How do you remove the clear interior lens? There is a bug located in the light that has made this it's burial site. Here is a pic of the light. The model is a '06 Cabrio MCS. Thanks for any help.

 

The lens is plastic welded and doesn't come off separately. You can unclip the entire light panel, turn it over and shake out the bug through the bulb opening.

Use a credit card to pry up a corner of the panel near one of the reading light buttons. You will be able to tilt down the panel and remove it from the opening. Look at the first few photos in this document: http://www.fes-auto.com/upload/doc/3...r_Guide_EN.pdf. Once the panel is free, remove the middle bulb holder by twisting it, then turn the panel over and shake out the bug.

 

Perfect. Thanks.

 

That's funny. I have a dead bug in the tail light. Haven't figured out how to remove it yet... or maybe I'll leave alone as I'm sure its spirit is hovering around the car, protecting it.

 

If you have a 1st gen MINI, you access the back of the lights by removing both rear panels. You have a tool kit in there - look for either a 10 or 13 mm wrench. Not sure exactly which size but that wrench is there to remove the silver/gold colored nut at the back of the rear light housing. After the nut is removed. release the additional tabs holding the light into the fender. The housing comes right out. You can then remove the light bulb panel attached to the back of the housing and get access to that bug....I cleaned all the bulbs doing this as they become real dusty.

When tightening back up, reverse process and dont over tighten that nut, just a little tighter than snug - just to keep a good seal so water does not get inside.

 

Thanks! I'll look into it.

 

I'm having real trouble removing this light. I've followed the instructions in post 2, and in the linked PDF, an whilst i have made a gap, I just can't get the interior lamp to release on a 2006 R52.

I've pulled my fair share of trim in the past, and this feels like it's about to break a clip or bend a metal catch.

The plastic cards aren't strong enough, I've had to open the gap with a credit card and use a teaspoon to progressively lever and it still won't open. I've tried the front edge and both side edges, levering on the metal.

Any tips?

 

@joylove:

The front edge of the panel is held in place by two clips made of flat spring metal, circled here:



Normally just tilting the panel down will cause the metal spring to compress and allow it to slide down. If one or both of your metal clips is bent or deformed, I can imagine that it might catch and be unable to clear the front edge of the opening. Try pulling out the window and roof switches and you might be able to see what's going on with a flashlight. You'll probably have to insert a thin screwdriver and try to push the metal clip so it can clear the opening.

 

Thanks for the tips, I opened the roof, pulled the microphone covers, used my long middle finger to push out the roof and window switches, and then used the screwdriver to release the metal tabs.

Finally got it out, I think the metal tabs were off centre and not compressing into their channels. They can get caught up on the edge of the channel because the bare metal ends are not totally smooth for some silly reason.

All that effort and I'm not prewired for phone in the end after all :rolleyes: