Removing a tail-lamp assembly from an RRS - 2009

[NutoLR]

Something seems wrong when one feels a need to submit to a forum a question on how to remove an RRS tail light cluster! The manual says to:

1. With the tailgate open, remove two screws from the edge of the unit nearer the tailgate aperture.

2. Pull the unit away from the vehicle

However, while I can get the inside edge of the assembly (the flange where the 2 screws are located) to pull out by about 10mm (with some reasonable pressure) it shows no tendency to want to come away as implied by the simplicity of the instructions. Naturally, I am not too keen to break the tail-light assembly when all I need to do is to replace a blown turn indicator lamp.

I have extracted the relevant page from the manual and marked it up to clarify my apparent dilemma - pdf file attached.

Advice would be greatly appreciated ....

Cheers
John ....

[Lobster]

Hi John,

I tried to follow that instruction sheet before, it is very misleading as the lamp unit must be pulled rearward exactly as it is, without any pivoting sideways.

The vertical front edge of the lamp assembly is held by 2 knob headed plastic dowels which can jamb tightly, if it has not been removed before. As the lamp assembly is smooth there is nothing to get a good grip onto.

A warning, it is possible you may scratch the top surface of your bumper when the lamp assy releases. So clean off the top surface of the bumper and carefully pull the edge of a thin towel well into the gap between the base of the lamp and the bumper, so that the top of the bumper is covered.

If the unit has not been removed before you could attempt spray some water or detergent as a lubricant in the area where the jambed locating dowels are.

Now you need to very carefully pry the front vertical edge of the lamp rearward away from the body. I used a narrow stainless steel paint scraper with rounded off corners, placed between a folded microfibre cloth. I carefully inserted it into the narrow gap so as to not damage the paintwork or the edge of the lamp. Depending on the tightness of the top & bottom dowels, they should release when the lamp is levered back about 5mm.

If you are patient careful you should be able to get this lamp assembly off, if not you could scratch or chip the body paintwork or the lamp.

I lubed my dowels with silicon grease and the removal process is much easier the next time.

Cheers,
Steve

[NutoLR]

Now you need to very carefully pry the front vertical edge of the lamp rearward away from the body. I used a thin stainless steel spatula placed between a microfibre cloth and carefully inserted it into the narrow gap so as to not damage the paintwork or the edge of the lamp. Depending on the tightness of the top & bottom dowels, they should release when the lamp is levered back about 5mm.
[Quote]


Hi Steve,

Thank you for your very helpful advice; there is, literally, more to this operation than meets the eye! I am very pleased I posted the question now.

Re the dowell positions, when you refer to "The vertical front edge of the lamp assembly" I take it that you are referring to the vertical edge on the outer side of the lamp units? That is, the edge that I thought the instructions inferred was acting as a pivot - my red line in the image attached.

Cheers,
John ....

[NutoLR]

Hi John,

I lubed my dowels with silicon grease and the removal process is much easier the next time.

Cheers,
Steve

Hi Steve,

There's no need to answer my reply because I have now done it. (Logically the dowels should have been where you'd indicated anyway ...)

As you suggested I put some towling between the bumper and the light unit, and used another soft cloth folded around the a stiff SS paint scraper to prise the unit of the dowels. Although I squirted some detergent into the narrow gap I don't think it actually reached the dowels before I had it dissembled.

I tried a SS spatula firstly but mine was way too flexible. The scraper was about 2.5mm thick but had a sharp end ground at about a 15 deg angle. At first I didn't think much was happening but working up and down the line it soon started to part. The scraper turned out to be the ideal tool.

Once I started prising it was all over in about 1 minute.

Many thanks for such excellent and detailed advice. Again, for me it highlights the extraordinary value to all members of this particular forum.

Cheers
John

[BobD]

The pins are very tight. when I pulled mine off one of the pins stayed behind in the body. Doesn't seem to matter, one pin and two screws seems OK and it didn't move on our 14,000 km trip from Perth to Cape York via Great Central Road, Plenty Hwy and Kennedy Development Rd with return trip via Kununurra and Broome.

When I pulled it off, I found that it wasn't necessary as the wiring I was trying to check was all accessible from the inside of the car.

I would think twice about removing it as damage like I did means a new tail light assembly to fix it. Don't just take it off to have a look!!

Bob

[NutoLR]

The pins are very tight. when I pulled mine off one of the pins stayed behind in the body. Doesn't seem to matter, one pin and two screws seems OK and it didn't move on our 14,000 km trip from Perth to Cape York via Great Central Road, Plenty Hwy and Kennedy Development Rd with return trip via Kununurra and Broome.

When I pulled it off, I found that it wasn't necessary as the wiring I was trying to check was all accessible from the inside of the car.

I would think twice about removing it as damage like I did means a new tail light assembly to fix it. Don't just take it off to have a look!!

Bob

Hi Bob,

Yes I can see that it would be very easy to break the pins, which I must have been close to doing before I posted my request for advice. I assume you are stil running on 1 pin; your 14,000km trip seems to suggest that only 1 is needed. It's a good story.

Cheers,
John ...

[BobD]

Yes, still on one pin and all OK.

I might post something about the trip later after I get my starter motor replaced. We got back 2 weeks ago and the starter motor failed one week later. None in Australia so new one just arrived from the UK today. Very lucky it didn't fail two weeks ago.

Bob

[Lobster]

When I pulled it off, I found that it wasn't necessary as the wiring I was trying to check was all accessible from the inside of the car.

I would think twice about removing it as damage like I did means a new tail light assembly to fix it. Don't just take it off to have a look!!

Bob,
I was also tricked after reading that the RRS trailer wiring plugs are accessible behind the left hand tail lamp. Instead they are found inside the vehicle rear compartment, after removing the huge LHS carpeted one piece trim that includes the wheel arch cover.

John,
On my first attempt to remove the lamp assy. I had a futile death grip on my lamp that caused a small hairline crack on the 1mm thick plastic on the side of the lens. I think that some instructions in the manual are there to boost sales at the parts counter.

Cheers,
Steve.