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MG MGF Technical - brake light cluster bulb replacement

One of the bulbs on the central brake light cluster has blown. I know I can replace the whole unit at a cost but wonder if there is a method of dismantling so that I can simply replace the defective bulb/LED?

Ta, Janine
JANINE ELLIOT

Hi Janine, my brake light blew last week on my TF. I popped into halford and bought bulb ref 207S 12v 5w priced £4 ish for a pack of two. He offered to replace the bulb while i waited, but decided to do myself. You should find a plastic spring clip in the centre of the light cluster. Once pressed the cluster can be removed carefully as the remaining bulbs all sit within their own casing. Turn and pull the offending bulb and replace and fit in reverse order. Hope that helps, I am guessing that if you have an F should be similar.

s a miller

correction Janine the bulb I replaced was the rear light bulb, not the brake light bulb. I am sure halford's will put you in the right direction. I think you could be refering to the centre rear brake light?
s a miller

MGF light has replaceable bulbs, MGTF light is a sealed unit with LED bulbs.
David Karle

Yes, I'm referring to the central brake light cluster, not the light clusters on the left and the right!

Does anyone know how to, or refer me to a page that shows how to, remove the central (ie in the middle above the boot lid!) foot brake cluster light unit, and, more important, how do you prize open the unit to get at the bulbs and replace? It looked to me like it was sealed like the MGTF?

Many thanks guys + gals.
JANINE ELLIOT

If you have an MGF the lens at the front is held to the body of the lamps by small screws, these are visible on the rear of the lamp when you remove it from the plastic surround that it fits in in the back of the boot lid, to do this just rmeove the two philips head screws and pull it out carefully.
David Karle

Hi Janine,

1. Remove the two philips head screws completely from the middle brake lamp cluster. They will come to a point where you think you can just pull them out but you have to undo them by the screwdriver all the way.

2. Pull out brake cluster gently. It will still be attached by the wiring.

3. Push from back of cluster near wiring to see if you can release the red lamp bit from the black surround. If it will not come apart easily then try to gently pry the red lamp bit from the surround with a small flat head screwdriver, going around little bit by little until the red cluster lifts from the black surround.

4. Look at back of cluster and you'll see 5 little philips heads screws. Undo all 5 screws and beware that each screw has a tiny plastic washer which could be lost easily once undone.

5. The cluster back should now come apart to reveal each little bulb. Change which is blown and put back together as removed. Remember to place the rubber cover back over/onto the wire nad rubber grommet into the wiring hole of the boot before pushing back into the boot. Prevent water leaking into the boot and also fouling the wiring.

6. If the whole brake cluster is hard to push back into the boot, it may be easier to open the boot and fiddle around with the wiring lead/rubber grommet as it may be preventing the cluster from being flush with the boot and just needs adjusting by pulling it in from inside of the boot.

7. See attached pic of rear brake cluster disassembled. Takes about 20 minutes to take apart and reassemble. Sorry about my dirty car.

Hope this helps.....

Enjoy!
Sue

Sue Wilson

Just to complete the post with the right bulb:
It's original Hella P/N 8GP 938 026-001
or bulb
W2,3W 12 Volt, socket W2x4,6 d
Would suggest to change them all at once with the same type.
Dieter

Hi Sue and Dieter,

Many thanks for your detailed info. Will try doing as you suggest tomorrow and defo replace all the bulbs (I remember doing that once when i removed the dash board of my old car to replace some indicators; it took so long I thought i'll change all the bulbs so I don't have to do it ever again!).

Thanks again!

Janine



JANINE ELLIOT

This thread was discussed between 11/08/2011 and 14/08/2011

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