2001 Chevy Blazer, 250,000 miles.

The quarter-million mile, 22-year-old Chevy Blazer was due for another 3rd brake light replacement.
The plastic gets brittle in the Texas sun after 4 or 5 years. And then I drag a canoe across it to put
the boat on top of the car. That fractures the plastic, rainwater gets inside, and shorts out the
lights. So here we go again...

The old one, all cracked up.


A replacement part will run you from $20 to $40.


The new one has arrived. "Plug and play" they said. "Matches the factory original" they said. "Easy peasy" they said.


Use those old wires as a pull-cord to thread the new wires into that hole and down into the interior. Otherwise you might be fishing around for a while.


Snap off the moldings on the Rear sides and top, to get at the headliner. Pull the headliner down a bit, and pull out the wire connectors so you can work with them. Unplug the old light and remove it.


Now let's talk about fit. Bottom of new part, top. Base plate, bottom. "Perfect fit" they said. Nope. I had to snap off those two tabs,
and grind down the screw post, to get it to fit correctly. Otherwise it would be sticking up in the air above the base. I don't like having to modify parts advertised as a perfect fit. They'll get a bad review from me.


After modifying the new part to fit, it attaches to the base plate with two screws. Test it to make sure everything is hooked up correctly. Wedge a brick up against the brake pedal. The LED's light up - it works!


Tidy up the wires you threaded down into the interior. Snap the headliner back in place. Snap the molding back in place. Done! Good for another five years or so...

 

This will be very useful to others. Thanks!

 

Yep. Paying it forward, by making someone else's job a little easier.