How to change a turn signal light walkthrough

[Sabber]

OK, so this is not exactly a hard one to figure out, but the haynes manual I have is worthless and there my be someone out there that wants to know, so I figured that since I was doing it I may as well document it and write a walkthrough.

Go in the back and drop the tailgate:

pop off the plastic cover by using a flat head screw driver to pry it off right here.


Remove these two screws, this pretty much frees up the entire assembly.


Push the light assembly inwards then pull out. The whol thing slides right out.


Change bulb


Reverse process to reassemble.

So there you go. Super easy, just in case you were wondering.

[jaxed]

This is great - thanks.

[BlueRu]

So, what part of "Push the light assembly inwards then pull out" am I not getting? I fought with it for half an hour, and it won't come off.

It only moves inward about 1/4 inch, and that doesn't seem to be enough to clear whatever clip it's hanging up on. Where exactly are the clips?

Please help.


Thanks,

R

[BlueRu]

OK, taking a close look at this last photo, I think I see a pair of knobbed pins that would fit into spring sockets. Is this correct?

If that's the case, I'm just not getting a good enough grip in the light assembly.

I'll try again tomorrow, in the daytime when it might be a couple degrees ABOVE zero.


R

[BlueRu]

OK, never mind. I found what I needed in another thread. It's done.

R

[oldpro]

The rear was complicated enough, but do-able. What about the fronts?

[Guacamole]

The rear was complicated enough, but do-able. What about the fronts?

Pretty much the same. Unscrew the 3 10mm bolts holding the headlight housing in (2 front, one on top), then pry the housing off the body panel. Twist the turn signal socket then pull out. Next, twist the bulb itself counterclockwise and it will come off the socket.
Partial video: https://youtu.be/xu2Sae3BDPU
I'd usually post the FSM page but it literally just says "twist socket and remove bulb". Very helpful.

[oldpro]

Guacamole;
Thanks. The video was very clear and a big help. My Baja is my 8th Subaru and it seems that with every new design the process of doing the little maintenance items just gets more and more complicated. I recently replaced a burned-out dash bulb and what a job it was! My 1983 wagon was pretty simple to maintain. Of course with dealer shop time approaching $100/hr.... Thank Goodness for this forum!

[Guacamole]

Hey, at least it's not Hyundai! Family used to have a 2002 Santa Fe and my god... what at absolute engineering abomination. Almost once a month like clockwork a bulb would go out, a sensor would crap out, a belt would fail, and things would start rattling for no reason. We ended up trading it in for a used 08 Mustang (also junk) when one of the cylinders shattered inside the block around 200,000mi. My coworker drives a 2006 Sonata and got ticketed for his middle brake light not working. To replace the bulb, you have to disassemble the ENTIRE rear seat.
Not joking, here's the proof: https://youtu.be/kRa9PCf8Hyo
He ended up paying $98 + $50 ticket to get that stupid little bulb replaced.