I've searched and couldn't find anything directly related to removing the outer (smooth) lens from the taillight assembly to expose the bumpy reflector lens. Does anyone know how to do it? I tried prying but there's some sort of RTV on there. Any solvents i can use to break up the RTV without ruining all the plastic?

 

The smooth lens off of the car itself? Thats where the RTV sealant or w/e is your talking about right? I removed my rear tailight and after itook out the bolts i just sorta pulled and ripped that sealant crap off. There is another set of lenses inside of the whole assembly and i think that is what u mean by the reflector or w/e not smooth one? If so i think they pop out, im not sure but i took the reverse one out on mine and it has two clips that i popped out from the outside portion of the light assembly, confusing description but hope it helps.

 

my old GXE housing is sitting on my bed. I'm talking about the main outer lens. Red and sweeps all the way around the corner, and the bottom inch is white. All that is one piece, set into the rest of the housing (black plastic.. got studs, got other individual lenses inside it). I wanted to expose the outside of the interior deflector lenses, not the inside (facing trunk) of it.

 

ok i was thinking that too, well i have two examples i could exzperiment with but there on the car now and thats in a field about a mile away (friends large property) so cant try it out now..

 

Alex V and I were working on taking it apart as well for some LED project we had going on when he lived here in my house. We could not get the light apart without breaking it and without heating it up.

I think this MIGHT be kind of like the front lights that need to be put in the oven for 10 minutes at 250 degrees but who knows...oh and dont quote me on time and temp for front lights as its just from what I remember.

Let us know if you ever get em apart.

 

I have heard the samething for seperating headlights. Apparently plastic wont melt untill 290 and above or something like that

 

I'm sure if a bunch of third genners get together and approach one of these after market tail light makers we can get some fabbed up. If for no other reason than to keep us from burning down our houses. No led tails is a sore spot for a lot of third genners.

 

honestly i doubt there will be interest enough to fab something for production. I guess i'll toss it in the oven

 

I found some guys that would fab up some interesting body kits for third gens but it would have to be ten guys or more. Anything would beat that boring stillen kit everybody has.

 

Hahaha you make it sound like its easy to get 10 3rd gen owners to put money down for custom stuff...

C'mon dude, the average 3rd gen owner is cheap and is not willing to put money for stuff like that. And those that arent cheap got no money or other priorities.

Just do a search for "cheap" and you'll see it all comes up on the 3rd gen forum

 

you are trying to remove the diffuser lenses?

 

who are you talking about? we're only two guys....

 

I'm not fabbing anymore kits!

 

haha. we can just sell the mold to those ten guys that junky was talking about ......... ;x

 

i'm trying to remove all of the outer lens first. I'll worry about the interior lenses later. On a GXE light, it's pinstriped red on top (with CLEAR diffuser lens behind it), ripply clear on bottom. On SE, it's pinstriped clear on top (with RED diffuser lens behind it), ripply clear on bottom.

On my GXE light, I am trying to remove the red part. Then I'll worry about th rest of the stuff in there but you gotta take the shell off before you can remove the innards.

 

lol, that's what i was getting at. i removed the diffusers through the back where the bulbs go.....i admit i broke one or two of them, but they are able to be taken out without removing the lens...

if you take a look at them from the trunkside of the taillight, you will see they have those little batch-tabs (or whatever) holding them in place, and you can just manipulate them enough to pull the innards out that way.....you may have to do a bit of breaking (of the diffusers) to get them out entirely...but it works, just liek removing the diffusers from your front turn signal lights.

hope i helped? i'm a bit confused as to what your TRUE goal is for some reason, so i hope i hit the nail on the head?

 

my main concern is the BIG one for the brake lights, not the amber/white ones. Can that one be removed OB/GYN-style?

 

lol, yeah, it seems a mix of OB/GYN style, and a bit surgical. lol but i do believe it can be done with the proper tools, woudl be alot easier than removing the lens anyway, i believe.

 

I'm still going to try and separate it somehow though, because the ability to remove it is critical to what I'm trying to do, for the purpose of having wide open access to the innards of the tail (not through the not-as-big-as-whole-taillight hole that the light board clips into.)

 

i didnt bother with the brake light section of the maxima tails i just removed all the parts behind the reverse and turn signals so that you can see the light bulb behind the outer plastic part of the max tail lights. Running hyper white bulbs in it with no problems from the cops or anything and its very visible when backing up or turning so its not like it cant be seen as its more visible then factory turns and reverse.

 

i still dont see why you would need any more access to the innards, if you can get to the diffusers from the trunkside....oh well,