How To: install clear inserts into 97-99 Maxima taillights.

Step 1 – remove taillights.

The only tip I have here is to NOT use the outside corner of the taillight for leverage. That corner is extremely fragile and will crack if too much pressure is applied to it.

Step 2 – Preheat oven to 200°

Step 3 – Remove all 5 screws from the back of the housing.

There are 2 along the top, 2 along the bottom and one along the curved portion of the taillight.

Step 4 – Place taillights in oven with the black housing resting on the oven rack.

This way if something goes wrong and the taillight warps, it will warp the housing and not the lens. This is unlikely, but worth mentioning. Leave the taillight in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5 – Remove taillight from oven

The taillight is likely to be too hot to handle with just your hands. It probably won’t be hot enough to burn you, but use a shop towel to pull it out of the oven just in case.

Step 6 – Separate the lens from the housing.

This is possibly the trickiest/hardest part of the entire process. Here’s the best way I’ve found:
I start at the inner part of the taillight – the part that meets up with the inner taillight on the car. I use my plastic cutting tool (from Home Depot) that – in essence – is a large flathead screwdriver. Instead of the 1/8th inch width of a flathead, this tool is about 1.5 inches wide with a sharp, knife like “head”. The width of the tool allows me to get leverage. (Using a standard flathead could gouge/crack the lens.) I wedge this tool in between the housing and the lens and slowly and gently twist it clockwise then counter clockwise working the lens apart from the housing. Once there is enough room to get my fingers in there, I pry it apart manually.

Following this process, that fragile corner is the last part of the lens you need to get out of the housing. Again, be careful with this part, it is easy to crack as you will be pulling the lens at an angle. At this point, you need to pull the lens STRAIGHT out of the housing instead of at an angle. That fragile corner has a raised part that fits into the housing that can be stubborn.

Above all, BE PATIENT! There is no need to be in a rush.

Once you have removed it, place the lens aside.

Step 7 – Take the OEM lenses out.

You can finally use some force in this process. The amber piece just needs to be pulled out of the housing. It is held in by some industrial hot glue and you can just pull it out. Once that is out, you need to remove the brass screw holding in the red lens – then pull that piece out.

Set aside the housing.

Step 8 – Clean the lens thoroughly.

Make sure there is no hot glue or black residue on the inside of the lens. You can use rubbing alcohol or WD-40 to clean the lens with a clean paper towel.

Step 9 – Put the clear insert into the lens (not the housing).

You are going to want to place the smooth side of the insert against the lens itself. The coarse side will be facing the turn signal bulb once reassembled. You will need to bend the insert a little bit to pressure fit into the lens. You may also need to take it out to re-position it as it may not fit perfectly the first time you put it in. Additionally, you may need to sand down an edge or two to make it fit better. You want to make sure you put this in right – you are not going to want to take this lens apart again.

Step 10 – Put the taillight back together.

This is as easy as it sounds. Make sure everything aligns correctly.

Step 11 – Put all 5 screws back in.

Step 12 – Reinstall taillight onto car, replace clear bulb with an amber signal bulb and enjoy!

You can leave the smaller light out of the housing for aesthetic purposes.


FAQ

Is this mod available to 95-96 Maxima owners?

No. The 97-99 Maxima has a removable amber piece that is separate from the outer lens. 95-96 Maxima’s have the amber piece built into the outer lens.

Are there any drawbacks to this modification?

Only one. The clear piece you are inserting into your taillight is NOT a DOT approved lens. It is a fluorescent light cover designed for home use and does NOT disperse light in the way the OEM lens did. What does this mean? In the daytime, your signal lights will be dimmed. They are certainly visible, but not nearly as bright as they were. It’s not awful – I would simply label the output as sub-par and worth mentioning.

Nighttime visibility is fine.

Is this modification legal?

Technically, no. According to US DOT regulations, it is necessary to have an amber reflector at the immediate front of the vehicle and a red reflector at the rear of the vehicle. We removed the red reflector from the bottom portion of the taillight.

That said, there is a side facing clear reflector in the upper portion of the housing that is conveniently covered by the red lens, therefore appearing red. I don’t think you would EVER have a problem with this, but again I feel it’s worth mentioning. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find ANYONE who is not a Maxima owner that will comment that your taillights look different that stock – nevertheless a cop.

Long story short – be informed, but don’t sweat it.

Are you responsible if I mess up this modification or have any problems after following your instructions and/or using inserts you made?

Absolutely not. In no way, shape or form am I responsible for anything that should happen to you, your oven, your taillight, the insert, your car or anything you use to install/uninstall this modification or any of its parts. I have disclosed everything I know in this document and I will not take responsibility for your actions.

 

nice write up. the seperation of the lens isn't the hardest to me... it's cutting part without breaking the damn plastic!!! i have done this twice, once with heatgun and once with the oven, the oven makes it SOOOOO much easier. it also helps to have a girl do the parts that require patience, since i have none.

 

This should be a sticky. Moderators?

 

Ham,
that was an awesome writeup. I just completed the tail conversion and it looks tight. the oven isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Thanks for the simple instructions.
Gramdacious

 

well written

i shall follow these instruction when the times comes to clear my tails

on a side note, i have the amber/red stock piece from another 4th gen, and have already cut out the clear lenses to spec.

i think that will help, as i won't have to worry about it when im doing the job.

im sure 4th gen owners wouldn't mind lending their amber/red pieces to get the clears done in advance...

one question: when putting the lense back together (after inserting clear piece) do you need to heat it up again so the glue becomes sticky again? or can it be done without reheating?

thanks,
Dev

 

Honestly, it should only take you 20 minutes tops from the time you open the lens to the time you have the pieces in there. As long as you have the inserts pre-cut, then no, you won't have to do that. If they are cool-cold and you want to heat it up again, don't put the clear lens in the oven, just the housing. Heat it up nice and warm and you will be able to press the lens in there nice and slow. The warm housing will warm the glue on the lens.

It's almost like I'm not talking about a taillight at the end there

-Big_Ham

 

ADD IT TO THE FAQ!!!!

 

damn haha i was about to "report this thread to the moderators" but then saw it was only when ppl are getting harrassed and all that bad stuff. Perhaps after bumpin it up, good ol mods will FAQ-it.