Bob88vette

I need to replace the inside left tail light bulb but when I look in the FSM it says to remove three screws in the red lense. My '88 doesn't have any screws coming out of the tail light lenses.

This can't be that hard I'm just not sure where to start, from the inside? underneath?

Thanks for any tips

LKoncar

Remove the license plate and reach in through the hole.

BornIn87

wear long tee shirt as well

ps374

This is nice advise from the book 101 Projects for your C4 , but in reality it does not work unless you have not eaten in over 50 days and your arms are the size of a 5 year old. You MIGHT be able to get at the inner lens this way IF your Lucky but its impossible to get at the outer lens this way. Your car in made of Fiberglass and it is soft enough to bend. You can either take the rear bumper off ( I don't advise this ) or pull the lower quarter panel out with you hand and feel your way up their. Unplug the bulb and feel around for the head of the nut. I don't remember the size, go up with your socket and a small extension and turn the screw by hand. You wont be able to get the ratchet up their so this job has to be done with a short extension and the socket in hand. A real pain but possible. Dropping the muffler helps its but not nessary.Having someone hold the panel apart makes it much easier. You arm is are going to be pretty beat up after you finish and use a pillow under you neck. You body will appreciate that. I guess Chevrolet never expected these bulbs to burn out?

MrRenoman

I have pretty fat arms and I'm able to reach the lights through the license plate opening. I would suggest...1. remove the license plate, 2. remove the backup lights, 3. remove the two 10mm screws that hold the bumper cover to the impact bar and the two screws holding the cover along the bottom edge, 4. pull back slightly on the cover while reaching in toward the inboard tailight, 5. remove the two 10mm screws located in the 10 and 5 o'clock positions (viewed from the rear of the car), this will allow the inboard lamp housing to be removed from the car and to change out the bulb, 6. reach in through the inboard tailight opening to the outboard tailight and remove the two screws holding the tailight to the bumper to change out the outboard bulb. Some members can reach from under the car, I can't. Even with my fat arms I'm able to reach the screws through the license plate opening. Yes, I know the bumper in the pics is removed from the car but it's just a visual aid. A word of caution, don't drop your tools while removing the screws, they have a tendency to fall into lala land where they are impossible to retrieve. You might get lucky and have it drop through to the ground, just try not to drop your tools. If you were able to see what was going on the other side of the bumper when removing the screws, see the attached pics. Ignore fat arms...

LKoncar

All Bob88vette wants to do is replace the inside left tail light bulb. You can remove the license plate as I stated and reach in hole. Simply twist bulb socket and remove bulb. You do not need to remove the lens to replace the bulb.

ps374

In that case you wont need to take anything apart. Pull the quarter panel out, reach up twist the bulb and the whole harness will drop down in plain sight. Makes twisting the bulb to get it out easier. This has been my experience on my C4 anyway. Bob let us know which worked best for you.

Bob88vette

Thanks everyone for the interesting read. Never thought it would be major body work.

Best has got to be the pics from MrRenoman. That was cool but hope I don't have to go thru all that blindly.

Won't have any garage time for couple days but promise to get back to my friends here on how it worked out. Hopefully it's the license tage entry.

Great help everyone thanks again

VetteSlave

Forget that removing the license plate hassle. Either way, you cannot see what you're doing while in there. It's not very easy but you can reach up from underneath and do it one handed if you know how the plug fits into the lamp housing. It turns out of the lens housing (1/4 turn counter clock out, 1/4 turn clockwise back) You have to one handed push and turn the bulb out of the wired plug blindly by feel (not as hard as it sounds) and do the same to put it back. Much easier if you can get the car up in the air a bit. I've done it after learning that it could be done by people who knew the cars

ps374

I learned by doing it both ways. IMO your way is eaiser.

Bob88vette

Ok I'll try it from underneath thanks. I could feel the housing through the license tag access but had no idea what to turn/push/pull and it was quite tight with my fat arms.

ottawabarber

I actually had Walmart change mine - bought the bulb and they charged $2.00 to install!!! Lot easier than me with my fat arms - best $2.00 I have spent on the car so far.

rfn026

I'm always happy to see my 101 book quoted here. Actually I just took the whole rear fascia panel off the car last week to do some other work. Removing the rear fascia meant I had to remove all the lights. I went through the lisc. plate hole. I've done it from below as well. Either way seems to work. It's just not a pleasant experience - either way.

Richard Newton

shbbykins

since the threads brought up.. i just removed the fuel boot and reached in. a decent amount of room actually.

floridamale

Find a 14 year old skinny kid 6ft 4in with long arms have him do it

c4sailor

trulytex

I would also suggest getting the Long Life Bulbs. They will have an LL by the number.

Dennis Luckett

I just changed my outer tail light on my 84 Vette. I took the left rear wheel and inner liner off to do the job. It took some time but I believe it was my best course of action. Thanks to all the post on the subject. Dennis

jrzvette

What year FSM do you have? They're model year specific. The early (84 - 90) C4s with round tail lights don't have external screws in the rear lens, the 91 - 96 do.

PLRX

That was your very first post ever, you joined today and post in an old thread passed its lifetime saying "thanks". GTFOH