My porch light does not work, and I want to either replace the fluorescent bulbs or go to LED but can't get the lens off. I have verified power is getting to the fixture by testing for 12 VDC in the wires above the door, so I know that it is a bulb or ballast issue.
I assume that the button in the hole at each end is the secret and that by pressing it I was expecting the light body to release from some sort of back plate but that has not worked. Maybe I am not applying enough force, but I am afraid to break anything so decided it was time to ask for help.
Mike,
Take out that little black plug and you will find a Phillips head screw. Once removed that black plastic cover will come off to expose the inner works. Now you can slide the lens out one end or the other and get to everything inside.
Mike
Mike (not you Mike, the other Mike),
In case you haven't seen it, there was a thread here a few years ago where we explored some ways to refurbish/update the OEM porch lights to LED. Might give you some ideas how to proceed, once you have the lens off.
OEM Porch Light Rebuild (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=42058.0)
I used LED strips, they work well.
The orange cover comes off by squeezing top and bottom towards each other but be careful as it is probably brittle.
There is a lip on each side, one of the sides has to come off of the fixture or the lens will break. The lens actually slides out.
Thanks for the help. Instead of changing the bulbs I swapped in LED strips. I saw that some felt 3 was too many so went with 2. I won't mess with a dimmer, but if I end up feeling that 2 is too bright, I will cut one wire in the future.
For what it is worth--and I don't know for sure---I thought I read somewhere that the nighttime bugs are NOT attracted to the LED lights and that LED lights emit a different type of wave length radiance than regular bulbs.
I do know that bugs are not attracted to the LED light strips on our coach porch light.