Removed the headlights....cant get the yellow thing lose!!!

Removed the headlights....can't get the yellow thing lose!!!

I took like an hour to get all the bolts and stuff out, got the headlights removed. Can't get the damn yellow reflector loose. It's really pissing me off cuz it's dark now and I won't be able to get the headlights back in until at least tomorrow.

Can someone tell me the secret or maybe someone in my area can give me a hand. Some shit.

how bout try using a screwdriver getting the reflector piece loose. Using a small pliers, break small pieces off. follow the DIY

I've tried a flat head screw driver. The front part of the reflector is loose but not the back...if that makes any sense. It's as if there's another tab thingie that I can't get loose

edit: where is the tab? Is it in the middle or on the outside?

Im not quite sure what part you're talking about. But here's a picture from RainMaker's DIY. Maybe you can point what part you're having trouble with. Arrows would be good if you can. I'll try and help you.

He is talking about how to get the ENTIRE piece loose..... ( i think).

I have yet to perform this mod so I can't really say what to do.

When you look into the signal hole.

The tab is actually not into the light itself.

Its right AFTER the grey part..

u can see a little TAB.. what I did was just jabbed it, and it broke off.

than I took my screw driver, digged it into the yellow piece and kinda torqued it out (like a see-saw) of its place.

When it came out, i clipped it.. to little pieces.

if u were in toronto, i would help ya out, since i already helped roughly 7 corollas already doing the same thing. haha

Ok, I'm having the same problem too. The DIY isn't too clear on just how we're suppose to "fiddle" the yellow piece out. I've tried using a screwdriver and my fingers, but it just won't budge and I don't want to torque or fiddle too excessively for fear of scratching the housing. I ran into the same problem mentioned in the earlier posts, refer to the picture below... Basically, I can break the tab circled in #1 below, which is the one mentioned in the DIY that you can see from the bulb hole. Now, there is a second tab not mentioned in the DIY at the bottom of the headlight in #2 below, that can be seen when looking underneath the headlight. If anyone knows how to break this tab or can provide clear step by step instructions, please post. The yellow piece will not move enough to get anywhere near the hole since it's still flush with the front of the housing, albeit a little looser with the top tab broken, but not the second tab at the bottom. Please help!!!!

Thank you so much. After I got home from work it took me like 2 minutes to figure out what you were talking about and then I immediately got the yellow reflector loose. I have done both headlights and it is now installed and looks awesome except for a few scratches from frustration from doing it the wrong way. I'll post some pictures a little later

btw, i took two photos of the part you were talking about so i'll post it and maybe see if I can get that part added to the DIY and maybe a few other side notes that i found would help ppl a bit.

Yes, please post your pics and tips. I am still unable to take the yellow piece out. I know there are 2 tabs, in my previous post's pic I only broke tab #1. How do you break the second one? I am still confused on Jae's posted resolution, any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Okay, i'll try to describe it as best I can using the pictures

Here's the picture of it from the way you're looking at it.


Like Jae said, it's not actually in the housing, it's outside of it. Between where the actual housing is and the gray part. You know, the part that you have to look inside at an angle?

Now turn the housing to the left a whole bunch to not look inside where the lightbulb goes but where there's just a bunch of space. See the little yellow tab? (sorry for the bluriness) Just take a flathead screw driver and break it off. The kinda fiddle with the yellow reflector like you were probably trying to do and it will loosen up.


The finished product! BTW, my hood was popped cuz i just finished putting in the last screw. I'm not trying to show off a stock engine...lol

This still doesn't answer my question. Did you have to break the second tab as seen in pic on my initial post? I don't know if it's because I have an 04 and you have an 03, but my yellow reflector in my headlight does indeed have a second tab. No matter how much I jab at it it won't come loose because of this second tab. Please let me know if you broke the second tab then jabbed at it (looks like you didn't) or did just the first. Thanks again.

This is kind of off the topic, but isnt clear corners illegal? In Hawaii, it's illegal. It's a cool mod though.I wonder if cops would notice.

Yes, it's illegal pretty much everywhere - but it's not a criminal offence. They might notice, they might not.

Trust me...it's the same. Just break the tab in the picture and try to move it. It might not move right away but it WILL move.

The "tabs" you see on the outside kinda aren't really the tab that's stopping you from moving the piece.

is clear cornering legal in NY?

It should be LEGAL if the signal light still light up Yellow.

so did you remove your tire or just reach up and undo the nut. Also about how long did it take, besides the snafu?

Federal auto regulations REQUIRE a yellow reflector in the front side area. Most states will also. It doesn't specify it has to be in the headlight assembly, I've seen several cars that have them down low on the car now that I've been paying attention for just this reason.

Our inspections up here, some are pretty anal. If they give you crap about no reflector, get a pair of the generic stick-on type, remove just enough tape to get it to stick, and put it somewhere on the front end. Make sure the reflectors say DOT approved on them.

After the inspection, asta-la-reflector.

I don't believe that clear corners are legal anywhere in the US... The laws may vary in Canada. Some stupid DOT regulation requires a reflector to be present on the body that would be perpendicular to traffic. My VW has a bumper-side light in place of a reflector in the light housing. In order to comply with DOT regs, a reflector of some kind would have to be present on the body side perpendicular to traffic. I'm not doing the mod until I find out how the vehicle inspection/emissions testing people will react...

Also, police in bumble-fvck-no-where that have nothing better do, will pull over cars with clear corner lights...

hey, that's what I said!

Sorry... Entered the post before reading thru the whole thread...

Thanks for the quick reply. So let me get this straight... I already broke the yellow tab seen through the hole at an angle. Now all I need to do is jab at the yellow piece where the tab used to be to get the rest of the reflector loose and I don't really need to worry about the second tab in the front part of the headlight, since just breaking the top tab and jabbing/pushing from there will dislodge it. Is this correct? Thanks again...

YEa I just got done with mine! took about an hour and a half!! a whole hour trying to break that damm amber piece off! Just break off that tab on top and the whole thing should slide out easily, the hardest part is breaking that plastic piece thru the small opening!

You really would only have to take off the wheels if your car is lowered. For me it took about an hour to identify all the bolts and take them off. Then once I figured out how to get the yellow piece loose, it took about 30 minutes to get the piece out of the housing. Then another 20-30 minutes to put everything back together. So probably about 2 hours for first time but I could probably do it in about an hour total if I did it again.

hirollas, you just need to break the one tab and the yellow piece will come loose. It won't exactly fall out but it will come loose. The other tabs that you can see from the outside are deceiving and aren't really holding the housing back.