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Removing Rear Light Cluster
A guide for removing and refitting the rear lights

This guide will show you how to get at and remove the rear light cluster of the Esprit. These particular rear clusters are fitted to the Esprit from 1987 up until the 2002 revamped V8 with the newer rear lights. So this guide covers 15 years of Esprit production. New clusters are still available from many sources. SWLC have a stock of them if you require a new cluster. The Unit comes in one section, which is secured by 8 nuts and isn't hard to get off.

After cracking our rear light when parking a motorbike to close, it was time to fit a replacement rear light cluster. This is how we removed ours. This guide can be used for this, or replacing any blown bulbs or the new clear indicator kit, which requires the removal of the cluster for fitting.

Removing the cluster will not take more than 30 minutes each, it does not take any special tools and it´s not that difficult.

 

You will need the following parts:

New rear cluster, bulbs or whatever you are changing.

You will need the following tools:

Screwdriver
10mm socket or Spanner

Removal

  

The bulbs are attached from behind through 4 small holes, with a plastic cover protecting all the connection. Remove wing-nut (x2) as shown and gently pull the plastic cover away, being careful as there are two wires connected to it for the interior light. Disconnect these two wires and remove the cover.

  

The White Connection box is attached to the rear light cluster with one phillips head screw. Undo this screw and gently pull the connection box away from the cluster. Disconnect the four bulbs by twisting the plastic holder anti-clockwise. Then remove the eight 10 mm nuts as shown above.

   

The rear light cluster can then be carefully removed from the bodywork, starting from the indicator gently pull the light cluster out. If you have a problem freeing the inside edge from the number plate surround, there is two screw inside the boot, loosen one of these and this will loosen the numberplate surround making it easier to remove the cluster. Making sure not to forget the rubber gaskets, replace the cluster and follow the instructions in reverse for re-fitting.

LEW's Verdict

This is a very easy task to perform. We though it would be a pain looking at the cluster from the outside, but as you can see it's easy. We swapped out our old cracked cluster and put in the new one in double quick time. Fortunately we haven't had a reason to remove our clusters again. We did cut into the wiring to fix the Sport 350 wing, but our cluster have remain untouched since this guide was produced.

So next time a brakelight goes, just get a new bulb and do-it-yourself. Saves you paying someone else to do a really simple job.

This mod was performed by LEW on their 1992 SE.

If you try this, feel free to e-mail us with your Verdict at admin@lotusespritworld.com

 

Original Source
The Esprit Rear Light Cluster is originally from a 1985 Toyota Trueno (as it was known in Japan) or Sprinter (as it was know in Australia) and from a RWD Toyota Corolla Coupe (AE86) part number 81561-1A240 Left, 81551-1A240 Right.

 

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