Removing License Plate Light Assembly

[NorcalPB]

I've stripped the screws on my license plate bulbs, and am trying to remove the entire assembly in order to safely drill them out. I've gotten both sides of the assembly to pop out, but it seems as if the key lock is holding the damn thing in...anyone have any experience in removing this thing?

[fly300kts]

Read this

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...oblem-Solution

Phil

[jursch2211]

you need to stick your key into the keylock and turn it to release it. There is also a cable on the underside that looks like a bicycle brake cable that needs to be popped out. After that there are 4 screws holding the assembly in place that need to be removed. These are actually attached to two plates that hold the unit in. After that it should pop out, given the bolts aren't rusted.

[NorcalPB]

I can't for the life of me seem to get the barrel assembly off. Do you need your key for this? Thanks for the help btw

[dcchristopher]

Good God, I just went through this and was about to post a faux-DIY when I (thankfully) did a search and found this existing thread. Phil, is there anything you haven't DIY'd? :)

You don't need the key. Per the Bentley manual (and per my experience from a couple of hours ago) ... a) remove the 10mm nuts (attached to bell-shaped covers), b) loosen the two 10mm nuts that hold down the metal covers to the license plate light housings, c) remove the 10mm (?) bolt that is holding the lock cylinder in place, d) then detach the "bowden" cable that links the lock cylinder to the latch (the rubber thing slides out and then the metal end to the cable pops straight out; you can disconnect both sides if necessary), e) disconnect any power connector in that assembly, f) rotate the lock cylinder 90 degrees (sorry, can't remember which direction, it will only go one way, I think clockwise from your perspective), and finally g) then reach inside the deck lid and there are two "catches" right between each license plate light housing and the nuts with the bell-shaped covers ... pressing in those catches with your fingers will pop the trim (aka "molding", 8E0827574C3FZ, ECS#438239). Guess what??? The flippin' license plate backing is in the flippin' way! (at least it was for me) So now you may have to remove the two T25-ish torx screws that hold it onto the trunk. It also has double-sided sticky tape (3 flippin' rows of it) that you'll just have to pry off with a flathead or trim tool. Yes. Flippin'.

I used a 1/4" drive ratchet with a 10mm socket to reach all those nuts. When reinstalling, tighten anything from nuts to bolts that you removed to 8 Nm/71 in-lb. They're all the same, apparently.

So a stripped (by someone else) screw just ended up costing me roughly $250-300 dollars for a new molding and two license plate light covers. Well, that and the fact that the inside of one of the light housings has some funky rust and burn marks probably caused by shorts which were probably caused by water ingress. Hmm, let's hope that doesn't happen to the new one.

Please PM me if you get stuck so that I'm notified sooner.

UPDATE: If anyone reads this, you may notice in a subsequent posting I ended up finding out you only need the molding, not the left/right clear plastic light covers. The molding already comes with the clear plastic covers, the screws to keep them in, and even light bulbs, pre-installed.

[fly300kts]

Good God, I just went through this and was about to post a faux-DIY when I (thankfully) did a search and found this existing thread. Phil, is there anything you haven't DIY'd? :)

Not sure :)

Phil

[cvicto]

Good luck with this. When my plate light screws were getting stripped, I changed them to hex tap type screws so I wouldn't have any more issues with them (i hope). I used these screws from RC car: Axial Hex Tap Button Head M3x10mm Black AXIAXA435. I got them thru ebay, googled it quickly and this came up...

http://www.advantagehobby.com/118782/AXIAXA435/?cat=970

On another note, I just did a halogen to bixenon (OEM European s-line) retrofit and Phil's DIY on the installation and bumper gap fix was extremely helpful; as well as AKASCH's DIY.

[dcchristopher]

Thanks for the link, cvicto ... I found it hard to match screws by head size and length alone (some threaded better than others) so I appreciate having the link handy with a more precise definition of what is needed.

[NorcalPB]

Ya the lock took forever to get out! I had it just dangling for about a month lol. But one day I called my car a "fucking piece of shit" enough times while pulling until it finally came out. I used american screws from ACE that did the job.

I got quoted $140 to replace the assembly at my dealer which is way too expensive.

[dcchristopher]

Hmm, that's odd ... after the bowden cable and long bolt come off, there's nothing really holding it in place. It should rotate 90 degrees rather freely. I wonder if whoever installed it last added any kind of adhesive between it and the molding.

Speaking of which, I screwed up in my parts order (still learnin') and got the molding PLUS the left/right license plate covers and ends up the molding already comes with them. In fact, the molding comes with the bulbs and screws while the clear plastic light covers (ending 21B and 22B for left and right) have neither the bulb nor the screw. OK, I get not including the bulb but ... not even the screw??? Anyway, I paid $220 + tax for the molding at the dealer because I didn't want to wait for the online folks who only had it for around 190 + shipping. It wasn't worth the wait. Dude, $140? That dealer is awesome!

He he ... I know what you mean about the swearing part ... my neighbors have quit saying hello to me ever since I started working on this car.