Henry964

I´ve changed the 3 rear lights of my 964 on march last year, today I travelled to our first Porsche Cup meeting (a 130 miles highway drive) and when we arrived to the gas station nearby, I noticed one of the rear lights was hanging from the wires and even worse, as it was the one over the exhaust it was half melted from the heat.

This is the first time such thing happens to me in my years as a driver (I got my first license in 1970) and I was wondering if this is a common issue with our cars

To add more trouble to this issue, only the lights on the other side of the car worked, the side that got the rear one melted is nonfunctional

f3nr15

The rear lights are only held in with that one screw. I guess it had fallen out? Could you have forgotten to put it in when you changed the lenses? Do your lights have the gaskets fitted?

ChaseN

I can't see this happening unless the screw wasn't put in, or was at least put in really really loosely.

Marc Shaw

Never heard of that before either.

Marc

xdecock

I had this problem 1 hi hour after getting out of the opc for a repaint, the bolt that old the screw broke and I lost the screw, the bolt and found my taillight hanging and scratching my new paint.

So it happens

964X33

On that subject, some cars seem to have a rubber gasket that goes all around the light assembly and others just have a small gasket at each end. What's the go with that??

Silvertarga

The full gasket was dropped sometime after 1991 I believe but can be fitted to all 964s..

Porsche964FP

It's happened to me also. I was on a dual carriageway and a fellow rennlister called me - rear right light hanging by the wire. Popped it back in and off I went. It's just one screw, maybe over time it wiggled it's way out - I was coming back from Spa, so maybe under track conditions...

f3nr15

For 1989 and 1990, the rear lenses had the full gasket. In 1991, the cars were fitted with the end-only gaskets. After 1991, the gaskets were eliminated altogether. Seems like a bit of thought went in to the whole idea, but I wonder what it was all about...?

Henry964

Thanks everyone, so our lights are bound to get loose because they are only in place with one screw, if this happened in city driving maybe I would have saved the light

meek

Lost the same light the same way as you last year. Was 3 years new, so was a bit miffed. Melted as it dangled over the exhaust exit pipe. The screws seem to work themselves loose over time. I check them on a regular basis now, especially with the cost of new units.

Silvertarga

I replaced the screws holding the lights in with "security bit" types, stainless steel and put o rings on them so they have a "buffer" , .and are less likely to crack the lens.also there is a thick washer that fits in to the back of the tail light lens where the screw comes through ..was rotted on mine and I used a piece of fuel line hose cut to fit...havent had a problem (only previous problem was stress fractures/cracks due to some overtightening of screws)

With the cost of replacements I didnt like the idea of them being easily accessible (removed) by anyone with a philips screwdriver or pocket knife..

Baltic964Cab

Happened to me last evening on a top-down cruise. Guy in a truck at a stop sign says "Hey, you tail light is hanging." I pulled over to see the right rear light was hanging by the wire and fully melted by the exhaust heat. The wire connector also ate through the paint on the bumper. Great Night I had purchased a full rear set from Sunset in June/2011....Now I will be checking the screws before each drive.

Earlydays

Happened to me also on the right side and the exhaust also melted all the wires together. Luckily the lense was already cracked so it was a good excuse to get a new assembly. My car is a 90 and I reused the original gasket.