Part II: Installation and Initial Review of Valenti JDM full LED tail lamps from TWP

I have 20 more days (ETA Oct 27) to see if my CR: (Clear Lens/Red chrome) have any damage... My order is with bulk shipment to Houston Texas... by boat... I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will open mine at TWP and we will inspect together... I really hope I have no issues. If damaged I know we will work it out and eventually I will get my tails. I am thankful TWP has done all they have to make this possible. Lots of good threads and reading. Oh just in case, I give a general thanks to all the people that have worked on this, don't want to miss anyone.

Picture provided by 32kcolors

 

A little late to this one but my shipment was packaged up pretty well. My box did arrive pretty beat up and dented in one corner but there was more than enough padding inside to protect everything. Even I was surprised that neither tail light was damaged.

 

Very cool :rockon::rockon::rockon:
Did you use pry tool? I don't have one I have used old credit cards for this in the past. I am thinking that may not be a good idea with this. Has anyone else used something different without breaking tail lamp?

 

You could use a 99 cent plastic putty knife, but collapse the bottom white fastener/snap-in first or you'll have a hell of a time getting it off.

Home depot also sells a caulking tool kit that has the handy remover on one end.

 

Yep, got mine from Action Autoparts here in Seattle. O'Reilly, Napa, Sears definitely did not have a clue when I asked about this pry tool.

 

I guess I have not passed the 5 post threshhold to post a picture yet. I will say that the "anti-theft" fasteners are really assembly fasteners. When the lights are installed in the factory, the little tabs on these fasteners hold the lites in place before the nuts are installed and tightened...

 

The purpose of the plastic putty knife is to pre-load the lamp with a rear-ward force, so that when the tabs of the white assembly fasteners are squeezed, then the lite will tend to disengage (i.e., the lite will move move backwards as soon as the tabs are squeezed.

Another helpful hint is to not lean against the bumper when you're trying to remove the lites. The bumper will press the light forward if you're leaning on it.

 

ok, here's my photo. You can see where the corner was scratched and damaged by the packaging before I cracked it. DO NOT press down on the top corner of the lamp with any force. It is unsupported, and it will crack. Note that the OEM lamps are supported all the way to the edge.

 

Is there a part number on receipt and how much was it?

 

The yellow fastener alone can serve that purpose and is required for proper assembly. The white fasteners aren't actually necessary.

 

For anybody that may have broken a retainer or mangled a fastener.

2010 Toyota Prius REAR LAMPS Combination lamps Tail lamp assy Toyota Part Source

Side Note - My interior corner cowls have had their fasteners take a beating between the door sills, fog lights, and led mirrors installed. Can't seem find the right part through the illustrations for them yet though.

 

It's interesting you should say that - I got the white fasteners out and in again fine (with the help that they should be compressed from inside before removal) but could not get the yellow fasteners to engage the slot on the new taillights. I wound up having to trim off the head of the yellow fastener to get the light to sit (almost) flush at the side (it's not perfect, which bothers me a little).

Is there a trick to getting the yellow fasteners, the white fasteners, and the threaded rods all lined up at the same time?

 

Here is the exact set that Action Autoparts let me borrow.
http://www.amazon.com/Wilmar-W80648-Plastic-Pry-Bar/dp/B002KSAZ78


It looks like this cheaper set will do the job though.http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B0017HX5DE?tag=priuschatcom-20

 

Patience is the trick to getting everything lined up to snap in place, as it takes some trial and error to do this, mainly because you can't really see everything at once. Took me several tries until everything snaps in place. If it has to take you 5 minutes of trial and error, then that's how long it takes. I don't recommend trimming the head off, as both the yellow fasteners and retainers are essential for flush fit with no play.

 

I agree. Patience is the key. Do not force the light into place. It also helps to pull the bumper skin away from the lower edge of the light so it doesn't interfere or influence the light position...

 

To help for next time - does the light go straight in as it will eventually be oriented, or does it angle in (and if so, bottom first or top first)?

And does anyone know where one can buy the yellow alignment fasteners? They aren't shown on the link about for other light hardware.

Much thanks to all - the lights look great (a red car really needs red lights)!

 

If you look on the backside at the slot where the yellow fastener goes, you'll want to go in the angle of that slot, so basically straight in. Also make sure that the outside border is flush with the rear fender for proper orientation. It helps to have someone pull the bumper out (around the retainer clip area) while you do this.

Pics please. I'm a fan of red on red.

 

OK, here's a before and after from a rear angled view.

 

Are you planning on wrapping your brake light in red vinyl? I think you should

 

I bought a roll of the red vinyl for the brake and it lights up a perfect match. I only used about 5% of it so anyone who wants some can PM me. These lights really make the car!