I tried to remove the tail light assembly on my '94 Corolla today to replace a burnt out lamp. I got the two 10mm bolts out and the nut off the stud inside the trunk. It still doesnt come off, and appears to be stuck on the two plastic studs that seem to be located on the part of the assembly that is wrapped around the side and pass through the body into the trunk. What am I missing here (beside an owners manual that details how to do it properly)? Any info greatly appreciated.
Owner's manual says there are just these 2 bolts and the nut. However, there seems to also be a kind of pin that sits in a rubber bushing. This pin is on the outer end of the tail light assembly, you just have to pull the light with a little force. No prying/wedging and stuff is necessary. Just do not break anything.
I removed the tail light myself ONLY on a HATCHBACK and the bushing gave some resistance. From your description I am guessing your's is a sedan, right? My owner's manual actually coveres sedans as well, so that is how I got the info.
Owner's manual says there are just these 2 bolts and the nut. However, there seems to also be a kind of pin that sits in a rubber bushing. This pin is on the outer end of the tail light assembly, you just have to pull the light with a little force. No prying/wedging and stuff is necessary. Just do not break anything.
I removed the tail light myself ONLY on a HATCHBACK and the bushing gave some resistance. From your description I am guessing your's is a sedan, right? My owner's manual actually coveres sedans as well, so that is how I got the info.
Oops, I forgot to add that it was a sedan. What I am seeing besides the two bolts and the nut is two plastic studs that are positioned vertically about where the tail light kind of wraps around the corner of the quarter panel. The studs have square bases on them, and look like something that snaps into place from the outside. I just notice that the studs were flexing slightly as I was trying to pull the assembly off after unbolting it. My wife has the car right now so I can't look at it closer right now; I am starting to wonder if the side marker part of the light assembly is actually separate.
When the two small bolts are removed, the tail light lens still has to be pried off from the body, use a screwdriver or a plastic removing tool. The only thing that connects are two plastic connectors that have to be pulled out of their sockets, these are the plastic squares you see in the trunk, the connecting lugs are found in there.
generally after the bolts and nut are off, just pull straight back gently it will pop out then you can change the bulbs, also from experience use the good bulbs and use some di-electric grease to keep the sockets from corroding! because water does get back in there
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Ah when she was in her glory, Not so nice anymore 358k 17years old her time is getting short ....
I broke down and called the service department at a local Toyota dealer. The service writer told me there are indeed two plastic locating pins on the side of the assembly that prevent pulling the light straight back. He said it is more of side movement, which in reality is prevented by the stud. I was told the light has to be kind of pried to the side first, before pulling back to clear the stud. I was being kind of timid with it as I thought the pins were snapped in place, requiring a tool to remove. Makes me wonder if some of you have light modules that ave the pins clipped off.
Once you take the bolts off, you pull the lamp and snap it off from the pin holders. Most lamps are like that. Just pull it until it snaps out dude, that's all you need to do. If you don't feel comfortable with doing a simple thing like that, then you're better off letting the dealership do it for you at a nice cost.
its easy as heck mang, just pull STRAIGHT BACK! dont pull it to the side or anything, there's one pin at the top and one at the bottom, they are parallel with eachother and the car, so just yank it straight back man
its easy as heck mang, just pull STRAIGHT BACK! dont pull it to the side or anything, there's one pin at the top and one at the bottom, they are parallel with eachother and the car, so just yank it straight back man
Hmmm, straight back you all say. Check the link to a photo of the inside corner of my trunk.
Note the screw stud which is is on the back panel. Note the two black pins which are on the side of the quarter panel. Once the two 10mm screws on the outside of the light assembly are removed (not shown) and the 10mm nut on the screw stud is removed, logically you should be able to pull it straight back parallel to the direction of the stud. But the two black pins through the side prevent that from happening because they are perpendicular to the stud. And you can't pull sideways because the stud won't clear the hole because of the pins. So I was wondering if there was someone that has actually removed the factory sedan light without cracking the light or snapping the pins off. A Toyota service guy told me again today that it requires, "ahem", finesse. So you guys that stand on the straight back method have either never actual pulled a light assembly off, or have had the locating pins cut off. I tried punching the pins out with a punch in the I.D. of that pin, and pinched the base of the pins with a channel locks and tried to shove them through, but they are jammed into the body tight. If push comes to shove, I'll cut the pins off, but prefer to get it done the OEM way.
Once you take the bolts off, you pull the lamp and snap it off from the pin holders. Most lamps are like that. Just pull it until it snaps out dude, that's all you need to do. If you don't feel comfortable with doing a simple thing like that, then you're better off letting the dealership do it for you at a nice cost.
Dude, thanks for the reply. I am not faint of heart for things mechanical, and enjoys tearing things apart and getting them back together. I can build bike wheels and AR-15's from scratch in my sleep, and have built Manhatten style amateur radio gear with the best of them. What I don't want to do is snap off a chunk of my light assembly by pulling on something that doesn't seem to want to move, having then to buy a new light instead of ammo to feed my hungry guns. So check my previous post, check the photo, and tell me what is on the other side of those black pins. Because right now, when I am yanking back on that light, those pins are moving ever so slightly, telling me they are attached to the light assembly on the other side of the sheet metal, or attached to something that is supposed to let the light slide off for removal. I just want to know what I am dealing with before I really have to crank on it.
when i first took off my tail lights, i thought it was stuck like that too, but its not! there's only 3 screws, the one pictured you have shown us and the two on the outside. Where in Wisconsin is Cudahy?? is it near Minnesota? i used to be from western Wisconsin, if you wanna meet up or something, i'll gladly yank your tails off =)
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