Anybody replaced this bulb (non-spoiler model). The manual says to "see dealer". Anyone with a DIY? How difficult is it?

 

I believe it is an LED and can't be replaced. Not 100% sure since I disabled mine when the spoiler went on.

 

Well, it IS an LED. But why would this mean it cannot be replaced? Can a "bulb" not be purchased?

 

The assembly can be replaced but not really the led. You would have to find out which led is bad, desolder and resolder another one in

 

+1

If it is a CCA with LED's you would need to buy a new one from Infiniti and open it up. They may not sell those alone so you may need a complete new light assembly.

 

I had the same problem as the OP. It's not one individual LED that is out, it's the entire lamp that is not working. I think that's why the OP thought it was one bulb that could be replaced to fix it. I didn't really worry about it too much because I added a spoiler with LEDs. But I did check the wiring that goes to the rear deck brake lamp, and it is getting clean power and has ground all the way up to the lamp assy, therefore the problem lies inside the actual brake lamp assy. I'm pretty sure I read on this forum that other sedan owners have had this issue, so it's not a rare thing. Like I said, I left mine alone because I don't need it now, but the OP is probably going to have to buy a complete assy from Infiniti.

 

Yeah I've been seeing the same problem with the LED on the other 03-04 sedans. Mine would not light up sometimes but work at other times.

I'd really like to see if it's possible to replace with the LED light assembly from the 05-06 sedan as I honestly think that LED looks better than the one on the 03-04

 

My 04 is LED's?...?

 

Well this pretty much sucks. Car won't pass inspection without that light working, I'm pretty sure. And surely the stealer wants big bux for this job.

Anyone who's figured out a DIY please please pass it on. I did get a hold of the service manual which shows how to take out the back seat to remove the parcel shelf and then the light assembly (what a PAIN), but how to get a hold of the LED itself?

 

Contact InfinitiPartsUSA.com (888-216-5328) and ask for Joe, tell him you are part of this forum, I'm sure he can get you a way better price than your local stealership. Probably looking at $140 or so for the entire assembly, but maybe you can just purchase the interal parts.

Another thought, if you're not concerned about having the center brake lamp all the time and just want to pass inspection, you could purchase a generic lamp assembly from any auto parts store and splice it into the center brake lamp wiring. Then just put it in the back window. That way you have a working light for the time being.

 

I think this is a somewhat common problem with the earlier cars. In '04 I was in for some other service and the service writer said, "Oh, by the way, your center brake light was out so we put in a new part under warranty."

The old light had several LEDs--the new assembly is just two points of light, and they are behind a whitish lens so I can't even say for sure if they are LEDs anymore.

 

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I've got an '03 G35 sedan and I was reading this thread because my center brake light was out and has been for awhile. The dealer did want big bucks to replace it, ~$300, so I told them forget it. After reading some forum articles, I was able to pull the light out through the trunk instead of going through all that hassle of trying to follow the service manual and take out the rear seats and parcel shelf. One of the screws was hard to get to, being at a tough angle, but I got it.

I took the light assembly to work and hooked it up to a power supply. The LED's came on ever so slightly so I knew immediately that the LED's were good; they just weren't getting enough juice. That left only 3 components on the small PCB to test - two 36 ohm resistors and a diode. The resistors measured across at 18 ohms, which was correct since they're in parallel, but the diode was open in both directions, which is obviously not correct. To make a long story short, I unsoldered the defective diode and replaced it with an equivalent part. The LED's lit up like new! I can't say for certain what part the original diode was because it literally crumbled to pieces when I took it out, but I used an IN4004 for the replacement part.

Basically, an 8 cent diode and a little bit of my time saved me $300!

I hope this helps.

 

Awesome!! Great info.

 

To: iitywybmad:

I have the same problem in my '03 sedan. I saw your post about taking the LED assembly out through the trunk. I pulled the carpeted trim off the inside of my trunk, but I don't see the screws that you're talking about that hold the LED in place. Where are they located? Did you have to disassemble the rear shelf, speakers, etc, or did you find the mounting screws for the LED light only?

Thanks for your help.

 

My car just failed inspection for a non-functioning 3rd brake lamp. Based on the advice above, I was able to remove it through the trunk.
1) Drop the trunk lining by removing the clips.
2) Then pull out the fluffy damping material.
3) I then used my hand to find the screws while looking at the top of the lamp through the rear window - as predicted, one screw as easy and the other was next to impossible because it is completely covered by the sheet metal. I used a long thin standard blade and passed it through a nearby threaded hole.

Next challenge will be to get it remounted. At least I feel better about paying $150 for the part and saving $150 on the installation.