If I was as OCD as some on here I might need a new boot lid by now!
A while ago a mechanic replaced my numberplate bulbs at MOT time. I had put LED's in there but he said they failed. MOT is due fairly soon and I was thinking about swapping back to LED's as I have some spare of the right sort.
I also wanted to have a look at the light unit to see if it might help with reversing camera fitment.
Three of the four bolts came out fairly easily, the fourth looked like it wasn't in straight and didn't want to move........
Sure enough, it had been rammed in, probably with a power tool, at an angle and was jammed. Worse, the metal sleeve it screws into was rotating in its seat in the boot lid.
I removed all the lining to see if I could get access to grip it from behind. But no it's in a pretty inaccessible place.
I could just about get a small mole wrench onto it, but the back of the bulbholder got in the way and I didn't want to break that. Not enough grip to make any progress.
And it was all inaccessible from the front too, the numberplate backing plate and bulbholder both getting in the way.
Eventually I removed the backing plate (luckily possible with lights still in place) and with the help of my glamorous assistant (SWMBO) managed to get a small Stanley hacksaw blade onto the bolt beneath the head and cut it off. Took ages and didn't do the paintwork any good either (luckily only the area normally hidden by the backing plate.
It was all very contorted with her holding the boot lid half open with one hand and the other with a spanner on the bolt head while I guided the Stanley hacksaw blade very carefully. Repaired the paint scratches with touch-up paint.
So now one of the numberplate lights is only held by a single bolt, though it is fairly secure. The other end has the stub of a cut off bolt jammed into the threaded sleeve.
Has anyone else had this problem? I'm wondering whether to just leave it alone or to drill out the offending stub/sleeve and insert some other fixing, if so what type would do the job?
__________________
2003 D2 FL S8. Irish Green Pearl/Beige. Solar sunroof, auto-dim mirrors, electric rear seat functions, ski hatch retrofit; extended leather. Aftermarket DVB-T, reversing camera and full XCarlink (Bluetooth etc.).
2016 Volvo V40 T5 Cross Country (4WD) with ALL the toys including adaptive cruise etc. etc. Osmium Grey with Blonde/Charcoal leather interior. Polestar performance "optimisation".
(A much rarer model than a D2 S8 by the way!) Oh, and a brand new engine at just under 30,000 miles on the factory one!
Finally: gone, but not forgotten.....
1998 D2 PF S8. AgateGrey/Platinum. Every option (I think) except electric rear seats, tiptronic steering wheel, ski hatch, towbar & dimming door mirrors.
e.g. Cruise control, NavPlus/TV, Bose, GSM, Xenons, Solar roof, Parking sensors, Alcantara/leather everywhere of course.
(internal dimming mirror added later)
1998 (very early) Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec; ABS/TCS, Heated screen/mirrors, Aircon, Auto-dim mirror, Leather, Trip computer, Cruise control, OEM Ford SatNav with CD changer.
And before that a lot of Rover 800s, a few oddities, a lovely Triumph Dolomite 1850HL with Overdrive and way back in my schooldays an Austin Seven aka Mini 850!
