Author Topic: How do I install interior tailight cover in SX/4? (Read 7930 times)

priya · « **on:** August 23, 2011, 09:17:05 PM »

I struggled trying to install the interior panel that covers the tailights in my SX/4 today and I'm not too happy with the results so far. I have both quarter panel covers in place, one had a crack my husband had repaired but when I was trying to install the rear tailight panel I broke the quarter panel cover in the same place:

I never did get the tailight cover in place as it seems too tight to slide between the quarter panel covers. Is the tailight cover supposed to go in place before the quarter panel covers or is there some trick to installing this? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

shanebo · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2011, 11:03:30 PM »

Ive never had the liberty of doing that on an SX4...is it 2 seperate pieces like the wagons or a 1 piece thing?

priya · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2011, 11:08:27 PM »

It's one piece.

shanebo · « **Reply #3 on:** August 23, 2011, 11:25:11 PM »

Im trying to think of who else has an sx4 here...The only person that comes to mind is Doug (Iowa Eagle) ....If I come across any possible info before someone else chimes in Ill be sure to let ya know

priya · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2011, 05:15:52 PM »

23 views and no one on here has removed and replaced this piece in an SX/4?

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2011, 05:27:59 PM »

Sorry. I view to chechk to see the fluff (hijacjks that are always out there) gives me a giggle how a thread starts than ends up.

For the life of me haha the one I dealt with cannot remember js.

You just did it but BUMP.

68AMXGOPAC · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2011, 06:24:51 PM »

Quote from: priya on August 24, 2011, 05:15:52 PM

23 views and no one on here has removed and replaced this piece in an SX/4?

I took the parts off of the old parts SX/4 , but don't remember how, and the Money Pit II , has all the parts off it right now and stashed away.( still haven't put the full interior back in after jacking the roof back up and replaceing the hatch....) . sorry

Draekon · « **Reply #7 on:** August 24, 2011, 06:31:46 PM »

I've removed and replaced mine a couple times, but don't remember any special tricks. It didn't really want to go it, but eventually it slid into the right place.

Sorry I can't be of any real help.

priya · « **Reply #8 on:** August 24, 2011, 06:36:53 PM »

I got it in guys and girls. I'm not sure exactly what I did differently but I wiggled and pushed and it went into place without further cracking on the quarter panel covers.

Thanks to those who tried to help.

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 24, 2011, 06:45:40 PM »

Thats about it wiggle wiggle. Tube snake boogie (zz top)

priya · « **Reply #10 on:** August 24, 2011, 07:04:36 PM »

I think the trick was to place it evenly inside the hatch opening a foot or two away from the tailights and then tilt the bottom of the panel towards the tailights, slide the bottom into the recess between the gas tank hump and the foor in front of the tailights, then tilt the top of the panel towards the tailights while easing the edges of the tailight cover into the quarter panel recesses shown in the picture above. I think I cracked the one quarter panel cover because I tried to initially slide the tailight cover directly down into the quarter panel recesses from outside the car with the left side of the tailight cover tilted down and the right side tilted up - I got the left side into place but when I tried to lower the right edge of the tailight cover into the passenger side quarter panel cover recess the cockeyed angle pushed the driver's side quarter panel cover outwards and broke it.

eaglefreek · « **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2011, 09:36:51 PM »

The plastic gets brittle after all these years and makes it more difficult to get the parts back in place with out damage. I sneezed once and I broke the package tray in my Eagle.

vangremlin · « **Reply #12 on:** August 24, 2011, 11:52:06 PM »

Quote from: eaglefreek on August 24, 2011, 09:36:51 PM

The plastic gets brittle after all these years and makes it more difficult to get the parts back in place with out damage. I sneezed once and I broke the package tray in my Eagle.

That must have been one heck of a sneeze!!!

85AmCfreak · « **Reply #13 on:** August 25, 2011, 11:18:55 AM »

Quote from: eaglefreek on August 24, 2011, 09:36:51 PM

The plastic gets brittle after all these years and makes it more difficult to get the parts back in place with out damage. I sneezed once and I broke the package tray in my Eagle.

LMAO

shaggimo · « **Reply #14 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:09:21 PM »

I haven't actually got around to putting those peices back on the sx/4 yet

. Is it possible to put the back piece on first, I can't remember how they came off? I do remember it was necessary to take one off before the other though, lol.

85AmCfreak · « **Reply #15 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:21:07 PM »

I believe the back panel covering the taillights and wiring is the last to be installed.The company wouldn't make you remove all the rear interior panels just to change a tail bulb. Mine is flexible so I just bend it a little, push in certain spots and it slips right in.

priya · « **Reply #16 on:** August 25, 2011, 01:21:47 PM »

Quote from: shaggimo on August 25, 2011, 01:09:21 PM

I haven't actually got around to putting those peices back on the sx/4 yet . Is it possible to put the back piece on first, I can't remember how they came off? I do remember it was necessary to take one off before the other though, lol.

I initially thought that might be the case after my first failed attempt to install it, but I don't think anymore that that would work. I think the problem was the first time I installed it I had the right side tilted high, put the lowered left side in the channel and tried to force the right side down into the channel. This made the overall width too long to fit in between the quarter panel trim pieces as the diagnoal measurement from right lower corner to left upper corner of the tailight cover was longer than the measurement straight across with the panel level. You want to put the tailight panel in the hatch opening with its bottom paralell to the hatch floor, tilt the bottom of the tailight panel inwards towards the tailight, slide the bottom of the tailight panel into position in the quarter panel channels, and then tilt the top of the tailight panel intowards the tailights and into the channels. I hope you can understand that, it would be easier if I could show you but now that I've finally got it in place I don't want to pull it out to make a video on how to install it.

shaggimo · « **Reply #17 on:** August 25, 2011, 02:34:53 PM »

lol, I don't blame ya, I wouldn't want to pull it back out either. I get what you're saying though, makes sense, thanks for the tip, I'll have to remember that if I ever get around to finishing the interior, lol.

shanebo · « **Reply #18 on:** August 27, 2011, 01:33:03 AM »

Im glad you got that back in...Alot of these old Eagles still got alot of fight left in em.

priya · « **Reply #19 on:** August 27, 2011, 10:22:39 AM »

Quote from: shanebo on August 27, 2011, 01:33:03 AM

Im glad you got that back in...Alot of these old Eagles still got alot of fight left in em.

Yes, the interior quarter panel covers were much worse, a real struggle.

Author Topic: How do I install interior tailight cover in SX/4? (Read 7930 times)

68AMXGOPAC