Installation Instructions

There’s links on the sidebar on this page with detailed instructions for replacing bulbs on a Regal, but all G-body cars are similar, so these may help with the installation on your specific Gbody vehicle..

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Below are basic instructions for most G-body vehicles:

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For best results on new bulbs, clean the sockets with electrical contact cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Make sure it’s dry before installing LED’s. Get all of the old junk / dirt / dielectric grease, etc., out of the sockets! Scrape / clean internal metal socket contacts with a flathead screwdriver or similar.

ALL of the G-body vehicles are (mostly) pretty similar in the way they are wired.
SOME year vehicles have minor differences in the quantity, color, or location of bulbs used.
These instructions should guide you in the right direction on how to replace all of the bulbs.

MAKE SURE you turn the lights on after replacing every bulb with the LED’s, to make sure they all work!
DO NOT reinstall the housings / bezels until you know the lights work!

Some bulbs are polarized.
IF the bulbs do not work when first sticking them in, flip them around 180 degrees & they should work now!

LED lights are fragile compared to regular incandescent bulbs! DON’T crush or squeeze them, or try to jam or force them into the sockets! Replacements will NOT be sent if you abuse them and break them.

The front and rear lights have 2 little tabs on the sides of the bulbs, 1 at the bottom and 1 a little bit higher up. CHECK the sockets, and make sure you put them in the correct way! Some bulbs are snug in the sockets and you might not be able to get them out if you put them in the wrong way!

CHECK all light socket wires for frayed / broken wires, broken / missing metal contacts, etc.

Your flashers / turn signals may not work properly until AFTER the flasher units and ALL new LED bulbs are installed. Needs to be grounded as well.

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FRONT OF CAR:

* Replace under hood light with new LED.
Twist the bulb out of the socket.

* Replace front side marker lights.

This front side marker light can be on the fender, or the corner of the headlight bezel.

YOU MUST cut the black (or blue) wire on this front side marker light and ground this light, using the enclosed new ground wires. (cut it about 3″-4″ away from light socket)
Attach the new ground wire (butt connector) to the bulb side of the old wire.
The ring terminal goes on the bumper bolt.
Ground this new wire to one of the 4 bolts that attach the front bumper to the bumper support (or somewhere metal).

THIS LIGHT will now ONLY function as a marker light. It will NOT blink any longer.
YOU MUST perform this step, otherwise this light will not work at all.
Do BOTH sides of the car like this.

Tape off the other end of the black wire that you cut.

For lights that are in the fender, reach under the car, twist the socket out of the housing.
The front side marker light bulb pulls out of the socket.

For lights that are in the headlight bezel, use a T15 torx driver or phillips screwdriver to remove bezel. Then twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulb out.

* Replace the front park/running lights and turn signals.

The quantity here varies by model and year.
Most cars have 1 big bulb, 1 small bulb, on each side of the car.
Some cars have only 1 big bulb on each side of the car.

Some cars have a bezel that hold the lens housing onto the car. Use a T15 torx or phillips to remove.
Twist the socket out of the housing, then twist the big bulb out. Small bulbs pull out.

Some cars you can reach under the car, twist the socket out of the housing, twist the big bulbs out. The small bulb pulls out of the socket, twist the socket out of the housing.

* Replace the underhood light.
The bulb twists out.

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REAR OF CAR:

* Replace trunk light with new LED.
Twist the bulb out of the socket.

* Replace license plate light with new LED.

Most cars have 1 bulb that sits at the top over the license plate.
Some cars have 2 bulbs that are on the sides of the license plate.

For the 2 light cars: these are inside the tail light lenses.
(see instructions below on how to remove lenses/housings)
Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

For the 1 light cars: The lights are inside a housing at the top.
2 phillips screws above it secures it to the car.
unscrew them & the housing drops down.
Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

* replace tail / turn lights.

There’s a wide variety (quantity / size) of bulbs for these.

MOST cars have 2 big red bulbs & 2 small red bulbs on each side.

Some cars (like El camino) have only 1 big bulb & 1 small bulb on each side.

GM light sockets are not all the same. Some are different in that they have 1 or 2 “tabs” that stick out away from the light hole opening (on the big bulb sockets only). You may NEED to trim these tabs down (about halfway) to make sure the led’s fit into the socket. The tabs stick out about 1/4″, and trimming them down to 1/8″ tall (or completely removing them) ensures the bulbs fit properly. You may not need to trim them down at all, but check the bulb fitting. Side cutters, a file, dremel, etc., will trim them down easily. The tabs don’t really do anything, so no worries about cutting them down.

Small bulbs are the color of the base of the bulb.

There’s usually a side or corner light on the car.
This is either on the quarter panel, or within the tail light housing (on the side corner end).

If it’s in the quarter panel, access the socket from either under the car, or thru the inside of the trunk.
Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

If it’s inside the tail light housing, twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

TO REMOVE tail light housing:
Monte, Malibu, Grand Prix, etc.: there’s (2-4) twist nuts on the inside of the trunk that need to come off. That’s what holds the tail light housing to the car. Remove them & then pull the housing out.

Big bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, twist the bulbs out.
small bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

For El Caminos, Malibu station wagons, etc.:
access the lights from under the car. Inside the bumpers.

Big bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, twist the bulbs out.
small bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

* Replace Backup lights.

Same as above. These lights are either in the bumper or tail light housings.

Big bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, twist the bulbs out.
small bulbs: Twist the socket out of the housing, pull the bulbs out.

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INSIDE CAR:

* Replace dome light.

Some cars have t-tops (2 dome lights), some don’t (1 dome light).
Some hardtop cars have the optional dome light with 2 map lights (2 bulbs).

You may have to bend inward/outward the metal tabs inside the housings that hold the bulb in to accommodate the new LED.

If you have only 1 dome light, for some of the led lights, you can double stack the new led’s for more brightness. Put them together with the led’s facing away from each other, then insert both in the dome light.
(one points up, one points down, in the housing)

Round dome lights (hard top or t top cars):
squeeze the lens, or use a small flathead screwdriver to pry off.
Pull bulb out, replace.

Rectangular dome light:
squeeze the lens, or use a small flathead screwdriver to pry off.
Pull bulb out, replace.

Rectangular dome light with 2 side map lights:
(THE MAP BULBS ARE MARKED “x”)
squeeze the center lens, or use a small flathead screwdriver to pry off.
Pull bulb out, replace.
For the side lights:
Use phillips screwdriver & remove the 2 screws at the top (in the center).
Bulbs twist out.

* Replace third brake light (CHMSL).

Some Gbody cars have these, some don’t.

REMOVAL:
2 phillips screws hold the housing onto the deck shelf. Unplug the 2 wire connector.
2 more phillips screws hold the housing together. Separate top/bottom of housing.
Twist the bulb out, replace with new LED.

* Replace under dash (floor, courtesy) lights.

DRIVER SIDE: Pull bulb out.

PASSENGER SIDE: Twist bulb out.

* Replace glovebox, HVAC, console shifter or ashtray, clock light.
(these 3 bulbs base is the color you chose)

GLOVEBOX: Some bulbs pull out. Some bulbs twist out. Both bulbs are included in the kit. Replace.

HVAC: Pull off trim piece. 4- 7mm bolts hold the control unit in. Remove them & pull the unit out somewhat. Twist the socket out, pull the bulb out.

If you have a non-console car, and an underdash ashtray with a light:
Pull the radio out (4- 7mm bolts), and there’s a cylindrical housing underneath it, clipped into the bottom metal dash support (use a flathead screwdriver and pry it forward to pop it out of the tab that it’s held in by). Twist the black socket out of the metal sleeve. Pull the bulb out.

CONSOLE SHIFTER GEAR INDICATOR: 2- 7mm bolts hold the shifter plate down (inside the ashtray).
Remove those and lift up the shifter plate, then slide it sideways.
2 more screws hold the gear indicator bezel in place.
Slide out the cover piece at the bottom.
The light socket twists out, then the bulb pulls out.

* Replace Side warning (tell-tale, idiot) lights, hi beam, turn signal indicators.
(all of these bulbs have a white base)
(see below how to access these bulbs)

The bulbs pull out.

* Replace dash lights.
white / red / blue led’s can go in the instrument panel any way (non polarized).
The green and yellow ones ARE polarized, make sure they work before you reassemble dash!

We found 2 excellent videos for Cutlass & Monte owners on how to remove instrument panel.

BEST vid on cutlass dash gauges removal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d6OpuIxJJA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jACXkf6MJN0

monte dash removal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNAXQZL2YL4

For everyone else, those videos might guide you on a how to for your car.

Basic steps:
Remove trim bezel. 7mm bolts hold the cluster or clear panels to the dash.
Some cars need the actual gauges removed to access the lights.
Some are accessible by just removing the bezel and plastic covers.

You can access main illumination lights, as well as the side warning lights.
Lights simply pull out of the socket / housing.

The turn signal indicators get a white bulb as the lens is green for these.
The high beam indicator gets a white bulb as the lens is blue for this.
(a white bulb has a white base)

MAKE SURE all of the lights work before you reassemble this area!

* Replace rearview mirror map lights.

Some cars have optional lights inside the rearview mirror. separate the front half from back half by hand (or using a small flathead screwdriver). pull sockets out, pull bulbs out.

* Replace passenger side vanity mirror lights.

Some cars have optional lights inside the vanity mirror.
Take a small flathead screwdriver, on the bottom side of the lens, pry up & out. bulbs pull out.

* if you ordered the extra gauge lights, replace them now. (bulbs in a separate envelope, 3/6 lights, your color choice)

most aftermarket gauges disassemble by either a screw trim ring, &/or phillips screws. some gauges have sockets that you can just twist or pull out from the backside. bulbs always pull out.

* replace the turn signal and emergency flasher units

Some cars have both flashers inside the fusebox. Some have the emergency flasher in the fusebox and the turn signal flasher on the right side of steering column.

the emergency flasher has the letter “E” on it, & goes inside the fuse box.

The turn signal flasher is on the right side of the steering column, either attached to the column, or next to it, or mounted near the bottom of the dash in this area. remove your old flashers by pulling them out of the sockets.

YOU MUST GROUND THE FLASHERS FOR THEM TO WORK!

Route the new ground wire to the lower dash bolt that is near the e-brake handle, on the bottom left of the dash on the drivers side, usually near the courtesy light. secure the ring terminal onto this bolt to ground them.

That’s it! Installation complete! Recheck all of the lights to make sure they all work.
Reassemble anything you took apart now.
Enjoy your new LED lights!

The LED bulbs should give you years of reliable service. There’s no warranty on LED bulbs since all lights do burn out eventually.
(but you can use the spares for replacements in some instances)

We guarantee all LED’s work when shipped, as they are all tested (so no dead on arrivals), but should you have issues with any of them, let us know.

 

GbodyLEDkits.com shall not be held responsible for the installation, or mis-installation of these items. Installations should be performed by qualified mechanics.