After encountering the apparently typical problem with the EX LED brake light not working or occasionally working and finding no good write up on fixing it, I decided to do a write up to try and help others with the same problem. Please forgive my unprofessional photography as I only had my phone at my disposal. This was done on my 07 coupe so I'm not sure if the process is any different for sedan's and non-premium audio vehicles.
First locate the 3rd brake light plug in the trunk
Once you find the plug, unplug it and remove the plug from the clip holding it the body by sliding it either forward or backward
I also unplugged the trunk light at this point as well as I wasn't sure how long it would take and didn't want it to drain the battery. Do so as you see fit
Next, pull the release handle for the rear seats in the trunk and lay the seats down flat. Once down, head inside to remove the cover that houses the light assembly. I found it easiest at this point to sit on the seats as they were folded down. Not the roomiest but gets the job done.
Once inside you'll need to unclip the speaker cover that houses the brake light. Easiest way, for me, was to hit straight up at the bottom the plastic with the palm of my hand. Doesn't take much to pop it loose. You'll wanna work the whole way across the cover to ensure all clips are loose
Now that you have the bottom clips popped, slightly pull the cover straight toward the front of the vehicle to release it from the rear fasteners. Be careful to not get carried away when pulling it forward as the wires for the light runs through a small hole. Lift the cover and pull the wires out.
Once the wires are clear of the hole, you can remove the cover from the car completely. Be sure to remove the push pins that hold the cover in as they will not come out with the cover. Replace them before reinstallation
Now that you have the cover out, unscrew the screws holding the subwoofer ring and also the two that hold the brake light in
Next, squeeze the two metal clips and pull up on the light assembly to remove it from the cover
The assembly should now be able to be removed. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the solder joints before but you can clearly see they have cracks in them. I recommend having somebody that can solder do this step if you are not familiar with soldering. Simply apply some flux and heat the cracked solder to reflow it. I was unsuccessful in reflowing the solder so had to add some new in order to get it to flow. You may or may not have to add any. This is what it should look like after resoldering and the joints you should check for cracks
Now just reverse the steps in removing the light and speaker cover to reinstall it (being sure to feed the plug and wires back through the hole before snapping the cover in place). I found it easiest to fasten the front clips (closest to you) then popping the rear push pins (closest to the rear window) in. The front clips are fastened by lining them up with the holes and pushing down to snap them in place. Once everything is clipped in, fold the seats up, plug everything back in, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done and not having to worry about getting pulled over or failed inspections :woowoo:
First locate the 3rd brake light plug in the trunk
Once you find the plug, unplug it and remove the plug from the clip holding it the body by sliding it either forward or backward
I also unplugged the trunk light at this point as well as I wasn't sure how long it would take and didn't want it to drain the battery. Do so as you see fit
Next, pull the release handle for the rear seats in the trunk and lay the seats down flat. Once down, head inside to remove the cover that houses the light assembly. I found it easiest at this point to sit on the seats as they were folded down. Not the roomiest but gets the job done.
Once inside you'll need to unclip the speaker cover that houses the brake light. Easiest way, for me, was to hit straight up at the bottom the plastic with the palm of my hand. Doesn't take much to pop it loose. You'll wanna work the whole way across the cover to ensure all clips are loose
Now that you have the bottom clips popped, slightly pull the cover straight toward the front of the vehicle to release it from the rear fasteners. Be careful to not get carried away when pulling it forward as the wires for the light runs through a small hole. Lift the cover and pull the wires out.
Once the wires are clear of the hole, you can remove the cover from the car completely. Be sure to remove the push pins that hold the cover in as they will not come out with the cover. Replace them before reinstallation
Now that you have the cover out, unscrew the screws holding the subwoofer ring and also the two that hold the brake light in
Next, squeeze the two metal clips and pull up on the light assembly to remove it from the cover
The assembly should now be able to be removed. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the solder joints before but you can clearly see they have cracks in them. I recommend having somebody that can solder do this step if you are not familiar with soldering. Simply apply some flux and heat the cracked solder to reflow it. I was unsuccessful in reflowing the solder so had to add some new in order to get it to flow. You may or may not have to add any. This is what it should look like after resoldering and the joints you should check for cracks
Now just reverse the steps in removing the light and speaker cover to reinstall it (being sure to feed the plug and wires back through the hole before snapping the cover in place). I found it easiest to fasten the front clips (closest to you) then popping the rear push pins (closest to the rear window) in. The front clips are fastened by lining them up with the holes and pushing down to snap them in place. Once everything is clipped in, fold the seats up, plug everything back in, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done and not having to worry about getting pulled over or failed inspections :woowoo: