replace P5 tailight/brakelight

[seatown.P5]

From reading the shop manual PDFs, it seems that one has to remove most of the rear interior panels just to replace a burned out tailight/brakelight. Is this really the case? Seems rather odd... I'm hoping I'm just being dense and am missing something obvious.

 

[CTt3P5]

Not at all. Pop the hatch and look on the backside, you will see three round covers. Use a butterknife or slotted screwdriver to pop these off. Next use a socket (forget which size) to remove the three nuts holding the light in place. Then you just work the light out and swap bulbs.

 

[seatown.P5]

Ok, so I was being dense afterall. Thanks!

 

[mazdaspeed777]

yah, the whole tail light unit will come out after you take the nuts off. The size of those are 10mm. A lot of the bolts on the P5 are 10mm

 

[seatown.P5]

Cool, thanks mazdaspeed777.

 

[bazooka joe]

just a tip for you, be careful that you don't lose the nut down behind everything when you pull the socket out of the hole...(pissed) ...i put a small piece of tape inside the socket to hold the nut until i got my grubby hands on it!

 

[mazda_pro5_2nr]

If it does fall, lift the "flooring" that lays on top of the spare tire and reach your hand down all the way to the side. That is where mine fell when I replaced my bulb to hyper whites.

 

[seatown.P5]

Good tips.

It's been a long time since I posted here, I forgot how helpful everyone is.

 

[CTt3P5]

just a tip for you, be careful that you don't lose the nut down behind everything when you pull the socket out of the hole...(pissed) ...i put a small piece of tape inside the socket to hold the nut until i got my grubby hands on it!

Wish I would have thought about that when I swapped out my lights. Didn't drop one, but it was hell trying to get my free fingers in there (to catch it, just in case) while turning the socket with the other hand.

 

[mazda_pro5_2nr]

Wish I would have thought about that when I swapped out my lights. Didn't drop one, but it was hell trying to get my free fingers in there (to catch it, just in case) while turning the socket with the other hand.

LMAO, you should of seen me with my fat albert hands trying to get in those wholes.......funny how I dont have trouble with others, like my nose, lmao!(peep)

 

[CTt3P5]

lmao....thank joo for the laugh

 

[bazooka joe]

well you can lift up the floor and get the nut, it's not that bad, but i ahve my amp and speaker box ( and other crap) on the floor and was to lazy to move everything, so the tape works well!

 

[Black_Protege_5]

Oh also the Light won't just come out from removing the 3 nuts. There is also a plastic clip that holds it in. Give a good tug and it will pop out.

 

[mazda_pro5_2nr]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Dont give it a good tug. Slow motion for me, slow motion for meeee.mmmmmmmm our cars like it like that.....

Don't tug on it, because if you break that clip, your screwed and have to spend worthless chump change on a plastic clip that you could have used on tittie money

 

[Black_Protege_5]

Well if you pull softly it won't come out. Just pull straight. And the clip really doesn't do anything. No clue why its there. I broke my drivers side clip on purpose because it was pissing me off.

 

[seatown.P5]

So the tailight still stays in without the clip? I can totally see myself breaking the damn thing first time out.

 

[Kansei]

yeah the bolts seem to hold it there, the clip is just... well I'm not sure what it is supposed to do

 

[GreyMan]

yup, thats it

 

[mazda_pro5_2nr]

Extra support, like a bra's underwire.

 

[redpr5]

yah, the whole tail light unit will come out after you take the nuts off. The size of those are 10mm. A lot of the bolts on the P5 are 10mm

damn imports and their 10mm sockets....my friends honda is the same way lol