Changing 1986 tail light bulbs

[Kris4Rusty]

My inner tail light on the passenger side is out. I looked in the manual to find out how to change it. It said to take off the license plate and reach in and turn it counter clock wise to remove the bulb. The problem is my hand won't fit back there and I am a small woman! I can't imagine a grown man getting his hand in there. It said you can also get to it by reaching up between the muffler and the rear bumper. Fat chance, that is even to small for my arm! Does anyone know another way to change these bulbs????

 

[Vettefan87]

You might be able to get at by removing the rubber inside the gas tank door then reaching back to the light. Not sure if this would work or not.

 

[Kris4Rusty]

Thanks, I will give that a try.

 

[Ken]

... can't imagine a grown man getting his hand in there.

I actually broke down, after struggling with it for hours, and took it to the dealer - where I paid $30 (1/2 hr. labor) to have a bulb changed.

 

[Kris4Rusty]

That is probably what I am going to have to do.

 

[Ken]

Maybe, if you have a little kid with skinny arms in the neighborhood, and he had a modicum of common sense (I know, I know... Kids and common sense don't usually go hand-in-hand. :L) you could get him to reach up there and change the bulb for you.

 

[Kris4Rusty]

I just called a local dealership here and he quoted me $150.00 because you have to drop the exhaust system to reach it! Nothing like making it easy to get to parts that will commonly have to be changed!!

 

[Ken]

Don't you dare give that dealer your business! It's a rip-off at $30 let alone at $150!! :eek

Surely you know someone who can help you with it? :confused

 

[Kris4Rusty]

Yes I do know someone. He is my daughters boyfriend and he is a mechanic. He did the clutch for me. That was the first time he worked on a Corvette. He couldn't wait to get his hands on it!

 

[Ken]

... first time he worked on a Corvette. He couldn't wait to get his hands on it!

Oh man, I keep seeing things to which I feel need a response, if for no reason to interject some humor into the situation. :L

The first time? I hope you're confident in his abilities; Corvettes are a breed unto themselves, and not all of the usual mechanics tricks will work on a Vette.

 

[rrubel]

Hey! Good choice on year and color!

I don't think dropping hte exhaust would help because the gas tank would still be in the way. Maybe removing the fender liner?

IIRC, from when I replaced my fuel pump, taking out the top of the fuel filler gives you decent access to the two INNER taillights, but not the outer. Did you try pulling out the spare tire and carrier and seeing what was within reach then?

[RICHR]

 

[taegdh]

Hey, I just did my tail lights, and I don't have skinny arms, or hands (I wear a size 13 ring). I did get them in through the license opening to get to the inner ones. Putting them in is a real bear, sort of akin to reading braille with a catchers mitt..

The outer ones, where you have to lay on the driveway, and snake your arms up, between the exhaust tips and the rear bumper valance, and the corner of the fuel tank was a real feat of acrobatics. Because arms never go straight! Plus the neighbor's kid was a real wizenheimer, "White whale off the port bow, man the harpoon!"


If I were to make a do-dad on a stick which could be snaked up there and articulate itself remotely, I bet there are 100,000 C-4 drivers who would pay good money for it. You guys got me to thinking! I'll have to work on it.

 

[Ken]

I don't think dropping the exhaust would help

It won't help; I tried dropping the muffler out of the way, and the spare is not interfering with access to the bumper area either. You have to get your arm between the frame and the bumper, and not just the bumper fascia - I tired that too! :L

 

[rrubel]

Egads! Have we found something harder to change than the rear two spark plugs on an LT1 Camaro?
[RICHR]

 

[Ken]

I have no idea of why it took them so long to secure the lens to the housing with a screw that was accessible from the outside. They didn't switch to outside screws until '90 or later, right? :confused

 

[Kris4Rusty]

I am very confident in him. He did a nice job on the clutch.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

If your hands are big, fat, and arthritic like mine the job is impossible!! I am lucky to have lots of little monkey like mechanics around who are happy to stick their long skinny arms into dark unknown places but they are not always around so here is how a fat old guy does it;

Remove the entire inside light. It is held in with 3 nuts that require a 10MM socket wrench. You can reach this easily through the license plate hole.

Stick your hand through the hole were the inside light was and remove the light socket from the outside light, replace the bulb, refit the inside light, clean your wounds, (your fingers will look like you tried to retrieve a ice cube from the Margarita blender), and curse the General for the worst thought out tail lights in history!

BTW that is one good looking get well Vette!!!

 

[Ken]

Hey Spanish, once before, I saw that recommendation for accessing the outer bulb, but with my luck I'd open a can of worms and screw everything up somehow. Me and Mr. Murphy ya know. :L

 

[berky2500]

Spanish's method worked fine for me, license plate, inside light, outside light, antenna, if you have to go that far. No small hands needed, but you do have to be able to feel your way because you aren't going to be seeing anything.

 

[Corvette mad]

Corvette mad

Replacing 4 rear light bulbs on 86 Corvette is not a major job as I have read in the forum. Just replaced mine, you have to remove the petrol flap, 4 screws, then remove the petrol cap and rubber drip tray. Once removed, you need a 10 mil socket, 1/4 drive, you can put your hand through the body and down the side of the petrol tank, there are 2 bolt screws to each light. You can feel these with your fingers, they are in the position of about 10-two and 20 past on the lights. Remove the two inner lights then you can put your hand in the housing and remove the outer lights. I also cleaned the sockets and made sure the earth was clean. Replace the outer light then the iner light. Time to take would be about an hour, less for the second time as you would now know how to do it. I proberly would have an average size hand, it was a bit of a tight fit. Hope this helps. Cheers from Chris in New Zealand