Wanting to change VE tail lights to aftermarket.

[dabons]

I have a 2006 Series 1 Omega and am looking to upgrade the rear tail lights as 1 fogs up when it rains and instead of changing just the light I may as well get some nice looking tail lights and be done with it.

My question is as I could not find it on here or youtube or anywhere else is do I have to remove the rear bumper to remove and replace the tail lights?

I have asked a Holden service centre and they said no. So I went to buy some from Just Commodore Spares and they said the bumper has to be removed and added the price to do so with the price of the lights. As I want to do it the cheapest possible way has anyone else changed theirs and have they had to remove the rear bumper to do so?

 

[kiwicon]

don't have a VE but id say no.. as it looks like the housing lifts up.. look inside the boot (other side of the light) and undo the bolts holding it in, undo the harness, and see if they pop out.. should only take a few mins..

 

[Capsule]

Seriously? It takes 10 seconds to get this as the first result of a Google search:
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/ve-rear-tail-light-removal.193448

 

[ducker85]

instead of changing just the light I may as well get some nice looking tail lights and be done with it.

ummmm no the aftermarket tail lights look @#$%house!!!! stick with some OEM items

Seriously? It takes 10 seconds to get this as the first result of a Google search:
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/ve-rear-tail-light-removal.193448

+1

 

[mark7]

don't have a VE but id say no.. as it looks like the housing lifts up.. look inside the boot (other side of the light) and undo the bolts holding it in, undo the harness, and see if they pop out.. should only take a few mins..

This. It will probably have double sided tape or whatever (mine did) to hold it there in addition to the screws so might have to apply some pressure to get it to pop out.

 

[Capsule]

ummmm no the aftermarket tail lights look @#$%house!!!! stick with some OEM items

Well, I've read here you can't tell the difference between OEM SSV tail lights and aftermarket copies.
Are you talking about the "LED" ones?

 

[dabons]

Seriously? It takes 10 seconds to get this as the first result of a Google search:
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/ve-rear-tail-light-removal.193448

Well I did notice that thread but it did not seem to give quite enough info. So I apologize for starting a thread to maybe get some more solid information or maybe someone might have had pics of it being done.

Reason I did start this thread is as I could not find solid info and when I checked a set of tail lights at Just commodore spares there were plastic clips at the bottom and was told the bumper bar sits in those clips which is why they told me the bumper bar has to be removed. Then being told by a Holden service centre you do not need to remove the bar and having no experience with the VE I thought better be safe than sorry and come and ask.

Yes I know there are 3 bolts there and I also know there is tape apparently but seeing this was a new car to me wanted to make sure before I started pulling it apart.

I appreciate the help and well to Capsule if I was a long term member sure I would take your post on the chin but I have just joined.

 

[ducker85]

Well, I've read here you can't tell the difference between OEM SSV tail lights and aftermarket copies.
Are you talking about the "LED" ones?

Yep that's what 90% of people seem to use. If there an aftermarket OEM replacement I stand corrected

 

[Capsule]

Well I did notice that thread but it did not seem to give quite enough info. So I apologize for starting a thread to maybe get some more solid information or maybe someone might have had pics of it being done.

Reason I did start this thread is as I could not find solid info and when I checked a set of tail lights at Just commodore spares there were plastic clips at the bottom and was told the bumper bar sits in those clips which is why they told me the bumper bar has to be removed. Then being told by a Holden service centre you do not need to remove the bar and having no experience with the VE I thought better be safe than sorry and come and ask.

Yes I know there are 3 bolts there and I also know there is tape apparently but seeing this was a new car to me wanted to make sure before I started pulling it apart.

I appreciate the help and well to Capsule if I was a long term member sure I would take your post on the chin but I have just joined.

Well, my "rant reply" was more about your "I could not find it on here or youtube or anywhere else is do I have to remove the rear bumper to remove and replace the tail lights?" question. I think that other thread is pretty clear: you don't have to remove it.

What aftermarket tail lights are you after? If they have clips the OEM ones don't have, it might indeed not be a good idea to get them ;-)

Actually I'm also after some replacement tail lights and will probably go for the SSV replicas, but being in the middle of an arcade game restoration + a cafe racer build + an imminent house move, I might not replace them before a couple of months, but I would have been more than happy to well.

Still, I would recommend to have a look at how to remove your current ones and see how they look once off. It will help you understand what these tabs are for, if they need to be somehow attached to the bumper and why the aftermarket tail lights have tabs that are not present on the OEM ones.

I've always loved to take things apart to learn how they work. I wouldn't ask you to take your engine apart just for fun, but hey, it's just tail lights, have a look, learn, and then ask here why the hell you can't put them back together or can't fit your aftermarket ones if you're in trouble. I think everybody's gonna learn something during the process.

And Welcome onboard!

 

[Capsule]

Yep that's what 90% of people seem to use. If there an aftermarket OEM replacement I stand corrected

I'm talking about these:
VE Commodore SSV Tail Lights Brand NEW Tail Lamps FIT Omega SS SV6 SS V Sedan | eBay

They look pretty much the same as OEM, for half the price.