[ilovebox]

hey guys, i just got my new shadow mica scion about 2 weeks ago and just picked up a set of smoked taillights for it. just wondering if anyone had an idea the best way to install them/remove the old lights?

 

[kkawana]

congrats...
to install them.. open rear hatch.. on either side just behind(or would that be infront?) of the tail lights is a plastic cover that kinda looks like a grill if i recall correctly...
pop that off... and 2 10mm nuts/bolts are in there plus the wire harness... unplug the harness, remove nuts carefully dont drop.. and from the outside tug the tails off.. kinda wiggle them while pulling out. shouldnt be to hard

to install reverse process tails should plug into existing harness

 

[ilovebox]

hmmm

im having trouble getting in there to undo the nuts...any suggestions?

 

[kkawana]

socket extender? or small wrench?? maybe one of those open face socket wrench things?? like at sears....

or borrow some1 with small hands

 

[ctruss]

If you use 1/4 drive sockets and extentions you should have no problem getting to those nuts.

Be carefull not to drop the nuts.

 

[ketchup_xb]

you definitely need someone with small hands to grab those nuts. and like what ctruss said be careful not to drop the nuts. grab 'em as they fall. coz if you don't, those nuts will be gone forever. then you'll hafto buy new nuts from the nut store.

 

[ctruss]

I like nuts.

 

[short bus]

 

[madmaxb]

ur on a roll short bus

 

[ScottyTuned]

I have a hardtime grabbing small nuts, so one of the times I was removing my tails, I dropped it and thought I busted it. Thankfully, I did not the bust the nut, and everything was okay. When changing tails, make sure you take the rubber from the one tail, and reapply it to the new one (only on some applications) . (yes you can reuse rubbers) That way when you put the nut back onto the tail, theres a rubber there too. Then, of course, theres no leakage that would cause any kind of failures.

Moral of the story: Wear a condom or your girlfriend will get pregnant.

scotty

 

[kkawana]

umm... wow.... who knew... safe sex and car mtc all rolled into one neat little package

 

[Padanky]

Don't bang the rachet into the side of the car, it will make dents if you hit it hard enough.

 

[ScottyTuned]

Thats a really good point Chris. I had my small wrech stuck back there, and tried spinning in to tighten down the light, and hit the inside of the rear panel. Luckily it didnt leave a dent, but it VERY easily could. Its very weak back there. Be careful using the rachet.

Another thing Ive found useful in all seriousness. If you have to drop the nut back behind the panel. Get a magnet and a "snake tool". (long flexible wire with a grabber on the end that tightens by squeezing the handle). Grab the magnet with the snake tool, and stick it down into the lower panel. Move it back and forth down there, and you SHOULD be able to pick the nut back up and bring it back with the magnet. I know I made the mistake of dropping it, and this was the only way to get it out without having to remove a ton of body panels!

scotty

 

[BoXBoy]

Wtf???



All this talk about, busting nuts, dropping nuts, replacing rubbers, banging things too hard,leakage, failures & girlfriends getting pregnant........Am I missing something here????

 

[sdsnybny]

not much

just a handful of nuts

seriously put an old towell in fender well to catch errant dropped nuts
ouch that sounds painful