Help, LED light replacement
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 490
Likes: 3
From: Edmond OK
Help, LED light replacement
ok, i'm really not this much of a dork, but this 10 minute job is taking more than an hour
bought the LED kit, replacing all the interior lights. Took me 20 minutes to get them out of the rearview, just fat fingers etc.
ANYWAY, any suggestions on how to get the footwell lights out? I'm afraid i'm going to break it, I already have a small scratch where I tried to pop it out with a little screwdriver, what am I missing?
thanks
haven't even started the outside and back up lights yet
bought the LED kit, replacing all the interior lights. Took me 20 minutes to get them out of the rearview, just fat fingers etc.
ANYWAY, any suggestions on how to get the footwell lights out? I'm afraid i'm going to break it, I already have a small scratch where I tried to pop it out with a little screwdriver, what am I missing?
thanks
haven't even started the outside and back up lights yet
Racer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 476
Likes: 0
From: Fort Myers FL
Well, I may get a lot of crap for this, but I take a pair of pliers, very lightly grip the bulb, and wiggle it out, not putting any more pressure on the plier handle. Works everytime, for me anyway.
Goodluck!
Goodluck!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I replaced my footwell lights with LED's too, just about a month ago. There may be an easier way than this, but here's how I did it.
If I recall, the footwell bulbs are mounted behind a small plastic window of sorts, which is held in place via some locking tabs on the "long" sides. Now, there is a black panel in each footwell which these lights and their windows are attached to. These panels are held in place largely via some heavy push-pin retainers. If you look underneath, you should see them holding this panel in place. I pulled down sharply (but carefully) on these panels to dislodge the push pins, and at that point I could bend them down towards the floor enough to reach my hand in and access the back side of those lights. Kind of hard to describe, but that's what I did.
Test your LED bulbs before you get them all sealed back up; I found out the hard way that they seem to be picky as to which way they are inserted; if they don't work one way, rotate them 180° and try again.
If I recall, the footwell bulbs are mounted behind a small plastic window of sorts, which is held in place via some locking tabs on the "long" sides. Now, there is a black panel in each footwell which these lights and their windows are attached to. These panels are held in place largely via some heavy push-pin retainers. If you look underneath, you should see them holding this panel in place. I pulled down sharply (but carefully) on these panels to dislodge the push pins, and at that point I could bend them down towards the floor enough to reach my hand in and access the back side of those lights. Kind of hard to describe, but that's what I did.
Test your LED bulbs before you get them all sealed back up; I found out the hard way that they seem to be picky as to which way they are inserted; if they don't work one way, rotate them 180° and try again.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 490
Likes: 3
From: Edmond OK
ok, how about the footwell light? do you pull out the whole assembly, or just the lens? I can't get the lens off, having trouble getting the whole assembly out?
How about the side markers? how do you get to those?
arghhhhhh!!
How about the side markers? how do you get to those?
arghhhhhh!!
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
The second (more complicated) way is to remove the rear wheelwell housings. I had mine out for some other work last week and noticed I had clear, easy access to those markers.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
As stated above, rear side markers can be accessed through the outer tail lights.
The front side markers require you to open up the inner fender liner, but you don't have to remove it. Just pull the pins on the leading edge, and then reach in.
The front side markers require you to open up the inner fender liner, but you don't have to remove it. Just pull the pins on the leading edge, and then reach in.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 490
Likes: 3
From: Edmond OK
ok, all done except front side/marker lights. Yes, the rears through the tail lights is the way to go.
And yes, just pulling down the panels where the foot well lights are mounted works.
BUT, I am having the "eternal glow" on the review mirror. It does freak me out a bit. Been out for 15 hours and counting. Just very softly.
Otherwise, liking the look so far.
And next mod (also received this week) MILD TO WILD!
and my DSvettes wheel is now on order. Winter time, perfect for rocking the mods....
And yes, just pulling down the panels where the foot well lights are mounted works.
BUT, I am having the "eternal glow" on the review mirror. It does freak me out a bit. Been out for 15 hours and counting. Just very softly.
Otherwise, liking the look so far.
And next mod (also received this week) MILD TO WILD!
and my DSvettes wheel is now on order. Winter time, perfect for rocking the mods....
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
Sounds like you've got it all figured out! 
About that "eternal glow", I think I read someplace that one of the forum vendors here, JW Motoring, has a fix for that. I want to say it involved a resistor that helps prevent that problem. If you contact him, he might be able to help you out.
About that "eternal glow", I think I read someplace that one of the forum vendors here, JW Motoring, has a fix for that. I want to say it involved a resistor that helps prevent that problem. If you contact him, he might be able to help you out.
