How do I adjust rear facia (tail lamp closure) on a GTS? Pics included.

[onerareviper]

Viperholics,

How do you adjust the rear facia (tail lamp closure)? As you'll notice in my pics, the drivers side seems to protrude out from the body a bit more.

Thanks in advance.

Drivers side (protrudes too much):

Passenger side (looks fine):

 

[Viper Wizard]

Push it in! There are no bolts/screws up there, just the drag on the seal.

 

[ArlyDude]

Re: How do I adjust rear facia (tail lamp closure) on a GTS? Pics included

Ya, everyone got that. Look at your rear bumper. I'm sure you will see where it rubbed the paint off from rubbing on the back of your car. I can see it in your pics. Look right under the light where that piece of body rubs the bumper.

 

[onerareviper]

Push it in! There are no bolts/screws up there, just the drag on the seal.

So I've been doing it right all these years without even knowing it.....

 

[Warfang]

Reminds me of the time I worked for a computer company (who shall remain nameless). Their "unofficial", but only way to fix a known issue with their monitors was to smack it center top with the palm of your hand. Worked everytime.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Re: How do I adjust rear facia (tail lamp closure) on a GTS? Pics included

The rubber seal my not be seated right inside. My GTS did that and I had to pull it off and reset it.





2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[EllowViper]

Re: How do I adjust rear facia (tail lamp closure) on a GTS? Pics included

Just re-installed the complete rear facia/bumper on my 2001 GTS. Here the skinny on this (although the manual does not specifically state this is the case, its implied). The tail light surround in held in place by roughly the three bolts under the license plate and the two screws in each side vent enclosure. The seal at the top is simply a friction fit and is meant to be "pinched" between the surround and the upper deck lid. There isn't much "adjustment" up/down/left/right with the surround as you have figured out. Some, but not much. The key is to get the lower bumper to push the tail light surround "up" into place so it is not left hanging by its own support structure (If you were able to physically push the bottom of the surround up, the top will "tip" in. This is what the bumper actually does and why its such a tight fit). To do this, the tail light surround must be removed as indicated in the illistrated upgrade section. Now the tough part...raising the rear facia enough to force the top lip on the tail light surround to stay pinched in place. When I had mine apart and removed the entire rear bumper, I was amazed at just how much pressure it pushed up on the tail light surround (thus the comments regarding how it rubs the paint off the bumper cover). When I reassembled the rear, I logically installed the tail light surround, and then the rear bumper. WRONG. I could not push the rear bumper up hard enough to force the tail light surround back into place (about a good inch lower from where it was originally in the bumper mount based on the marks left by the washers. SO now I know why the bumper is installed prior to the surround. So it all came apart and I installed the rear bumper into its original location and squeezed the tail light surround into position after the fact (being careful not to scratch the bumper cover as I worked the surround into place). Once I got the surround back into place, I reached in through the tail light holes (I had the lights out) and re-positioned the gasket into its correct orientation (it will move around on the surround if you do not put some sort of permanent goop on it). All in all, the alignment is fine (like yours though the driver's side does protrude a bit more than the passenger side...but its tight).

 

[onerareviper]

Re: How do I adjust rear facia (tail lamp closure) on a GTS? Pics included

Just re-installed the complete rear facia/bumper on my 2001 GTS. Here the skinny on this (although the manual does not specifically state this is the case, its implied). The tail light surround in held in place by roughly the three bolts under the license plate and the two screws in each side vent enclosure. The seal at the top is simply a friction fit and is meant to be "pinched" between the surround and the upper deck lid. There isn't much "adjustment" up/down/left/right with the surround as you have figured out. Some, but not much. The key is to get the lower bumper to push the tail light surround "up" into place so it is not left hanging by its own support structure (If you were able to physically push the bottom of the surround up, the top will "tip" in. This is what the bumper actually does and why its such a tight fit). To do this, the tail light surround must be removed as indicated in the illistrated upgrade section. Now the tough part...raising the rear facia enough to force the top lip on the tail light surround to stay pinched in place. When I had mine apart and removed the entire rear bumper, I was amazed at just how much pressure it pushed up on the tail light surround (thus the comments regarding how it rubs the paint off the bumper cover). When I reassembled the rear, I logically installed the tail light surround, and then the rear bumper. WRONG. I could not push the rear bumper up hard enough to force the tail light surround back into place (about a good inch lower from where it was originally in the bumper mount based on the marks left by the washers. SO now I know why the bumper is installed prior to the surround. So it all came apart and I installed the rear bumper into its original location and squeezed the tail light surround into position after the fact (being careful not to scratch the bumper cover as I worked the surround into place). Once I got the surround back into place, I reached in through the tail light holes (I had the lights out) and re-positioned the gasket into its correct orientation (it will move around on the surround if you do not put some sort of permanent goop on it). All in all, the alignment is fine (like yours though the driver's side does protrude a bit more than the passenger side...but its tight).

Wow. Thanks for the info.