Has anyone tried removing their taillights to wire license plate light for power?

[Doogle]

I removed my right taillight to give me some room to wire in my license plate light. Probably the same engineer that designed the intake air system was involved. 3 of the push pins are right behind the 2" roll bar. I got the pin out far enough somehow, then went to the wheel well and pulled the light assembly away enough to release the push pin body. When I reassemble I will probably install the push pins from the wheel well side. I turned my running lights on before disaasembly to make sure there was power there. Later when I had the light housing out and the plug disconnected I turned the ignition and light switch on. I wanted to see which wire was for the running lights. I had no power at any of the 3 wires. I looked at the lights fuse. It looked good but tested bad. I hadn't touched anything electrical since checking my lights. Oh well, it's all done and all my lights work now. A new year and a new fuse.

 

[Admin]

 

[sspeederr]

No need to remove body panels to take out tail light, the light itself is held in by 2 rubber grommets with push tabs on light itself I reached in threw wheel well and pushed tab threw and lights pop right out. Food for thought if you have to get back in there

 

[Montecresto]

I removed my right taillight to give me some room to wire in my license plate light. Probably the same engineer that designed the intake air system was involved. 3 of the push pins are right behind the 2" roll bar. I got the pin out far enough somehow, then went to the wheel well and pulled the light assembly away enough to release the push pin body. When I reassemble I will probably install the push pins from the wheel well side. I turned my running lights on before disaasembly to make sure there was power there. Later when I had the light housing out and the plug disconnected I turned the ignition and light switch on. I wanted to see which wire was for the running lights. I had no power at any of the 3 wires. I looked at the lights fuse. It looked good but tested bad. I hadn't touched anything electrical since checking my lights. Oh well, it's all done and all my lights work now. A new year and a new fuse.

So how’d you tap in the license plate light?

 

[Doogle]

No need to remove body panels to take out tail light, the light itself is held in by 2 rubber grommets with push tabs on light itself I reached in threw wheel well and pushed tab threw and lights pop right out. Food for thought if you have to get back in there

Thanks for that info. My shop manual is supposed to come this week. I saw the tabs and tried pulling on the light. I even sprayed WD40 in the wheel well. It didn't want to cooperate. I didn't know it was designed to pull out that way and didn't want to break anything. So I went the hard way.

 

[Doogle]

So how’d you tap in the license plate light?

After removing the connector in the light I cut the plastic shield tubing (covering the 3 wires) back several inches and used an inline splice fitting. I hate using them but decided there is so little current going thru it, I would. And if I ever need to disconnect it, it would be much easier than if I soldered it. I used butt connectors at the ends of the plate light wires to increase wire size. I grounded to a bolt holding the trunk bed down. The short pieces of increased wire size were because the hair thin aluminum wires were so small, I didn't know if the inline splicer would make good contact. I used double heat shrink tubing over all wires. It can be a rough environment down there.

 

[Montecresto]

After removing the connector in the light I cut the plastic shield tubing (covering the 3 wires) back several inches and used an inline splice fitting. I hate using them but decided there is so little current going thru it, I would. And if I ever need to disconnect it, it would be much easier than if I soldered it. I used butt connectors at the ends of the plate light wires to increase wire size. I grounded to a bolt holding the trunk bed down. The short pieces of increased wire size were because the hair thin aluminum wires were so small, I didn't know if the inline splicer would make good contact. I used double heat shrink tubing over all wires. It can be a rough environment down there.

Thank you for the details. It would not have been possible to tap in anywhere along the wire harness going back to the taillights where there might be easier access and more room to work....🤔

 

[Doogle]

Thank you for the details. It would not have been possible to tap in anywhere along the wire harness going back to the taillights where there might be easier access and more room to work....🤔

My preference would have been a pig tail. It would be fast and clean. But I want to get things done now. I'm still waiting for too many things to be delivered. And the wife and I are going solo riding soon in southern Arizona.