+ Removal of Tail Lights +
 

Edit, some pics:

Before w/amber reflection.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...4/IMG_5603.jpg


After w/clear reflection.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d3...4/IMG_5604.jpg

well i guess nobody has done this yet hu? i guess i'm going to have to fight that damn "blue" clip or whatever it is....been looking for pictures of it in manuals but they just show it but don't show its accurate design to see whether or not it is a slide-off or just pull hard and pop out.

According to my diagram I received from my JDM lights, there is a nut holding the assembly in place. It is accesable from the trunk after removal of the trim pieces in the trunk.

yea, there are 2 bolts/screws holding the assembly in place. but once you take those off they are still stuck on there....i mean you get some wiggle room but when you lift it up as far as they go there is still something in there holding it down.

i remember on my 350 that it had some clips that made it a tad more complicated to remove them. does the diagram show any clips???

i was messing around with them right now and now i un-clipped the upper portion of my rear bumper...:ugh2:

Pull the tailights straight back. I remember that there are two interlocking poles that are in line with the tailight. That with the nut and tabs should do it. Beyond that, I'm going to have to get out the camera and take pictures of the new tailights. My memory is good .... just short lived.

There are two bolts and one nut in the trunk to be removed

ohhh, alright. i guess i need to start fresh and looking for that one nut holding it down still then. thanks for the help so far :tup:

so i dont see any nut so far, i was able to slide it off the blue tab but now there is a red one and its half way there but not budging anymore. noticed i scratched a but of my rear bumper so im going to take the long route and take it off as well because im getting freaking frustrated....

ok how 'bout.....has anybody taken off their rear bumper??

update on the tails:
took the right side which was much easier....popped off both clips with one pull but lights are still stuck on there....can't get them off, don't know wtf is still holding them on...feels like something on the lower portion inside which i can't get to unless the bumper is off. the left side is still stuck on that one clip

100+ views and no one has any feedback....i must be the only crazy one to be the 1st to take off the rear bumper hu?

i cannot find where that 'NUT' is....

Remove the trim inside the back. No need to remove the rear bumper.

You really need to get the service manual, it will save you many hours of frustration

http://www.the370z.com/nissan-370z-o...-download.html

^ yes i do, thanks for the link. Anyways removing the trim on the inside is what i was going to do tonight.....in that diagram you can see that big clip that was making thi so painful. hopefully today is a diff. day, thanks a lot for the help so far :tup:

Note to Self: have Dealer install JDM tail lights to avoid getting angry and f****** Up my rear paint.

lol, its not hard actually now that i did it. i should have just stopped and relaxed so that i could think straight. having have only slept 3 hours that previous night and have had finals all that morning didn't help at all.

Zat_Zuma: thanks a lot for your help, with the manual i was able to get the image i needed and well went through the inside plastic linings and the lights came out without any issue. The plastics however where a pain to take off.

To update the thread, lights are off just waiting for my LEDS to come in later today if not tomorrow and will re-install and take pics.

LOL ..nobody said it would be easy :p

Glad to hear things worked out for you. You should consider doing a DYI to help out others in the future

fixing on doing that later today :tup:

Can you post before and after pix??

yes i can, just need to get back home where i have the pics. its a small detail but i'm all about that.

Holy hell you've got to be kidding me with these tail lights. I thought removal was going to be a breeze like the 350Z. I never imagined having to pull panels in the trunk off just to get to that stupid bolt. I ended up putting it aside since I don't have time to work on it. Plus, it's so frickin hot outside.

^ lol.


any updates batman?

He managed to remove his tail lights. I need to do the same to switch out some bulbs, but I didn't think it would get this involved just to get to a single bolt on each tail light.

^ +1, it isn't half as bad as it seems with my 1st posts of frustration. Would i do it again......i would think about it lol.

Forgot about posting pics but the only diff. from the outside/rear is that the amber bulb that is visible giving off an amber reflection now is gone....so the whole rear blinker unit is clear.

pics up lol.

I like it. :tup::tup:

sorry for the stupid question im new to the forums ... but how do I see your pix?

thanks in advance!!!

:gtfo2:, lol jk.

pics are in the 1st page of this thread in the 1st post :tup:

welcome to the forums.

I looked at some user albums. Is it necessary to remove the rubber trim in the hatch, and then pull the necessary panels? I was thinking about adding sound deadening material at the same time I'll be working on the tail lights.

i would give that a shot, at the time i since i was frustrated i didn't think to do that and i went in through the side of the rear panel with a flat head and caused some stretch marks (not sure how to say it but those white marks that come out on plastic when stretched). sooo now i will be replacing my rear panel.

also you really have to pull hard on those panels...some clips will break but i think its pretty inevitable

This is a terrible procedure for changing signal/reverse bulbs. I don't get what Nissan was thinking other than to deter thieves from stealing the tail lights. If it takes this much effort to get to the bulbs, I might as well pull everything else apart to do sound deading and audio wiring work. O_o Goodness in this hot weather?! ahahh

:owned: me!!! lol

never drink and surf forums imo

...btw another drunken question HAHA

how did you remove the amber portion once you got the tailight out?

in b4 you do it to me :gtfo2: ^_^

SUp DIGI

check out my DIY and youll see all the pics of removing the taillights.... its part of my rear foglamp install... it does suck donkey balls that i gotta do it all over again cuz i couldnt swap out my bulbs cuz they didnt come in the mail yet... but yah man i found your DIY on headlight removal helpful hopefully i can return the favor... btw... sound deading sounds like a great plan im thinking of doing this when i swap out my bulbs... id like to add... NISSAN is a JACKASS for designing the Z's like this... wat a pain in the *** to work on the BULBS!!!...

by replacing the amber bulb with a silver coated bulb.

simota1, would you mind if i was to put the link to your DIY at the beginning of the thread for future people that decided to take their tails off, that way they can be directed to your thread?

Guillermo

Sup batman...

Bro go ahead man!!! i made that DIY to help out everyone... haha :happydance: