how to get to third brake light? (95-97)

[tac0meat]

my friend has a 95 xlt (he has a crappy computer and is too lazy to check out the site) anyways, ever since he bought the truck the third brake light has never worked, we think we can rig some LEDs up in there but we havent been able to figure out how to get the plastic cover off, any suggestions?

 

[bigtigexplorer]

On my '99, if you open the lift gate and pry off the upper portion of the plastic panel (just above the window) you'll see two nuts that hold the brake light on. There may be a piece of tape covering the nuts.

 

[Stephen S]

I've taken the top of the rear hatch apart trying to get the light out, but I wasn't able to do it. When you take the interior panel off, you'll see two screws holding the ballast in. When you take the ballast out, you'll see a little nut on a stud. If you look to the left and right of the large hole that the ballast was in, you'll find rubber plugs. If you pull the rubber plugs out, there will be 2 more little nuts on studs, just like the one in the middle. I've tried taking the little nuts off and pushing the brake light out, but it doesn't work that way. Look around the brake light from the outside of the truck. That plastic trim piece that goes across the top of the rear glass also surrounds the brake light lens. I'm almost sure that the trim piece will have to come off to get the brake lens out. And that would mean messing with all the rivets that hold it into the window frame. It looks like a big mess.

I wanted to do the same thing you did with the LEDs, but I haven't seen an easy way to get the brake light assembly out. If you find a way, please let me know. No wonder Ford wants $300 to fix it.

 

[Keith]

My third light is out also. I have the Ford manual for my 97. It was talking about opening the rear hatch. Then you have to remove the rivets all along the top. I'm not home now so I will have to take a look at it when I get home. I just remember looking at it the one day and thinking to my self "I don't have enough time for what this is talking about".