How to remove rear vent cap appliques?

[Loki223]

Couple night time pics




and the reverse lights honestly impressed me



Link to the reverse lights. They are definitely not dim, thats for sure

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W6D2JM3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

[adventurenali92]

So i will admit, those appliques are a bit of a PITA to pop on and off. GM did a heck of a job designed those , definitely not something that will accidently come off...even with only 1 bolt in them. I'll try and snap some night time pictures, but i used the following LED strips to add lighting in the vents

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNS5TZY?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I didn't get them as perfect as i would've liked, but as the saying goes, that'll do pig. I'll snap some more pics tonight, also updated the tail lights to these

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NALNE6F?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Definitely helps modernize the rear end of the Denali
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Tails look good! Yours is the same color as my Denali! I actually think I ran those same tails for a bit. Interesting look with the light strips mounted in the vent covers.

 

[Loki223]

Tails look good! Yours is the same color as my Denali! I actually think I ran those same tails for a bit. Interesting look with the light strips mounted in the vent covers.

My GMT800 self identifies as a GMT900 now. So if you could respect that and wait for my VVT system to explode since i am past 150k miles that would be appreciated. j/k

Lol thanks though, yeah i like it i think. Makes it look a little newer, definitively glad Cadillac had the same color options as the denalis. paint match is nearly perfect, some light conditions you can tell, others you can't. But i do like the look much better. The problem with the champagne silver GM seems to have loved back then is blacked out lights rarely look good, there was a different set that was completely LED, including the built in reverse lights, but they no longer sell it with a red lense, only black or smoked and i didn't think it would look as good.

Should also mention, i tied into the 7 way plug for the wiring for the LED strips if anyone wants to Copy. Yellow is left, green is right, and running light was...another color. I forget off hand, but if you are experienced with wiring, you'll be able to guess and test. I popped the cover off the wires and grabbed 4 wires and said of these 4, 3 will be used. Then ran my test light until i had ID'd them. I remember the yellow and green because i prewired the strip lights with some pig tails and happened to choose yellow for left stop/trun and green for right stop/turn, and laughed when i ended up guessing correctly. Now i just need to find some headlights and front turn signals i actually like that fit the Denali. I'll probably have to end up buying something i'm not sold on, and then building them into something i like....which will make that a project for 2025 once the house is rebuilt and i can use my oven to open them up and do a project. I guess time will tell.

 

[adventurenali92]

My GMT800 self identifies as a GMT900 now. So if you could respect that and wait for my VVT system to explode since i am past 150k miles that would be appreciated. j/k

Lol thanks though, yeah i like it i think. Makes it look a little newer, definitively glad Cadillac had the same color options as the denalis. paint match is nearly perfect, some light conditions you can tell, others you can't. But i do like the look much better. The problem with the champagne silver GM seems to have loved back then is blacked out lights rarely look good, there was a different set that was completely LED, including the built in reverse lights, but they no longer sell it with a red lense, only black or smoked and i didn't think it would look as good.

Should also mention, i tied into the 7 way plug for the wiring for the LED strips if anyone wants to Copy. Yellow is left, green is right, and running light was...another color. I forget off hand, but if you are experienced with wiring, you'll be able to guess and test. I popped the cover off the wires and grabbed 4 wires and said of these 4, 3 will be used. Then ran my test light until i had ID'd them. I remember the yellow and green because i prewired the strip lights with some pig tails and happened to choose yellow for left stop/trun and green for right stop/turn, and laughed when i ended up guessing correctly. Now i just need to find some headlights and front turn signals i actually like that fit the Denali. I'll probably have to end up buying something i'm not sold on, and then building them into something i like....which will make that a project for 2025 once the house is rebuilt and i can use my oven to open them up and do a project. I guess time will tell.

Interestingly enough some of the caddy paint codes appear to be the same as the denali paint codes and still have slight differences. It’s kinda weird. I lived in an apartment built onto a bigger house for almost 8 years. Knew the family in the main house like they were blood family. About a year before I bought my Denali they sold their 2006 expedition and brought home a clean low mile one owner 2005 Escalade ESV. Our trucks shared the exact same paint codes, but hers was called quicksilver metallic where mine is called fine silver birch metallic. Under certain lights our paints definitely looked the same but in the sun you can see just a small hint of gold undertones in my paint where theirs had none.

 

[Loki223]

Interestingly enough some of the caddy paint codes appear to be the same as the denali paint codes and still have slight differences. It’s kinda weird. I lived in an apartment built onto a bigger house for almost 8 years. Knew the family in the main house like they were blood family. About a year before I bought my Denali they sold their 2006 expedition and brought home a clean low mile one owner 2005 Escalade ESV. Our trucks shared the exact same paint codes, but hers was called quicksilver metallic where mine is called fine silver birch metallic. Under certain lights our paints definitely looked the same but in the sun you can see just a small hint of gold undertones in my paint where theirs had none.

Yeah, i'm noticing that on the rear appliques. Not enough to bother me on a nearly 20 year old rig, but for them having the "same" paint code, i didn't expect it. I mean GM isn't known for changing things unless they have to for some reason, so it seemed reasonable that the denali and escalade codes would come out to the same color, even if the names are different. But it's also so minute, that unless you are looking for it, you'd never notice. Only people i expect to notice it are other car guys

 

[adventurenali92]

Yeah, i'm noticing that on the rear appliques. Not enough to bother me on a nearly 20 year old rig, but for them having the "same" paint code, i didn't expect it. I mean GM isn't known for changing things unless they have to for some reason, so it seemed reasonable that the denali and escalade codes would come out to the same color, even if the names are different. But it's also so minute, that unless you are looking for it, you'd never notice. Only people i expect to notice it are other car guys

Yeah it’s pretty minimal. I notice it but the wife who daily drives the esky didn’t notice any difference lol. I THINK my esky appliqués were black when I got ‘em so I had to have them sanded down and painted anyways so they match the rest of my truck. But that satisfies my OCD lol.

 

[drewtx154]

Yup, those lights a linked fit perfectly in the applique. But had to loan the denali to me sister for 2 weeks since "she needs a reliable vehicle to get her kids around" while her car is in the shop. Darn family wanting me to share things....So i have a pile of stuff for the denali to get installed once i get it back, these included in that. Should be getting the denali back next weekend so i'll be able to do my wiring and such then, and empty out some boxes that are taking up room in the garage
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Sorry if you mentioned this and I just missed it or something but how do you mount the strip inside the vent cap?

 

[Loki223]

Sorry if you mentioned this and I just missed it or something but how do you mount the strip inside the vent cap?

I used the provided 3M tape that came with the lights. Just clean up the surface and apply, should be plenty strong to last. If really worried you can use some thin wire, and drill a hole in the mounting surface and wrap the wire around the light, then tie it off on the back side. Then use some hot glue to seal the tie wires and prevent them from ever loosening. The only time i've ever felt the need for doing that, is on exterior installations on the bottom of vehicles, where they see a lot of abuse. Inside the Appliques i think there shouldn't be a need for that.