*Original Post by Drew*
Well this all took me about two and a half hours. With my write-up and the pictures. It shouldn’t take you more than one and a half, even less. First panel I removed had me very dissolution as I broke a piece of the rear end trim. I wasn’t quite sure how to read the clip diagram, but the bit was easily JB welded on again, so all’s good. If you have the service manual you want to refer to Section 52A page 31. I’ll talk those of you that don’t through it, so you don’t really need it.
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STEP 1: Remove your, cargo net, spare wheel cover, jack, spare wheel and tools.
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STEP 2: _Removal of part #9 The Rear End Trim, that’s the 2 or so sq/ft piece of plastic at the very back end of your car. It has an insert in it that let’s you access the truck release manually. Remember this is your first step and from this you will learn the force requires to pop the clips. The piece has 4 clips on top, parallel to the ground, so you have to pop them up, towards the sky. This is the trickiest part of it all, honest. 2 clips are located in the first quarter of the panel. See pic below. What you want to do is carefully wedge a mid sized flat screwdriver at about 1 inches from the edge of the panel on either side. Push it in far enough that you clear the metal and have some leverage, you’ll know what I mean, then wedge up. You’ll hear a click-pop, STOP, don’t go any further. Next move to about 5 inches from the side on either side and do the same. Lift up slightly and tilt back. And you first panel is removed.
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<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step2.jpg" border="0" />
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<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step2.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
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STEP 3: Remove TOP luggage hook part #10. Make sure you only remove the top one, the lower one is screwed on to the panel and not to the chassis. The luggage hook looks like a T shaped hook. This is where your cargo net attaches to if you have one.
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<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step3.jpg" border="0" />
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<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step3.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
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STEP 4: For now you are going to be working with the passenger side, although everything reflects to the drivers side, but you may have a speaker to worry about, more on that later. Remove the Light Lens part #11. I used a flat head screw drive. It feels like it’s going to crack the lens, but just use slow gentle force till it pops off.
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<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step4.jpg" border="0" />
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<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step4.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
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STEP 5: Unscrew the 2 screws that hold in the light and unplug the plug.
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<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step5.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step5.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
<br />
<br />
STEP 6: Both rear side panels have 7 screws, make sure you count them. One of them is easily overlooked. Once those are gone, there is just one clip, in abouy 5 inches and down 3. Just tug. Don’t worry about the safety restraint bolts close to the tail lights, you’ll clear them..
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step6.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step6.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
Well this all took me about two and a half hours. With my write-up and the pictures. It shouldn’t take you more than one and a half, even less. First panel I removed had me very dissolution as I broke a piece of the rear end trim. I wasn’t quite sure how to read the clip diagram, but the bit was easily JB welded on again, so all’s good. If you have the service manual you want to refer to Section 52A page 31. I’ll talk those of you that don’t through it, so you don’t really need it.
<br />
<br />
STEP 1: Remove your, cargo net, spare wheel cover, jack, spare wheel and tools.
<br />
<br />
STEP 2: _Removal of part #9 The Rear End Trim, that’s the 2 or so sq/ft piece of plastic at the very back end of your car. It has an insert in it that let’s you access the truck release manually. Remember this is your first step and from this you will learn the force requires to pop the clips. The piece has 4 clips on top, parallel to the ground, so you have to pop them up, towards the sky. This is the trickiest part of it all, honest. 2 clips are located in the first quarter of the panel. See pic below. What you want to do is carefully wedge a mid sized flat screwdriver at about 1 inches from the edge of the panel on either side. Push it in far enough that you clear the metal and have some leverage, you’ll know what I mean, then wedge up. You’ll hear a click-pop, STOP, don’t go any further. Next move to about 5 inches from the side on either side and do the same. Lift up slightly and tilt back. And you first panel is removed.
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step2.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step2.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
<br />
<br />
STEP 3: Remove TOP luggage hook part #10. Make sure you only remove the top one, the lower one is screwed on to the panel and not to the chassis. The luggage hook looks like a T shaped hook. This is where your cargo net attaches to if you have one.
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step3.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step3.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
<br />
<br />
STEP 4: For now you are going to be working with the passenger side, although everything reflects to the drivers side, but you may have a speaker to worry about, more on that later. Remove the Light Lens part #11. I used a flat head screw drive. It feels like it’s going to crack the lens, but just use slow gentle force till it pops off.
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step4.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step4.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
<br />
<br />
STEP 5: Unscrew the 2 screws that hold in the light and unplug the plug.
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step5.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step5.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>
<br />
<br />
STEP 6: Both rear side panels have 7 screws, make sure you count them. One of them is easily overlooked. Once those are gone, there is just one clip, in abouy 5 inches and down 3. Just tug. Don’t worry about the safety restraint bolts close to the tail lights, you’ll clear them..
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.myler.info/Resources/4G/step6.jpg" border="0" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.club4ageclipse.com/hires/step6.jpg" target="_blank" class="postlink">For a Hi Res image click here.</a>