Bulb

[AMPM]

Got the bulb out indicator the other day.
Checked all the bulbs and found the problem, left brake light out.
Got out the tools and went at it, below is what I found.

Pic 1
Tools required
Plastic rivet remover
8 mm wrench
Extended magnet (to get the wrench back when you drop it into the fender)
Knife optional (cutting plastic strip)

Pic 2
Use the rivet tool to remove the rivets that hold the cover in place to reveal the access hole on the left side of trunk. BTW this is where the phone is located if you have it.
The blue and yellow bulb sockets are in the back.

Pic 3
My hand is as big as a club and would not fit in there to reach the bulbs so I cut the plastic strip out of the compartment and removed the Velcro strap. Tucked the phone wires inside. I do not plan on adding the phone as I use a pocket phone.
This is a nice storage area, for what I don’t know.

Pic 4
I could not turn the brake light holder so I decided to remove the lens.
Remove the three 8 mm gold nuts holding the lens in and pull it out of its hole.

Pic 5
Now we see the trouble, over heated connection. Notice the small plastic alignment pin that has melted and the burned discoloration on the left side of the holder?

Pic 6
The bulb holder has been burned and is discolored.
This seems like it should be more than a minor irritation to MB as it looks like a fire hazard to me. The silver contact strips on the lens are pitted where the bulb holder connects to it. (This is why the replace the entire lens and not just the bulb when you take it in, they don’t want you to know it melted).

Pic 7
Sanded all contact surfaces with sand paper and put it back together.

Pic 8
All done works fine.
I plan to remove both lights (replacing the left one) and clean all the contacts then put some electronic grease on them. (I did not have any on hand or I would have done the left side while I had it open).