Removing Number Plate Section On Mk3 Ls400

Colin M · February 11, 2015

Can the section on the front bumper onto which the number plate mounts be removed separately without having to take off the front bumper? My front number plate has cracked and I need to replace it.

The number plate is not mounted with two self-tapping screws but what look like two sizeable flat screwdriver head bolts which show no signs of moving. I could grind the heads off with an angle grinder to release the plate but if the plastic bumper section onto which it is fastened can be easily removed that might be a better starting point.

Any help and advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Colin

cruisermark · February 11, 2015

colin im 80% sure that numberplate holder is removed from the front once the numberplate is removed - i remember taking off on my mark 4 to clean it

cruisermark · February 11, 2015

just to add yes the numberplate surround is held seperatley to the number plate but the screws are behind the plate so that has to come off first

Malc · February 11, 2015

when my Mk2 numberplate was changed from ......... BCA 3 .............. the replacement plates were simply stick-on ...... straight over the existing

Absolutely fine too

Malc

Colin M · February 11, 2015

Thanks, guys, for your quick and helpful responses.

Bending the number plate a bit forward at each edge, I can see that there is a 10mm bolt head screw at each side which I can just about access with a 10mm ring spanner and loosen.

Mark, can you remember if these two bolt screws go into a threaded section in the bumper so that if I unscrew them all the way I will be able to remove the number plate surround and (hopefully) number plate too in one go? And then refit it easily?

I don't want to unscrew them all the way and then find there was some nut on the other end which then drops off and disappears into a black hole ...

You know that sinking sort of feeling when something like this happens ...

Thanks.

Colin

cruisermark · February 12, 2015

colin i have thought hard about this and although i remember putting it back correctly - i have a very funny feeling it was very hard - either back nut kept spinning or moving - im not even 100% sure

perhaps one of the guys here can pull up an exploded parts diagram and see if that will help

steve2006 · February 12, 2015

Here's the exploded but not much detail however it mentions licence plate mounting brackets and looks like it all attaches from the front.

mr2lad · February 13, 2015

I took my one of my mk4 years ago to paint and don't remember any nuts,

Colin M · February 13, 2015

Thanks, guys, for your comments.

As there is no urgency to do the job, I may wait a while before getting a replacement plate and see if anyone comes up with a definitive answer on what happens when you unscrew the bolts.

Colin M · February 14, 2015

I have come up with a definitive answer myself - there are no nuts to fall off when you remove a bolt.

I decided I would take the number plate off on the car which is OK (plate not cracked), as the plate on that car is only held on with two self-tapping screws and some adhesive tape.

Having removed the plate, I could see that there were 4 bolts holding the number plate moulding on, as per the diagram that Steve posted up. I removed one of the outer bolts and loosened the one next to it so that I could see where the bolt screwed in. It looked like it was a captive nut. I assume the other 3 bolts will similarly be screwed into captive nuts.

As there are two inner bolts to remove as well, it looks like I will have to grind off the bolts heads going through the cracked number plate in order to remove it. I can reach the two outer bolts in the moulding with the plate in place but not the two inner ones.

Malc · February 15, 2015

........ don't forget that I mentioned one could still possibly just stick the new number plate over the existing ....... might save a shed load of trouble tbh

Malc

Colin M · February 15, 2015

No, I haven't forgotten, Malc, thanks.

The bolt heads holding the number plate on stick out a bit, so I would have to use a fairly thick adhesive pad to get the new plate to stick over the existing plate. This would leave a gap between the plates and the new plate would not then sit flush in the mounting.

I am hoping it won't be a shed load of trouble to get the existing plate off and, if it is, I will wish I had followed your advice!!

Colin M · February 18, 2015

I have removed the old plate today and fitted the new one.

Whilst I had the old plate off I thought I would take a photo of what the number plate moulding looks like without the plate in place. There are four (10mm) bolts holding it to the bumper - one at each end and two centrally placed. (I have previewed the post after uploading the photo and it may be that the right hand side of the photo has been chopped off, only showing 3 bolts, but it is a mirror image of the left hand side.) These bolts screw into captive nuts and I am pleased to say that they all came undone easily. I did not, however, take the moulding off.

The two holes, each of them on the outside of the two centrally placed bolts, are where the bolts holding the old number plate on went through.

These holes look as though they are the original ones for fitting the number plate, as each hole has on its inside edge two small triangular-shaped sections cut out in the moulding. These sections look as though they are part of the number plate moulding design. On the back of these holes (having loosened the bolts and pulled the mounting forward a bit) there are what look like 3 mounting lugs for holding some sort of fastening in place. My guess is that it was some type of spire clip or captive nut, with two pointed sections on it which projected through the triangular holes and (perhaps) these were bent over to hold it firmly in place.

If there were any such fittings, they had gone AWOL on my car and been replaced by a piece of metal plate with a welded nut on it placed behind the moulding. The bolt holding the number plate was screwed into this. The metal plate was long enough so that it caught the top of the number plate moulding which prevented the metal plate from turning when the bolt was tightened.

I have taken a photo of the two metal plates placed on the right hand side of the old number plate. The hole in the number plate where the bolt went through is clearly visible. The top metal plate shows the rusty end of the bolt in the welded nut and the bottom one is turned over to show the bright metal of the grinded off bolt head. The two three-quarter circular clips to the left were used to put behind the bolt when the number plate was pulled off. This was to provide a heat barrier and to prevent me from grinding the moulding.

The two bolt holes in the number plate moulding, if they are the original ones, seem to be oddly placed because the bolts are likely to go through the letters/numbers on the number plate. The number plate hole in the photo just misses the letter "U" but the one on the other side came smack in the middle of the top of the number "7".

When fitting the new plate I have used a self-tapping screw at each end. I drilled the hole so that the screw goes into the number plate moulding just below the circular recess for the outer mounting bolt - 7 o'clock position for the one on the left (driver's side) and 5 o'clock for the one on the right (passenger side). It now looks much better.