- Mar 26, 2009 2:46:22 am
- Edited 2 times, last by Phat__liP on Mar 26, 2009 2:57:34am.
With the help of my brother. I bring to CSTC this DIY on how to remove there rear garnish safely and how to prepare the hatch to be driven around without the rear garnish on. Several of you out of state people have ask me to work on your rear garnish so this is what made me make ths DIY.
Tools:
Hands & Arm Strength
Phillips Head ScrewDriver
Electrical Tape
Needle Nose Pliers
Panel Popper Tool For Pop Clips(maybe)
Ratchet With 10mm Deep Socket & 6in Extension
This is right before removing the (3) hatch trim pieces around the glass on the hatch.
Pointing to the middle hatch trim piece. I usually start with the removal of this piece by hand. Just pull on it and it will come off.
Here is the middle hatch trim piece off the car.
All (3) hatch trim pieces removed from the car.
Use the phillips head screwdriver to remove (2) phillips head screws from the rear black plastic hatch panel by both grab handles.
Grab with your strong hand on one of the handles and place your other hand under the hatch itself. Now pull down with a jerking motion while pushing up with the other hand to separate the black panel from the hatch.
Beginning to separate from the hatch.
Here is the black plastic hatch panel separated from the hatch. Make sure all of the pop clips are in the black plastic hatch panel which I have marked with a red circle around them. If not, this is when the panel popper tool is needed to get the pop clips out of the hatch.
Circled in red is the connector to the button on the rear garnish.
A close up of the connector.
Disconnect the connector like so.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the passenger side. You need to use the ratchet with 10mm deep socket & 6in extension to remove the (2) nuts with the red circles around them. Be very very careful not to drop the nuts inside the hatch. Place electrical tape over the two little holes from the inside of the hatch to keep water out.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the drivers side. You need to use the ratchet with 10mm deep socket & 6in extension to remove the (2) nuts with the red circles around them. Be very very careful not to drop the nuts inside the hatch. The green circle is the rubber grommet you need to push through while pulling the rear garnish off. Place electrical tape over the two little holes and one large hole from the inside of the hatch to keep water out.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the drivers side black plastic panel. Push down on those tabs that are circle in red and the piece will fall out.
A picture with the piece off the black plastic hatch panel.
There are (2) phillips head screws circled in red that need to be removed from the garnish.
After the (2) phillips head screws are romoved. Take your needle nose pliers to squeeze those tabs circled in red gently enough to push out the grab handle button. Once the grab handle button is removed from the garnish. Put the (2) screws back into the grab handle button so you do not loose them.
Reconnect the grab handle button back to the connetor on the hatch through the open hole on the black plastic panel. Squeeze grab handle button to make sure the hatch latch is working.
Another look at the grab handle button attached to the hatch through the black plastic panel.
A picture from the underside of the black plastic panel.
It is now time to reattach the black plastic panel to the hatch. I am pointing to the corners of the black plastic panel cause you will need to pull here to get it up an over the lip on the hatch. Once both sides are over the lip. You may gently smack the whole black plastic panel onto the hatch with your hand. Then screw back in the (2) phillips head screws by the handles. Lastly, reinstall the (3) hatch trim pieces starting with the side pieces and then the middle piece. Be careful when closing the hatch so that the grab handle button is in the trunk.
This is what your hatch will look like without the rear garnish on. Now make sure to use electrical tape on both of your tag lights. Place electrical tape on the top, sides and front of both your tag lights. This will block the light so people behind you at night wont get pissed or attract the Poe-Poe. Now remember DO NOT put electrical tap on the underside of the tag lights. You need light to shine down on your license plate.
Tools:
Hands & Arm Strength
Phillips Head ScrewDriver
Electrical Tape
Needle Nose Pliers
Panel Popper Tool For Pop Clips(maybe)
Ratchet With 10mm Deep Socket & 6in Extension
This is right before removing the (3) hatch trim pieces around the glass on the hatch.
Pointing to the middle hatch trim piece. I usually start with the removal of this piece by hand. Just pull on it and it will come off.
Here is the middle hatch trim piece off the car.
All (3) hatch trim pieces removed from the car.
Use the phillips head screwdriver to remove (2) phillips head screws from the rear black plastic hatch panel by both grab handles.
Grab with your strong hand on one of the handles and place your other hand under the hatch itself. Now pull down with a jerking motion while pushing up with the other hand to separate the black panel from the hatch.
Beginning to separate from the hatch.
Here is the black plastic hatch panel separated from the hatch. Make sure all of the pop clips are in the black plastic hatch panel which I have marked with a red circle around them. If not, this is when the panel popper tool is needed to get the pop clips out of the hatch.
Circled in red is the connector to the button on the rear garnish.
A close up of the connector.
Disconnect the connector like so.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the passenger side. You need to use the ratchet with 10mm deep socket & 6in extension to remove the (2) nuts with the red circles around them. Be very very careful not to drop the nuts inside the hatch. Place electrical tape over the two little holes from the inside of the hatch to keep water out.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the drivers side. You need to use the ratchet with 10mm deep socket & 6in extension to remove the (2) nuts with the red circles around them. Be very very careful not to drop the nuts inside the hatch. The green circle is the rubber grommet you need to push through while pulling the rear garnish off. Place electrical tape over the two little holes and one large hole from the inside of the hatch to keep water out.
From the inside of the car facing towards the rear of the car is a picture from the drivers side black plastic panel. Push down on those tabs that are circle in red and the piece will fall out.
A picture with the piece off the black plastic hatch panel.
There are (2) phillips head screws circled in red that need to be removed from the garnish.
After the (2) phillips head screws are romoved. Take your needle nose pliers to squeeze those tabs circled in red gently enough to push out the grab handle button. Once the grab handle button is removed from the garnish. Put the (2) screws back into the grab handle button so you do not loose them.
Reconnect the grab handle button back to the connetor on the hatch through the open hole on the black plastic panel. Squeeze grab handle button to make sure the hatch latch is working.
Another look at the grab handle button attached to the hatch through the black plastic panel.
A picture from the underside of the black plastic panel.
It is now time to reattach the black plastic panel to the hatch. I am pointing to the corners of the black plastic panel cause you will need to pull here to get it up an over the lip on the hatch. Once both sides are over the lip. You may gently smack the whole black plastic panel onto the hatch with your hand. Then screw back in the (2) phillips head screws by the handles. Lastly, reinstall the (3) hatch trim pieces starting with the side pieces and then the middle piece. Be careful when closing the hatch so that the grab handle button is in the trunk.
This is what your hatch will look like without the rear garnish on. Now make sure to use electrical tape on both of your tag lights. Place electrical tape on the top, sides and front of both your tag lights. This will block the light so people behind you at night wont get pissed or attract the Poe-Poe. Now remember DO NOT put electrical tap on the underside of the tag lights. You need light to shine down on your license plate.
