor
I have learned to push them through instead of pulling the wire.

use an ice pick or similar thin tool, spray WD40 through both sides, grab the rubber "joiner", then push the ice pick through until you feel resistance, then push. Do it from both sides of the joiner. The bullet comes out easily.

 

If you say so, Jose, if you say so.
(';')

 

try it next time Elinor, WD40 and a thin push tool.

 

Hi all, first picture is what I found when I followed the wires into the car. It's a neat set-up, so I just repeated it with fresh cuts to the wires and new screw caps, which are quite an elegant solution. Thanks for everyone's suggestions but, basically, it is a matter of cutting wires and adding caps to hold them together. It's not like the headlamps were you have a super easy plug in system, like on a modern car. I don't know why I didn't think to root around further back into the wiring system, but I'm glad some of you did

What I found:



Everything refreshed:


Just got to tape up and clean up.

 

HA! Someone before you learned to think outside the box and color outside the lines!
Congrats!
(';')