dome light

[bone86daddy]

so i was going to change my dome light and when i went to pop off the cover i popped out the entire thing and now i cant get it back up in there and stay in place. Can anyone help me out short of superglueing it to the header.

[PurdueGuy]

did you break the tabs? There should be 2 curled tabs on one end of the dome light. It's a pain to put back in, but that's usually not an issue because the tabs break anyway. Heck, last time I was at the junkyard, I just plain cut the dome light out of the headliner with a knife, cutting a square out of the headliner, so I could get at the whole thing while trying to remove it. Still broke the tabs with full access to both sides of the dome light... it's just a bad design (which, sadly, they used in all the s-series). I'm still deciding how I want to re-hang my wife's dome light (mine was replaced by a console). I've heard of people using velcro and others using zip ties.

[Low Saturn]

Removal and installation is easier and far less likely to break the tabs if you remove the clear lens first. That way you can see the tabs and know how much to bend then so you dont break them.

[bone86daddy]

i did break one of the tabs that your talking about when i was trying to get the cover off. and it figures i find your website purde with all your diy guides after i made this post.

[OldNuc]

Originally Posted by PurdueGuy

did you break the tabs? There should be 2 curled tabs on one end of the dome light. It's a pain to put back in, but that's usually not an issue because the tabs break anyway. Heck, last time I was at the junkyard, I just plain cut the dome light out of the headliner with a knife, cutting a square out of the headliner, so I could get at the whole thing while trying to remove it. Still broke the tabs with full access to both sides of the dome light... it's just a bad design (which, sadly, they used in all the s-series). I'm still deciding how I want to re-hang my wife's dome light (mine was replaced by a console). I've heard of people using velcro and others using zip ties.

Cross piece and a couple of mini zip ties work well. You are right, its a disaster design.

[PurdueGuy]

I'm thinking next time I'm at the junkyard, I'm just gonna hunt down a completely different dome light from a different car to make work. Anyone know how to take one out of an L-series? I glanced at one last time, didn't figure it out (didn't spend at lot of time at it, either).

[coupster]

I tried velcro with no luck.

I drilled 2 holes in the side of the fixture on the side that had the broken tabs and inserted the ends of a u shaped piece of coathanger. Installation was to slide the coathanger u over the headliner and push the other end of the fixture up, so that the hook tabs grabbed the headliner. Hasn't fallen down yet.

[bone86daddy]

while i had it off i took out the wiring and popped the lens cover off then took a wire tie, looped in up around where one of the tabs broke and its holding up fine

[DIYguy]

Mine self-destructed when I replaced the headliner. I tried velcro too. Doesn't stick in Summer heat. Then I tried a tie wrap. It just cracked the plastic of the light base and it rattled like mad.

I ended up drilling holes through the base of the housing and then marked the metal piece above it (part of the sunroof) through the new holes.

I drilled the metal piece at the marks using a scrap piece of 1/4" steel plate behind it so I wouldn't accidentally drill through the roof.

Once suitably drilled, I used a pair of short pan head screws inserted from the top side of the metal panel downward and some nuts. Now the body of the light fastens to the metal piece using some more nuts.

Hasn't rattled or dropped out of place yet.

One of these years I'll put a panel of white LEDs in it so it doesn't get hot when it's on. Probably be brighter anyway.

[xtremeranger]

I think a new one is like $35 from saturn...I broke mine and just bought a new one....

[OldNuc]

eBay is something like $8.00 or so for new old stock.

[t-daddy]

Originally Posted by OldNuc

eBay is something like $8.00 or so for new old stock.

Like they say.....Ebay. That's where I bought mine (2nd hand)

[ajs_saturn]

Originally Posted by bone86daddy

Can anyone help me out short of superglueing it to the header.

supergluing to the header would melt the plastic in minutes

ebay man, the best thing ever