Moderator: RichardW
The high-level brake light stopped working ages ago (snapped wire) and the rear washer pipe's broken too - time to sort them out, methinks! 
Looking at this 'how to' - http://s796.photobucket.com/user/nevcco ... t=3&page=1 its the upper trim panel I'll be removing.
The tailgate parts list is a little extensive to post up as it is, so shout what the numbers are and we'll look up the part numbers 
I think I'll be removing trim panel no. 30, so yes, looks like clip no. 80 is the ones I'll be breaking! 
No, it takes me to a page trying to sell me a service for $300 a year!
Richard_C wrote: ↑11 Oct 2017, 18:04 Moving on from the clips issue to the brake light. This might help you or others.
My C5 (no longer have it) had a failed light and after much prodding and testing it wasn't the normal break in the wire near the join. I got it all out, not too difficult but take care not to scratch the spoiler - if I reacall it flops down onto the roof so I put a rug across. Once out I applied volts straight to the unit but no success. I separated the lens from the body by running a blade around it - came off easily. The circuit board with the LEDS on it sits on two pillars which you can't see, but if you gently ease the board up progressively from each end using a screwdriver you see how it fits together and in my case the amount of corrosion. You can test the LEDS by applying 12v to the board, remember polarity because they only work one way. After much cleaning and scraping without much success I ended up soldering a new wire directly onto the circuit board, drilling the side of the housing and running the wire all the way back to a connection way down the harness. A bit of sealant to seal hole and stick lens back on and all was (reliably) well.
OK, an hour or so of messing about but I think a new brake lamp is fairly expensive.
Back to clips. I broke a couple, missed one in the clearout and every time I opened the tailgate after that it rattled as it ran down some hidden channel. Grrr. Think like a surgeon, count the bits before you sew the body up.
I spent ages the other day levering and pulling in various places, but got nowhere - it felt as if either the plastics would break, or my fingers would! 
