Millput and repair to tail light plastic cover

[Brian Deakin]

I have a Jaguar xf Sportbrake car Today I discovered the cover to my rear tail light was damaged and small section of the lower corner of the plastic outer cover measuring about 1/2 inch by 2inches was missing

I contacted the Jaguar dealership in the United Kingdom and was told the cost to replace the
light which is a sealed unit is $663

(Miliput is a 2 part epoxy putty https://www.milliput.com/ )

To repair the damage to the light I plan to use Milliput 2 part epoxy putty

Can any one please advise if this approach is suitable

[Frank Pratt]

Pretty hard to say without a pic. Can you post one?

[Brian Deakin]

It is now dark in the Uk (18 .44 pm) I will post a picture tomorrow

[Jim Becker]

I'm speculating, but the only issue I can think of is that since the seal is broken, there could be condensation issues. Have you checked for an available full assembly from a salvage yard? No harm in trying. Unfortunately in situations like this, many vehicle manufacturers have moved to lighting assemblies like this. It started with the fronts on many vehicles, but as LED has gained hold (theoretically with lamp life in excess of the vehicle) things are catching on with the rears, too.

[Jim Matthews]

https://www.autoparts24.co.uk/jaguar-xf/rear-light/1/

50,000 gbp new? Fix it correctly, the first time or bodge it repeatedly.

[Brian Deakin]

IMG_8015.jpg Please note the image is upside down and I was unable to rotate it

Thank you to everyone for your for your posts I have located the missing piece of the cover which was in two pieces and I have used a 2 part epoxy to glue them back in place
I fully realize this is not an ideal solution and it will be interesting to see how long the repair lasts

Please note the damaged area is only 1/2 in by 2 inch

Jim the cover does not form a seal so condensation should not be an issue

[Frank Pratt]

That's a tough one to glue with any kind of adhesive. I would try using a very low viscosity, clear epoxy & see if it can be wicked into the cracks. But one issue with epoxy is that it will yellow & degrade with UV exposure, so you'd need to spray the lens with a clear UV blocking top coat, like what they use on plastic head light lenses.

[Brian Deakin]

The glue I used was a thicker viscosity epoxy My impatience to get the repair completed prevented me thinking through the process and a lower viscosity epoxy may have been a better option

I may have found an answer to the UV light issue The manager of a local garage gave me a piece of self adhesive red film which I have placed over the repair

Thank you again to the members who have posted

[Derek Meyer]

If you need a glue for transparent plastics, Testor's makes a clear plastic glue designed for model airplane cockpits and windows in model railroad structures. It dries clear and does not distort the parts.

[Frank Pratt]

If you need a glue for transparent plastics, Testor's makes a clear plastic glue designed for model airplane cockpits and windows in model railroad structures. It dries clear and does not distort the parts.

That glue only works on polystyrene though. It's a solvent weld cement & won't really stick anything together that the solvent won't readily disolve.

[Kev Williams]

Thicker viscosity epoxy, which is typically mixed in 2 equal quantities, remains somewhat pliable when cured. Thinner varieties and superglues become hard and brittle when cured. Just me but I've found the hard brittle versions tend to become un-glued, the pliable versions tend to stay put.

--But it sounds like you have it under control

[Brian Deakin]

Thank you kev
It will be interesting to see how long the repair lasts

[ChrisA Edwards]

Search YouTube for 'Tail Light Repair', lots of recommendations.

[Brian Deakin]

Chrisa thank you for the link