Changing the licence plate lights

[A.N.]

Anyone know how to change them? It doesn't say in the manual and I'm not sure if I should pry open that panel on the hatch door or unscrew the black handle trim. Any thoughts?

Anthony

[kdbcom]

Mine were just screwed to the panel on the rear hatch door with self tapping screws. I took mine off to mount the number plate on a chrome surround. But there again in Canada they seem to do things differently.

[A.N.]

Do you mean the screws on the outside of the hatch on the trim just underneath the chrome piece or the panel on the inside?

[Derek Lecours]

Anthony!!
Don't try to pry off the small inner panel.
It's not designed to come off without removing the whole inner panel first.
BTW...Quite a big job.

[Derek Lecours]

Anthony, I just had a look.
Open the tailgate and stand at the back of the B looking in at the license plate lights.
That black piece of plastic, that holds the 2 lights, is held in place with 4 small recessed torx screws.
Remove them and you should have access to the 2 little lights. Let us know!

[kdbcom]

Unless your version (Canadian) is different from ours that small panel does come off fairly easily for access to the wiper motor. Have taken mine off several times as the washer pipe used to keep falling off. Don't think removing it would help much unless your numberplate is actually nut & bolted through the rear hatch door. Seem to remember there was not a lot of room down the back of the inner panel to work in.

Our number plate screws are just self tappers (4 in my case but some dealers use only 2) through the number plate and into the recess in the outside of the rear hatch door.

Some dealers use fairly thick double sided tape to hold the numbers plates on but sometimes they drop off.

DOH apologies here I have completely misread the thread heading and have been rambling on about removing number plates & not number plate bulbs.

"I must engage brain before getting into typing gear"

It is a good job Derek is awake

[A.N.]

Thanks for the heads up Derek!! I didn't think that was the way to get at them, I might try the black trim on the outside of the hatch.

Anthony

[Derek Lecours]

Keith, I know you've removed that little panel with some success but my dealer warned me "not to" and said that the little panel could remain loose if pried.

I'm sure one day I'll have to find out for myself and open everything up.

[kdbcom]

Yes, like a lot of things, once you undo them they never seem to fix back as well. Mine did drop off a couple of times after, but saying that I did have a small plastic strap through one of the clips (to hold the washer pipe) so I dont think it was able to go rright back into its proper position.
As you say best leave well alone if possible, but, if it saves getting a bootfull of water then it's then worth removing as that pipe joint is not that brilliant.

[deheld]

I also did remove the small black panel on the inside. I added some padding to silence the noise from the wiper motor. Panel pulls put easily.