when i got my car tinted they cut around the back brake light which sucks and i hate the look of it, not to mention that light isnt even hooked up cause i have an aftermarket spoiler, but anyways i want to put a peice of tint there but i need to have room to work around the light in the back anyone know how to remove the back panneling stuff would it come off if you unscrewed the casing that holds the speakers??
tint cut around brake light on back window!!
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there is 2 screws in the trunk that hold the brake light on. Pretty easy to take off. Everything else just pretty much pulls off and snaps back in
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Actually, on the sedan it is a little more involved.
In order to remove the center brake light, you have to remove the rear deck as the deck is moulded around the brake light.
In order to do that you have to remove your rear seat. First remove the seat bottom. It is held in by one clip on each side. There should be a tab you can pull which releases the clips. Then you remove the seat back. It is held in by 6 bolts (I believe); 4 at the bottom, and two behind the headrests. Completely remove it by lifting up and out. There are two hooks at the back of the seat that slide into holes behind the seat.
Once you have that out, you have to remove the side post moldings. Each is held on by a single screw and several clips on the edge.
NOW you can remove the panel. It is held down by, I believe, 4 clips on the front edge. Carefully pry up at the clips so as not to damage the panel. Once you have those released, you can slide the rear deck panel out of the way.
As mentioned above, the center brake light is secured by two nuts which can be accessed through the trunk. Loosen these and slide the light back, and out.
PS. Sorry, I missed out one step, and that is the part where you have to remove/disconnect your speakers before you can take the panel off.
In order to remove the center brake light, you have to remove the rear deck as the deck is moulded around the brake light.
In order to do that you have to remove your rear seat. First remove the seat bottom. It is held in by one clip on each side. There should be a tab you can pull which releases the clips. Then you remove the seat back. It is held in by 6 bolts (I believe); 4 at the bottom, and two behind the headrests. Completely remove it by lifting up and out. There are two hooks at the back of the seat that slide into holes behind the seat.
Once you have that out, you have to remove the side post moldings. Each is held on by a single screw and several clips on the edge.
NOW you can remove the panel. It is held down by, I believe, 4 clips on the front edge. Carefully pry up at the clips so as not to damage the panel. Once you have those released, you can slide the rear deck panel out of the way.
As mentioned above, the center brake light is secured by two nuts which can be accessed through the trunk. Loosen these and slide the light back, and out.
PS. Sorry, I missed out one step, and that is the part where you have to remove/disconnect your speakers before you can take the panel off.
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yeah, i know. but when most people get tints done this is how they get their car back. c'mon now...you should know by now that no one takes as much pride in your car as you. they ain't gonna do **** 100%
LegendGS nailed the instructions.
I had my windows tinted last week. The shop called me when they got to the back window and the brake light. Said they could do it the way yours was done but it would look funny. Suggested removing the light and doing it right for $20 more, this is the way we went. It took them at least another hour to R/R the seat, speakers, deck but it looks great. 50% Llumar Charcoal - 5 windows.
I had my windows tinted last week. The shop called me when they got to the back window and the brake light. Said they could do it the way yours was done but it would look funny. Suggested removing the light and doing it right for $20 more, this is the way we went. It took them at least another hour to R/R the seat, speakers, deck but it looks great. 50% Llumar Charcoal - 5 windows.
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My rear tint is cut out around the brake light, I personally like it that way because I don't have a spoiler and I need the brake lights function, however, the shop who did mine made a very clean, presise cut so it looks smooth...but it is going to be redone when I get my car back from the shop because over the 2.5 years I have had it some of the defroster grids have began to actually 'burn' little holes in the film. Good thing I have the lifetime warrenty 
and this happened on the most expensive film I could get at the time-- cost me $230 for the complete job. 35%
and this happened on the most expensive film I could get at the time-- cost me $230 for the complete job. 35%
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HAHAHA-- after taking more though about this you're right-- it is annoying to have the tint cut around the light, that is why mine is being re-done today and I removed the rear deck/brake light so I can remedy this problem...heheheehehATLimaging said:My rear tint is cut out around the brake light, I personally like it that way because I don't have a spoiler and I need the brake lights function, however, the shop who did mine made a very clean, presise cut so it looks smooth...but it is going to be redone when I get my car back from the shop because over the 2.5 years I have had it some of the defroster grids have began to actually 'burn' little holes in the film. Good thing I have the lifetime warrenty
thanks you all!
I am planning to tint my car and I am in the exact same situation. I plan to remove my rear decklid so that they don't cut out an opening for the rear brake light. I have a factory spoiler, so my decklid brake light is not active.
I've seen a few cars with the tint cut out for the brake light and it looks like crap in my opinion.
My only other problem right now is that my rear passenger side window doesn't work. I figure I can't get that window tinted properly if it doesn't roll down. I have to get it diagnosed - I figure its probably a bad wire somewhere....
I've seen a few cars with the tint cut out for the brake light and it looks like crap in my opinion.
My only other problem right now is that my rear passenger side window doesn't work. I figure I can't get that window tinted properly if it doesn't roll down. I have to get it diagnosed - I figure its probably a bad wire somewhere....
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Yup, that's illegal here in Michigan too. But since roger has a third brake light on the spoiler, I guess it makes it ok, but if you don't have a third brake light on the spoiler, then that's a different story.wallstrum said:
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Mine was originally cut around the brake light, but I went back and got it redone because I didn't like it.
Due to the fact that the sedan's (at least) brake light isn't up against the windshield, when tinted and looking from the side, the gap is apparent. This is why I had it redone.
Due to the fact that the sedan's (at least) brake light isn't up against the windshield, when tinted and looking from the side, the gap is apparent. This is why I had it redone.
Maybe they do it this way in the states that don't tint cars very much, but in my state (Hawaii) and other sunny states like Florida and California and such almost all rear tints are done with the brake light removed if at all posible. That is just part of the job. Only the cheap crappy shops cut around the brake light. I would say less than 1% of tinted cars in Hawaii are tinted with a brake light cute out. And I figure about 90% of cars are tinted here.smoovie--smoov said:
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the shop that did mine took out my brake light and put it behind there without even asking. Im glad they did it but they ****ed up my 2 rear windows.
This is VERY common on Legend SEDANS! The reason is that after the tint guys take out a shop manual and find out that they have to remove the back seat, they dont want to do all the work! They simply cut the sheet so that can place it in without ever removing the rear seat and deck...The labor cost would be much greater if they KNEW that they had to remove your rear seat to tint that part, so they just avoid doing it...
Personally I cannot stand the look and made sure that they removed my seat to do it right... On a side note, I don't see how it could possibly be illegal to cover the 3rd brake light. The law does NOT require that you even HAVE a third brake light... It can be burnt out, unplugged, removed, or covered, as long as you have both brake "tail" lamps working... Visibility is the key, and the Legend tail lights work just fine for that purpose...
Personally I cannot stand the look and made sure that they removed my seat to do it right... On a side note, I don't see how it could possibly be illegal to cover the 3rd brake light. The law does NOT require that you even HAVE a third brake light... It can be burnt out, unplugged, removed, or covered, as long as you have both brake "tail" lamps working... Visibility is the key, and the Legend tail lights work just fine for that purpose...
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Out here I believe it is required to have a third brake light but I specifically asked the guy to tint over the brake light because it looks like crap when the tint is cut out for the light. It didn't matter to the guy to cover up the brake light since the tint he was putting on for me was illegal anyway. 15% charcoal metallic.
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