tail light removal

[civicsi86]

im trying to smoke my taillights and was wondering if there was a "how to" on removing the taillights and bumper?

[esmith13]

It's VERY easy.

Remove a screw on each side of the bumper where it connects to the quarterpanel (wheel well).

Open the hatch and pop off the two disc shape pieces of plastic at the top sides of the bumper and remove the screws under them.

craw under your bumper and unfasten the plastic push clip with a flat head screwdriver that holds the underside center of the bumper.

Have someone help you. Each go to an end side of the bumper and pull the sides of the bumper outward away from the car body and off of the sliding clips that hold it on. You need two people cause if you do one side at a time that side will be completely unsupported and needs to be held up from bending while the other side is done.

Now that the bumper is off, remove the screws on the bottom of the tail lights that the bumper was covering.

inside the hatch, take off the little doors where you go in to change the tail light bulbs.

Undo the bulbs and pull the wiring harness outta the hole and into the hatch area so you have room in there to use a wrench.

Using a small wrench, remove the 3 little nuts from the three bolts sticking out of the tail light inside that door.

THAT'S IT!! pull the tail light off the back of the car and don't loose the foam insert between the tail light and car body... That keeps water from seeping into the car from the outside around the tail lights and prevents vibration of the plastic on the metal.

Just reverse the above to reassemble.

When you put the bumper back on and slide those side the bumper into the side clips (TWO PEOPLE!!) make sure you put the side screws in right away so when you you nudge it around for fitment of the other screws and push clip it's can't pop off the sides and hit the ground IT WILL GET SCRATCHED LIKE IF SOMEONE BUMPED YOU!!! The bumper and it's paint are VERY soft (easily scratched).

Hope this helps... I had to figure it out myself when I changed my taillights... it was a pain in the ass...

Oh, you will need a SMALL open ended adjustable wrench of pliars to get those damn nuts off from the inside back of the tails.
Take a deep breath before you do that part... you WILL get frustrated!!!

Total time (disasemble): ~30min
Total time (reassemble): ~15-20min


Eric

[civicsi86]

thank you so much:)

[esmith13]

Not a problem.

Just take your time and don't scratch your bumper!!

Eric

[sleepin02si]

Originally posted by esmith13
Not a problem.

Just take your time and don't scratch your bumper!!

Eric

Eric, you should clean that diy up with some pics . That would make a decent write up.

[civicsi86]

thanks for the help everything went smoothly

[esmith13]

You're welcome!


Taz - You're right, but I honestly don't feel like removing my bumper to take pics for it... If I have to get a warranty repair on my break light wiring like I told you about I'll take the pics when I put my factory tails back on for the service. ;)

Eric

[sleepin02si]

I'm gonna smoke the tailights real soon, when I do, I will use your instructions and take pictures along the way, then send them to you. That would help, huh?

Peace,

[esmith13]

Sounds like a plan... The first mutually developed DIY.... ;)


Eric

[ForTheLadies]

on the first step it says remove a screw near the wheel well. there are 2 screws on each side i cant seem to get the bottom screw off unless i remove my whole wheel because the even if i use a small screwdriver it's too long and wont fit to unscrew it. how can i remove it without removing the wheel??

[idrive]

i cant seem to get the bottom screw off unless i remove my whole wheel because the even if i use a small screwdriver it's too long and wont fit to unscrew it.

i know exactly what youre talkin about... BUT if you have a phillips drill bit (the little things that go into drills to screw? ionno if im making sense hopefully you'll get it) once you get it loose, its not easy but do-able to just use the little bit and turn it the rest of the way out...
now getting it back in? just take your time you'll find a way haha