My buddys 96 explorer has the LED third brake light, and it does not work. A few different shops want to charge over 300 bucks to fix it, and we will do it ourself. Anyone know how to get the friggin thing out to first check for power even getting there?

Adrianspeeder

 

It's been a while since I've done one, but I believe the entire outside surrounding trim comes off. The inside rear hatch panel has to come off too. There's really no checking to them; make sure the fuse isn't blown, if it's not, the ballast in the LED light is bad. The catch is that they changed up how the new unit is sold, I think in the '95 or '96 model year. Newer ones have the ballast and LED light as seperate units, older ones have them as one complete assembly, or vice versa, I don't remember.

 

Yes my wifes 96 Explorer went out a month or so ago... The bulb is an assembly with teh trim and the rivets must be drilled out of the trim to replace the bulb & assembly... It'll be a 96 or 97.. it is not a LED it is flouresent. Only two years they did this ignorant "experimental" design. The ballast can be accessed from the inside with out drilling by popping off the interior panel. Directly behind the light assembly there is 2 screws and that is the ballast. The ballast is $50 at the stealership and is most likely the problem if it's not the fuse.

IF it is the light bulb & assembly then that is around $300 new and various from salvage yard. But salvage yards will not quarnatee that thiers will even work.

To replace teh Bulb & assembly..
Behind the ballast you will see 2 nuts (or bolts) "I can't remeber" then on each side of the ballast there are 2 rubber plugs. Behind them there are nuts (bolts?) that must all come off + drilling out the rivets. You will also need the same size rivets to replace it.

Have fun!!!
I did