Removing taillights for paintless dent removal access on quarter panels was once easy. Pull back some trim, loosen four nuts and its out.

The biggest challenge then was Nissan's nasty, gummy black butyl sealant, which held those lamps in better than a crusty barnacle on a boat hull.

In the early 2000's however, Honda changed their design. Now if you want tail lamps out, you will first have to remove the rear bumper.

Many PDR techs cursed Honda for making our jobs more difficult, but the car maker had good reason. Adding a bracket to the tail lamp assembly makes for a tighter fit, better looking lines and fewer rattles.

It also put the bumper cover in its proper place in the world of car design.
Cosmetic cover. Eye candy fascia to hide the sturdy underbelly of impact resistance and uni-body structure.

Other automakers have followed suit, as you can see by the ultra large covers now resting on the rump's of late model Toyota's, Mazda's and Lexus.

Large booty beauty aside, as a dent technician, you still need those rear lamps out.
How do you get them off?

Watch the videos to see exactly how to remove a 2006 Acura TL rear bumper. The same basic technique will work with many Honda products.

Click the images below to watch video in two parts