Number plate bulb holder screws

[mannyo]

As my D3 has now passed the MOT, its time to try and sort this mess.

I've got my new OEM part from the forum sponsors, it comes with two new screws and a bulb with holder.

Had a closer look today, removed the now broken part again, and it seems that beneath the stuck screw I have some plastic I need to get out somehow. Once thats done I should (hopefully) be able to get hold of the screw head with pliers or something and see if it will now move. it looks like whoever did the last bulb change allowed to screw to go in wonky and thats why its stuck.

I tried to break out the plastic with a flatblade screwdriver but that did not work, so I'll need a small drill or something to make tiny holes and then try again.

[HPsauce]

Sounds like the D3 setup is as awful as the D2.

In the D2 case (and presumably D3 also) the reason for the metal screws would seem to be to apply enough pressure to make a watertight seal of the lens/cover against the bodywork.
I suspect any fixing that was easier to remove would probably not give a good enough seal resulting in water ingress. As if we don't have enough issues with that elsewhere!

When I get round to drilling out the mess on my D2 I'm thinking of a small cavity fixing used in buildings where the fixing is popped through the hole and is then "spread" as the screw is tightened. Some stay in place when the screw is removed (preferable here) and some just fall away.

[mannyo]

Well I had another bash this afternoon and still getting nowhere.

I managed to get all the old remains of the now broken light from behind the screw, so the screw head is now in thin air. Then I got a good pair of pliers, got hold of the screw head and tried to turn it. The result was the same, nothing budged its still stuck.

On the D3 its not a self tapping screw, but a fine thread standard philips screw. I tried pulling on to see if I could overcome the threads, that does not work either. I don't know whats on the car side of that screw but its obviously not plastic. The screw kind of pivots on the opposite end to the head if put a screwdriver down the side.

Drill it out now is going to be a right pain, as once the head goes there is still 3-5mm of threaded part to deal with.

I may end up getting rid of the screw head, applying something onto the back of the new holder and using a single screw to hold it in place. One screw holds the broken one ok, but there is a small amount of movement on the other side.