Yes headlight removal again!

Hi there guys
I have looked at the other posts on this matter and you tubed it but none of the post or clips match my van. First I have the all in one blinker and side light. I have unscrewed the Philips screw and added pressure but they only budge a fraction at the bottom. I applied pressure to the plastic grommet at the top and nothing. There is a hole that fits a philips screw driver in ..... is this there to release something? I don’t wish to wreck anything.

Show me a better photo of your front. The center part. Ours is similar and you have to remove more than the screw in the door jam to get the headlight out.

Howdy

Removing front lights can be pretty fraught!

While probably not definitive for your van I found Merlin’s YT video pretty helpful:


It shows this should be simple but it’s a bit of a sequence jigsaw puzzle.

To get reasonably good exploded drawings of each part do check the parts on the Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue, see:

https://toyota.epc-data.com/regius_ace/lh119v/114894/electric/

The main (front and rear) lights are at the top, but this is for my van. You’ll need to modify this to be correct to yours based on the frame code and options there. There are also several options (Schemes) for each model but the main thing is if you get the correct part it shows the fasteners.

Even once you know or think you have all the fasteners out getting the fittings out is really where the fraught and anxious bit really starts. Old and brittle plastic plus stubborn pins and locating pieces and parts made from unobtainium. Been there!

I found a set of trim removal tools, such as these:

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/11-piece-car-trim-removal-and-moulding-set/

but available from lots of places to be invaluable here and in many, many areas of work. Beats a screwdriver wrapped in tape every day!

Another useful tool is a small endoscope camera that fits to a phone.

Third tool is to take lots of pictures, of course.

Finally, when I’ve removed my lights I’ve done my best to clean up the (metal) pegs on a wire wheel and spray a little paint over them to try to keep corrosion at bay, plus coat these and the receivers with grease / copper slip / Teflon paste for the future.

Hope all this help as it can be quite tricky!

Cheers!

Hey thanks for the reply. Yes have viewed this footage but again they start with just taking the blinker out separately. Here’s the photo of the front

Good Morning Golden Connection.

Thanks for that photo. Same setup as ours. I know how to get them out but I have to go look to remember entirely. Guess I’m getting old. Give me a minute or two for sunrise over here and I’ll get you on track.

Alright buddy here you go:

I’ll show pictures but here is the order of operations:

1.  Take out that little Phillips screw for the marker lights on both sides
2.  Pry forward on each marker light with a plastic spudger you took from your wife’s expensive coffee maker to release it. Directly forward with the doors closed. I’ll show you why in pictures.
3.  Take out the screws securing the grill and pull it straight out too.
4.  Now both headlight assemblies are exposed and you can do what you need too.
5. Return plastic spudger before you get caught.

I suppose you could remove less but it’s only a few Phillips screws and there’s no risk of breaking rare parts you can probably only get from yahoo auctions Japan.

Grill screws are red
Pull tabs are blue
Marker screw is yellow

You were on the right track but there are 3 pins that must be released and pushing on that top one from the inside didn’t work for me either. Prying where I showed you works every time for me.

Good luck Golden Connection!
-Bryan

Wow mate thank you much appreciated my friend.