1997 E36 tail lamp troubles

[Sam Robertson <sam@xxxxxxxxx>]

Uggh... frustration mounts...

So for some reason I'm plagued with my driver's side tail brake lamp 
acting up.  I've taken it to the shop twice to no avail.  In fact, if I 
see that 'brake light' warning again I think I'll stick my fist through 
the dash. ;)

Seriously, the mechanic had mentioned that they've seen this problem 
many times and all but my case showed that the tail-lamp assembly had 
become hot and deformed just enough to make the contacts between the 
lamp and the assembly bad.  That's all fine and good, but this doesn't 
look like the problem I'm having since we've verified the assembly is 
not melted or deformed and the tail lamps have all been replaced.  What 
does sort of convince me that I'm experiencing a similar problem is that 
if I loosen the lamps and retighten them I'm good for at least a few 
miles before the lamp quits working and the warning pops up.

So here are my questions:

* Can I replace the lighting assembly myself?  It seems simple enough.
* Where can I buy this that won't cost me a small fortune?  I've not 
priced it from the dealer yet, but if there is just a 'known' place to 
order this stuff, I would rather take care of it myself.

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