Rear Tail Light Installion
 

Correct if I am wrong but have not I seen a web link showing the installation of rear tail lights? Does anyone have a link as to where it could show me how to install the rear tail lights?

It is really quite simple...
If you are going to update your lamps to the Clear or newer oem ones this should
take 15 minutes or so.

First you want to open your trunk and locate the small trim pieces that cover
the backs of the lamp assemblies. If you pull these aside... they may be held in
place with some black plastic screw type fastners... you will see 3 bolts on the backs of the lamps.
You need a 7 or 8 mm socket for these I believe. Loosen the bolts being careful not to drop them behind the trim panel. You will feel the lamp assembly loosening as you do this. Make sure you hold on to the lamp from the outside so that it doesnt fall out of the car and scratch your rear bumper cover.

Once the bolts are removed work the tail lamp out of the rear body and unplug the wire harness to the unit. You will have to save the gasket from your current lamp incase the new ones dont come with one.

Once removed, get the new lamps and mock fit them up to make sure you have got the right ones. Position the new ones in the lamp holes and line up the bolts with the holes in the rear body. Slide the lamp assembly in and from the back put back the bolts that you removed. Here is a tip. Do not tighten the bolts one at a time. Line up the tail lamp with the body to make the gaps look consistent. Tighten each bolt a few times in order to get the lamp to sit properly.

Finally, plug in the factory wire harness and clip it to the back of the tail lamp.. there is a small plastic clip that holds the harness in most cases.

You are good to go!
Best of luck,
Joe
01 S
Triple Black

Is it neccessary to disconnect the battery first to prevent a short? Or for this particular installation, is it ok to leave the battery connected?

Thanks

Hi,

It's ALWAYS a good idea to disconnect the Battery whenever doing ANY kind of electrical work on a Car. It takes all of about 2 min. to do it. A short could Fry the circuit, or worse, the DME - $$$$. Safe as opposed to Sorry...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

And remember you are going to need your radio code after disconnecting the battery...

Or you could be like me and forget which bulb was burned out so I left the lights on while I took it apart, put the new bulb in and then proceeded to hit the metal grid on one of the posts and took out two bulbs and a fuse.

Disconnect the battery!

There are four bolts not three which hold the lights in place...

docdyh