Removing Tailights

ballplaya4237 · 05-12-2006, 05:14 PM

Hello..Im attempting to remove the entire tailight assembly so I can tint my tailights. I'm having trouble removing it...i tried removing all of the screws or whatever from inside the trunk but it still didnt come out. Any help woudl be appreciated.

kenchan · 05-16-2006, 10:32 PM

I'd like to know the details, if anyone has them, on removing the rear
tail light assembly. Car got hit in the parking lot by our UPS truck (some newb
driver) and the tail light cracked along with some minor damage on the
rear bumper and quarter panel. body shop quoted me $970 to fix cause
the quarter panel needs to be filled and whole side of the car needs to
be blended to match color.... being a PDR tech myself, i thought the
estimate was complete bs.

Im doing the repair on my own and will charge UPS's insurance to reimburse
me for the parts, paint, and some labor.

I think the rear bumper needs to be removed to remove the tail light. i
removed the 4 nuts today on the backside of the tail light but it would not
come off...

Is it just the 2-3 phillips head screws by the fender opening, 2 clips on
the bottom and the 2 torex (or hex) screws by the trunk opening like
on the coupes?

thanks.

ballplaya4237 · 05-17-2006, 12:19 AM

yep

2 Screws
2 Clips
2 Hex

then just pull with a little force..pops right off

kenchan · 05-17-2006, 08:32 AM

^^ thanks. i forgot to mention I have a sedan..is that the same for the sedans?

Also, you said pull... which way? aft or down? thanks. :)

ballplaya4237 · 05-17-2006, 09:32 PM

Not sure about the sedan..but id imagine so..

and pull out...not down..

kenchan · 05-18-2006, 12:48 AM

^ thanks. I went to honda to order my tailight today...
should have the car fixed by this weekend if the weather behaves... :)

kenchan · 05-19-2006, 01:17 AM

Here's how to remove the rear bumper on the sedans.

Remove 4 Phillips screws per side on the fender liner (one is pointing upward),2 clips on the bottom, and 2 hex screws at the trunk opening. You need to gently pull out the sides of the bumpers (one side at a time) then gently pull the bumper aft. Then do the other side.

The tail light removal will require you to pull the bumper cover off to remove the bracket the lights are sitting on. There are 2 nuts on the brackets you need to remove.

My car is 95% fixed. I got my new taillight to replace the broken one. Just need to touchup and wet sand the light scuffing on the bumper

kenchan · 05-19-2006, 08:41 AM

OT... ^^ i did that post from my BlackBerry. looks pretty good, huh?

**J-Ro** · 05-21-2006, 11:48 AM

how do you actually remove the taillight on the coupe? I remove the four nuts, but there's still something holding it back... I have a feeling that it's something small that I'm missing that is going to make me feel like a retard :rolleyes:
I want to take them out to start researching how I'm going to install LED taillights :)

Thanks,
J

ballplaya4237 · 05-21-2006, 02:51 PM

You have to remove the rear bumper. There's one screw in each tailight holding it back.

kenchan · 05-21-2006, 07:32 PM

yeh, the light sits on a bracket that holds the bumper in place.

On the sedans, you actually need to remove the bracket to get the
tailight off...i think it might be the same on the coupes as there are
posts under the lamp that secures itself into the bracket... unless
you're forcing the bracket or posts out of the way.

**J-Ro** · 05-21-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

yeh, the light sits on a bracket that holds the bumper in place.

On the sedans, you actually need to remove the bracket to get the
tailight off...i think it might be the same on the coupes as there are
posts under the lamp that secures itself into the bracket... unless
you're forcing the bracket or posts out of the way.

Okay, so it sounds like it's a similar setup to the headlights (i.e. a bracket that holds the bumper also holds back the light assembly). Fortunately I have lots of experience with the front of the car... now to take apart the back :)

Thanks for the help!
J

desi786 · 06-14-2006, 03:46 PM

can someone make a DIY on this im also looking to tint my tail lights soon.

**J-Ro** · 06-15-2006, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desi786

can someone make a DIY on this im also looking to tint my tail lights soon.

I'm going to be doing a "mission of discovery" as I call it, to prepare for an LED taillight mod, so I'll be taking the rear bumper off at some point. I can take some pictures while I'm at it and put something together.

J

dpaschal · 09-23-2006, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Ro

I'm going to be doing a "mission of discovery" as I call it, to prepare for an LED taillight mod, so I'll be taking the rear bumper off at some point. I can take some pictures while I'm at it and put something together.

J

Don't know if anyone has pictures of each of the bolts and clips that need to be removed, but any pictures would be great. I guess I will attempt it blindly if I can't find any step by step instructions and pictures and then I WILL take pictures of this so people in the future won't have as much frustration as I have had!

**J-Ro** · 09-23-2006, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpaschal

Don't know if anyone has pictures of each of the bolts and clips that need to be removed, but any pictures would be great. I guess I will attempt it blindly if I can't find any step by step instructions and pictures and then I WILL take pictures of this so people in the future won't have as much frustration as I have had!

Yeah, sorry... the LED array mod I wanted to do got mothballed because I found out the taillights cannot be heated up and taken apart like the headlights can, so I abandoned the project.
I did take some pictures, but I'm not sure if they're still on the camera... I'll have a look tomorrow when I get home.

J

dpaschal · 09-23-2006, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpaschal

Don't know if anyone has pictures of each of the bolts and clips that need to be removed, but any pictures would be great. I guess I will attempt it blindly if I can't find any step by step instructions and pictures and then I WILL take pictures of this so people in the future won't have as much frustration as I have had!

Mission complete. My camera battery was dead, so pictures are a no go, but I will describe in detail...

There are four screws inside the fender well (no need to take tires off) that are holding the side of the bumper on. There are two plastic snap things just under the rear of the bumper that can be removed with a flat blade screwdriver. When you open the trunk, you will see the two hex bolts holding the rest of the bumper on. After all that is removed, just pull a bit on the sides of the bumper to disengage it from its recess. It will make sort of a ZZZZT noise.

After the bumper is off, you just have two bolts you need to loosen under each tail light and then there is 1 phillips head screw on the bottom of the tail light that needs to come out. If you have already removed the four plugs and the four inner nuts holding the light assembly, it will slide out with ease.

When you go to put the bumper back, make sure it goes in between the bottom bracket and tail lights and also you will need a rubber mallet to gently tap the sides of the bumper so it goes back into it's recesses.

That's about it!

05-12-2006, 05:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
ballplaya4237 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 19 Posts: 569 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Removing Tailights Hello..Im attempting to remove the entire tailight assembly so I can tint my tailights. I'm having trouble removing it...i tried removing all of the screws or whatever from inside the trunk but it still didnt come out. Any help woudl be appreciated.

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05-16-2006, 10:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	I'd like to know the details, if anyone has them, on removing the rear tail light assembly. Car got hit in the parking lot by our UPS truck (some newb driver) and the tail light cracked along with some minor damage on the rear bumper and quarter panel. body shop quoted me $970 to fix cause the quarter panel needs to be filled and whole side of the car needs to be blended to match color.... being a PDR tech myself, i thought the estimate was complete bs. Im doing the repair on my own and will charge UPS's insurance to reimburse me for the parts, paint, and some labor. I think the rear bumper needs to be removed to remove the tail light. i removed the 4 nuts today on the backside of the tail light but it would not come off... Is it just the 2-3 phillips head screws by the fender opening, 2 clips on the bottom and the 2 torex (or hex) screws by the trunk opening like on the coupes? thanks.

05-17-2006, 12:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
ballplaya4237 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 19 Posts: 569 iTrader: 1 / 100%	yep 2 Screws 2 Clips 2 Hex then just pull with a little force..pops right off

05-17-2006, 08:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	^^ thanks. i forgot to mention I have a sedan..is that the same for the sedans? Also, you said pull... which way? aft or down? thanks. :)

05-17-2006, 09:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
ballplaya4237 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 19 Posts: 569 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Not sure about the sedan..but id imagine so.. and pull out...not down..

05-18-2006, 12:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	^ thanks. I went to honda to order my tailight today... should have the car fixed by this weekend if the weather behaves... :)

05-19-2006, 01:17 AM	#7 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Here's how to remove the rear bumper on the sedans. Remove 4 Phillips screws per side on the fender liner (one is pointing upward),2 clips on the bottom, and 2 hex screws at the trunk opening. You need to gently pull out the sides of the bumpers (one side at a time) then gently pull the bumper aft. Then do the other side. The tail light removal will require you to pull the bumper cover off to remove the bracket the lights are sitting on. There are 2 nuts on the brackets you need to remove. My car is 95% fixed. I got my new taillight to replace the broken one. Just need to touchup and wet sand the light scuffing on the bumper

05-19-2006, 08:41 AM	#8 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	OT... ^^ i did that post from my BlackBerry. looks pretty good, huh?

05-21-2006, 02:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
ballplaya4237 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 19 Posts: 569 iTrader: 1 / 100%	You have to remove the rear bumper. There's one screw in each tailight holding it back.

05-21-2006, 07:32 PM	#11 (permalink)
kenchan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,131 iTrader: 1 / 100%	yeh, the light sits on a bracket that holds the bumper in place. On the sedans, you actually need to remove the bracket to get the tailight off...i think it might be the same on the coupes as there are posts under the lamp that secures itself into the bracket... unless you're forcing the bracket or posts out of the way.

06-14-2006, 03:46 PM	#13 (permalink)
desi786 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Age: 20 Posts: 17 iTrader: 0 / 0%	can someone make a DIY on this im also looking to tint my tail lights soon.