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Hi CarreraAlex,
I ran into the same issue as you did. I recently purchased a 2010 997.2. The left rear tail lamp had a crack and water basically fills up in the lamp. I purchased the OEM "ULO" branded light from pelican parts, after speaking to a specialist that confirms this lamp is the one that Porsche rebrands. I also purchased a Porsche Boxed/Branded tail lamp from Gaudin Porsche of Las Vegas. Both have the same part number, look the same, etc.
Both lights do NOT fit and are misaligned at the bottom and top where it meets the body. The stock light that's been in the car since the original owner's purchase, slots in perfectly. After pretty much going through the same troubleshooting you did, the new lights (ULO or "Porsche") have the same issue and I think you are right in that this is a molding problem. One thing of note, the original light was made in Slovenia, the one ones in Bulgaria - could be the casting that the new producer uses.
I'm very unhappy with the alignment because it's very apparent. I'm curious what approach you followed to remediate the issue?
I ended up buying a donor tail light from ebay that was all sorts of messed up and rehousing my third ULO unit into that one’s rear plastic shell, fit perfect. Just had to verify with the seller that the part i needed (the black rear housing) was intact - nothing else mattered.
There’s a bunch of screws on the back of the unit then it slides out pretty easily, then reseat it in the new ULO unit.
Not the best outcome, but it works and they’re otherwise new.
If your current tail is only cracked on the lens and the back housing is fine - i would swap the back with the ULO unit and see if that works for you. There’s no seal or glue on the back of the light so no need to worry about that
Last edited by CarreraAlex; 03-12-2024 at 03:59 PM.
I ended up buying a donor tail light from ebay that was all sorts of messed up and rehousing my third ULO unit into that one’s rear plastic shell, fit perfect. Just had to verify with the seller that the part i needed (the black rear housing) was intact - nothing else mattered.
There’s a bunch of screws on the back of the unit then it slides out pretty easily, then reseat it in the new ULO unit.
Not the best outcome, but it works and they’re otherwise new.
If your current tail is only cracked on the lens and the back housing is fine - i would swap the back with the ULO unit and see if that works for you. There’s no seal or glue on the back of the light so no need to worry about that
My light is cracked at but it's unnoticeable. There is water buildup inside (i had to drain it the other day) but the light still works.
The plastic back housing is totally fine - however i assumed that the back housing is mated to the glass with some glue and cannot be removed. I also assumed that the back housing contains the electronics - am i thinking about this all wrong?
Using your pic as an example and my terrible illustration skills, isn't the plastic back housing bonded to the lamp/glass itself?
I just snapped some pics - this piece comes off and can move - there’s a rubber gasket on the housing in between them but no glue, and that should be on the “lens side”
Alex the pictures are extremely helpful, thank you. I incorrectly assumed that the entire rear housing connected at the "glass" and contained the electronics - it's actually the opposite.
I'll holding on sending the light back to Porsche (I already sent the ULO one back to Pelican Parts). I'll remove the back swap the lenses and give it a test. I'll post back once I'm completed with pictures.
Glad they helped! let me know if you have any other questions, I hope it works for you as it did with me.
If you wouldn’t mind posting a response here once you get it sorted so others looking have a log.
It’s a shame the cast is off - it’s quite dramatic and I wonder if anything will be done about it on the production end. I asked both pelican parts and parts geek to notify the warehouse.
Will do Alex. I also placed a ticket with Porsche, via the Parts Manager at Gaudin Porsche (where i purchased the light from). I was told that manufacturing of these lights comes from Bulgaria, Germany and Slovenia, however the latest designation of the lights, comes from Bulgaria (the ones with the bad cast). That said, the closest i've come to finding a tail lamp that might work, is the one here from Rose Passion Porsche - The cast for the "U" shaped receiver looks correct and it is made in German. I don't want to take the chance though as pictures might not represent the actual part designation.
Hey Alex and anyone else seeing the same issue. Today I swapped the rear housing from my original, broken tail lamp, over to the brand new Porsche (non-ULO/OEM) headlamp housing. Here are some considerations for doing the swap and the outcome. I was pleased with the outcome and everything lined up nearly perfectly!
Disassembled the rear housing from both lamps. New on left, old on right. Cleaned the old with a wet cloth to get rid of dirt. I reused all the screws from the new housing because they are well, nice and new.
Used the rubber Seal from the new headlamp's rear housing. The new seal is thicker and less deformed from the used seal. See for yourself!
Top is old, bottom is new - see the gap tolerances. This flange is responsible for the outboard part of the light, fastening correctly into the bolt. Out with the new, in with the old!
Don't forget this guy!!! This is responsible for the light sit at the correct height level, so that there is no bottom gap. Optimal placement of this rubber thing is in pic 2.
Also don't forget this little clear cap. It came with my original light but NOT with the OEM (ULO) or Porsche Branded Factory lights. Since it was on the old housing and i swapped housings - i didn't need to touch it
All Done! Tolerances look great all around, to the MM on each side around the entire tail lamp!
I had bought a new tail light from Gaudin Porsche around a year ago and had been wondering why the fitment was different from the original. I'm glad to finally know what the issue is, thanks all on this thread for sharing.
03-12-2024, 03:55 PM
