How do you replace a taillight on a Toyota Previa?

Answer 1

Howdy, if you need to change a lightbulb: for lights in the tailgate, there are access panels on the inside of the tailgate that give you access to the light assemblies. Locate the the part that has wires leading into it after removing the access panel. That part(the socket the bulb lives in)is removed by turning the socket counter clockwise about one quarter to one half turn. Usually the socket will come out of the light assembly and the bilb will then be exposed. Holding the socket in one hand, gently push toward the socket on the bulb while turning counter clockwise. The bulb should release from the socket.

For the lights on the rear corner of the previa, raise tailgate. On the black tailight housing adjacent to the rubber weatherstrip where the tailgate mates with the body, you will see two screws that attach the tailight housing to the body. Remove these two screws. The tailight assembly is now held in place by a metal clip that squeezes the body panel of the vehicle where the frontmost part of the tailight meets the body(towards the front of the vehicle) the tailight assembly slides rearward to release. the little clip is fairly stout and requires a bit of effort. Be a little careful though, once the little clip lets go you may fid your self on the floor, or the wires that run the lights relieved of all their slack, and you wondering what happened. The bulbs are in sockets as above.

If you have an older model (mine is a 1991) the tail light housing may have been there undisturbed for a while. Use something to pry it free a little by gently inserting between the unit and the car body - give a tweak just to break the seal a little between the rubber seals and the body. Be very careful not to snap the thin plastic bracket (with the two screw holes) from the unit when you pull it away from the body.

If the above doesn't work on the tail light housing, I found that the following technique was effective:

With a 3-4mm blade screwdriver bore a hole in the thin plastic bracket at mid height, approximately 1 inch from the rear of the unit. Put the fingers of one hand behind the unit and put the screwdriver into the hole with the other hand. Grip the screwdriver close to the bracket and jolt it firmly a few times until slides out backwards. Once you have changed the bulbs fill the hole with hot mealt glue and cover with black tape.