The right brake light/tail light bulb in my RX8 fell out of the socket and was loose inside the tail light assembly. In the process of fishing out the bulb, the relector got a little dirty.

Does anyone know how to remove the tail light assembly (or at least the reflector) so I can clean it up? I haven't really looked at it myself, so I'm not even sure if it's possible.

Thanks!

 

erm, warranty?? why didn't you take it to the dealer??

...if the taillights are like any other modern bulb/reflector assembly light, it's a complete and sealed unit... i'm not sure you could clean it the way you're thinking...

 

It's a long story, but let's just say that it was not a warranty issue (kinda my fault it fell in there).

I'll take a closer look tonight and see if there are any options.

 

just lie to the dealer,just say it fell off over rough terrain

 

We don't want our dealers to lie to us and I would think they expect the same from us. Just my .02, though

 

oh heck no! the dealers rip us
off thats why I call em "$tealers", I woud lie to them as much as possible. A regular maintenance service is around $200 ( parts are usually $30 bucks and the labor is $170) , thats insane!

 

I agree. Lying to a dealer and making them eat the cost of something that you broke is not only dishonest, but it's part of the reason service is so expesive.

Just like shoplifting raises the cost of retail items, dealers have to charge enough to pay a mechanic, service writer, parts guys, buy shop supplies, and keep the power and AC on. Break that 170 up 5 ways, then factor in all the lost money spent on bogus warranty claims, and it's not the cash cow you think it is.

 

The dealer does not pay for a broken tail light, Mazda does. And I disagree with your comment. Dealer prices are totally outrageous and they always try to milk money out of the consumer whenever possible. For example, some dealers claim that if a car gets into an accident, the warranty is void. Sometimes the dealer will even blame something broken on a car on the comsumer when they didnt do anything! They are trying to save as much money as possible. I say, we should try to take advantage of the dealer as much as possible. Everyone is looking to make money and we must do what we can to get the most from them. I have had my fair share of dealer dissapointments. Bringing in my car for warranty service, they would direct me to a car rental place and wouldnt pay for the extra $10 fee because I am under 21. Now I feel is this unfair because Mazda states free car rentals for warranty service and just because I am under 21 I have to pay extra. Thats bullshit, car dealers are money milkers.

 

Not to hijack this guy's thread, but how is milking the dealership out of time and money any different then them doing it to you?

If your statement that "Dealers don't pay for Warranty work, Mazda does" is true, (which it is) then what would a dealer have to gain by trying to deny you a claim?

Bottom line is that sometimes dealers try and deny a warranty claim, and I've heard some pretty ridiculous reasons too, but all it takes is a converstaion with a service Manager or Zone rep to get things cleared up. Check my sig: Fourth Mazda I've owned, and never a problem with my dealer. Maybe that's because I've never tried to defraud them.

 

Dealers have an agreement with Mazda to fix all manufacture defects. And even though Mazda pays for the part, the dealer must take time from their own workers to fix it. I know some people are just very trusting and I don't blame you for trusting car dealerships but from my own experience with car dealerships, when it comes down to who pays for what and how much, they will try to get as much money from you.