Removing Map Light Bulbs...Help?

[GiGi's 1996]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. In my frustration last night I resorted to forum help. Needless to say, after some rest, doing the job in the daylight and "real" electrical tape (not some crappy old maybe Harbor Freight tape) I got those little b****** out! I had success by wrapping the good electrical tape around bulb at least 2 times, damn things pulled right out with pliers.....

New challenge.....

Will someone please tell me where to pry on the lens on the rear hatch? I am fearful of cracking the lens and/or breaking plastic clip. As you can see in picture, I had already goobered up the black plastic by prying with screwdriver..

Wow.....I know I sound like a helpless female............thanks for help.......

 

[Antman]

New challenge.....

Will someone please tell me where to pry on the lens on the rear hatch? I am fearful of cracking the lens and/or breaking plastic clip. As you can see in picture, I had already goobered up the black plastic by prying with screwdriver..

Wow.....I know I sound like a helpless female............thanks for help.......

I find it easier to pull part of the rear panel down like this (pry at the slot in the plastic).





Then you can see the clip holding the light in place and release the electrical connection easily.

 

[MSinDC]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. In my frustration last night I resorted to forum help. Needless to say, after some rest, doing the job in the daylight and "real" electrical tape (not some crappy old maybe Harbor Freight tape) I got those little b****** out! I had success by wrapping the good electrical tape around bulb at least 2 times, damn things pulled right out with pliers.....

New challenge.....

Will someone please tell me where to pry on the lens on the rear hatch? I am fearful of cracking the lens and/or breaking plastic clip. As you can see in picture, I had already goobered up the black plastic by prying with screwdriver..

Wow.....I know I sound like a helpless female............thanks for help.......

Haha pulling the whole panel is a little intense for me. On the 2014's, the rear hatch has a metal clip on the right side of each light that clips the whole assembly into the panel. Play around on the right side and get your flathead underneath the metal piece and pull out (from the right).

Pretty sure it's the same on the older ones too as I found some instructions in some old post.

 

[NoDak]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/155103-part-numbers-interior-light-mod-please.html

 

[Antman]

Haha pulling the whole panel is a little intense for me.

It takes about 5 seconds to pull the panel loose, if that. But to each his own.

 

[MSinDC]

It takes about 5 seconds to pull the panel loose, if that. But to each his own.

Bet I could pop the assemblies out in 4! :trophy:

Seriously though, I've had some interesting experiences with door panel removals, and when I did this "mod" the truck was 3 days old. I don't see myself being able to start pulling on the panels for at least a year.

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

It takes about 5 seconds to pull the panel loose, if that. But to each his own.

I like your idea best. It don't get any better than being able to see what the hell is holding some of the car parts together. The only thing I don't like about modding (besides the $$$) is the suspense of breaking hidden clips and getting stuck because of unfamiliar binding techniques.

 

[GiGi's 1996]

Thank you Antman and MSinDC.

Mission accomplished. I used both your advice. I pried with screwdriver at designated place, unclipped like a charm, a little scary but better than marking up my plastic. The driver side was easy to do, unclipped from power supply and did not try to install the new LED inverted. On the passenger side (2014 has 2 lights in hatch) it was alittle more tricky as the pull handle gets in the way of just having open access like the driver side. I knew where and how to more push in than pry the little metal clip holding assembly in, popped out, disconnected from power and installed.

I love this forum and thank for help. :thumb3:

Maybe to help the next soul, here is a picture of the dome light. Notice the "hooks", their locations and know how they unclip from headliner.

 

[MadeInMaine]

Just so people can find this easy, back to the OP topic...
I tried needle nose pliers, medical Kelly clamps, and electrical tape... Nothing worked.

What did work was 1/2" strips of 3M double sided tape. The foam stuff with red pull off barrier. I put both ends of tape up on the bulb, had a little extra to make a little tab to pull it from. I took 30 secs on make sure I had pushed the tape onto the bulb thoroughly, bam, bulb came right out.
Hope this helps

 

[Cruj0nes]

So I did all the LED's with the help of the Precision video but the map lights were impossible so I came up with a new method. Grab the bulb, squeeze with pliers, close your eyes and POP! Then just pull the base out with some needle nose pliers- takes 2 seconds! Viola!

 

[DaveI]

The electrical tape trick worked for me on the map light bulbs.