Most Beretta owners have seen what the tail lights can look like when they become either dust filled or moisture begins to condense in them. Below is a procedure on how to take apart the taillights, clean them, and reseal them to prevent future problems.
Step One Open the trunk, the two bars that hold the trunk “mesh” up are each held by two wing nuts, take the mesh down and remove those wing nuts.
Step Two Pull the carpet back to expose the body inside the trunk, look to the edge of the body and you will see two more wing nuts, on smaller than the other, take the larger of the two off. The lights are ready for removal.
Step Three Slowly pull the light assembly out and disconnect the lights. Set a cloth down and lay the lights down on the cloth, if the lights are dirty and you want to clean them, use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them off, no cleaners. If needed, mark the connectors so you know where each bulb goes. Now things get tricky,
Step Four There are two clips on the top of the light, in-between the top lip and curvature for the bulb housing, and two clips on the bottom of the light. I found it easiest to pop the two bottom clips and then open the assembly slowly, and then slide the top two clips out. There is a factory sealant on the assembly and it is tough to pull apart, but it will come apart.
Step Five Once apart you will have two pieces, the backing with the light housing, and the lens with the outside “blackout” lens.
Step Six Now you have to open up the side with the actual colored, ridged plastic. They are in there very close, so you have to go straight up and out with the pieces, but be very gentle, because if you pry too much, they will break. I found this easiest to use a flat-head screw driver down the short edge and slowly working it up, and then repeating on the other side, sometimes having to keep a screwdriver in the other side just to keep it from slipping back down.
Step Seven Once this is done, clean the entire assembly, especially around where the light will seal back together.
Step Eight Let all parts dry, so there is no moisture, you may even want to take a hair dryer to the parts, but don’t get too close for chance of melting it (don’t know, but just to be safe).
Step Nine Place the colored lenses back into place and using Clear RTV Silicone, put a small bead of silicone all the way around both lens edges where they meet the housing. Dampen one finger and push the silicone down into the groove to ensure a good seal. Look over the lenses and make sure there are no holes.
Step Ten Put a generous bead around the light housing’s mating edge to the lens assembly and place them back together.
Step Eleven Apply pressure on the housing for a good 10-20 minutes to ensure a good adherence. Wait a few hours, recheck the assembly, looking at the silicone to ensure it is holding and if it looks good place the completed assembly back into the car, placing the bulbs into their proper slots.
Step Twelve Repeat 1-11 with the other light.