85 Tail Lights

[don85c4]

OK. I give up how does one change a burned out tail light short of tearing the whole back end off the car?

 

[motorman_mp3]

OK. I give up how does one change a burned out tail light short of tearing the whole back end off the car?

I changed the ones on my 86 about two months ago. I had to get a friend of my with long arms to lay on the ground to change mine. He ran his arm up the side of muffler to reach the out side light.We removed the tag and the reverse light to get to the inside one.Hope this helps, but it was not easy and if you hear of a easy way PLEASE let me know.

 

[Ken]

Put it this way: I cannot change my own bulbs; it's pysically impossible for me to get my arms in there. I've been lucky in that I haven't had one burn out in years, but when one does, I'll have to go looking for the kid with the skinny arms again. :L

OK. I give up how does one change a burned out tail light short of tearing the whole back end off the car?

 

[motorman_mp3]

My friend see's me and the first words out of his mouth is PLEASE tell me the tail lights don't need to be changed.

 

[PLRX]

I guess it took GM 6 production years to figure out the problem and to have the outside screws on the 90-96....oh..by the way. Maybe they should have a kid with skinny arms with it.

...and if you are in California, you may be a child molester

 

[Jeroenvgfn]

I replaced them twice now.

the first was gone and 1 month later another, then I decided to take em al out and replace.

I did the job from the licence plate opening, a small ratchet and a lot of pain sticking my ( popeye ) arm into the hole with the sharp polyester edges.

boy, I love that job.

It took GM 6 years of production to find out this was not easy replacing,
but it takes already 20 years for Mid America to discover an aftermarket version whitch is screwed.

for whom is interested send me PM , at the quantity of 1000 sets I can start production somewhere in a to be found factory

I am gonna be the taillight Hefner

 

[c4cruiser]

Remove the license plate and then the backup lamp housing on the side that has the bad bulb. For the inside light, you should be able to reach the bulb holder, pinch the locking tab and turn the holder to remove it from the housing.

If the bad bulb is the outside one, you need to remove the inside lamp housing. After pulling the bulb holder as above, use a ratch and a 10mm socket to remove the two nuts that hold the housing in place. Once it is out, repeat the step for the bulb holder on by reaching in thru the inside lamp was.

It might be a good idea to replace all 4 of the bulbs at the same time. GM used a gooey sealer to keep moisture from corroding the contacts and this stuff hardens after years. You will probably find that the old bulbs will not release from the housing without breaking the glass away from the base. Just use gloves and some neenle-nose pliers to remove the bases.

Then scrape the old sealer from the contacts in the bottom of the holder and the sides. Install the new bulbs, and replace the housings and license plate.

 

[Jeb]

"If the bad bulb is the outside one, you need to remove the inside lamp housing."

This place just paid for itself for another month or two.

Thanks!

 

[don85c4]

Thanks for all the help! I was able to do the inside lamp from under the car. I losened the screw holding the body panel then undid the muffler bracket. The outside light I had to pull the backup light and then out my arm in all the way to my arm pit to push the release button. To install the outside lamp I was able to re-locate it back into the hole from the backup light but had to reach up from ther bottom to snap it into place. Man are my arms sore!!!

Thanls Again don85c4