Replacing the rear number plate on Allroad/Avant (C5 platform)

[Mudplugger]

I need to remove the rear number plate from my 2003 Allroad and fit a new one. It appears to be held to the tailgate with a couple of those small yellow plastic nuts & screws that are commonly used for holding registration plates. Getting to the screw head is easy enough (obviously!) but the nut appears to be somewhere inside the tailgate

It looks as though I need to remove most of the boot trim to access the plastic nuts: is this really right?

I'm loathe to damage the trim in the process and I don't yet have a Bentley manual, so can anybody please guide me in the right direction (perhaps based on painful experience!) of what should be a simple task?

 

[Inskip75]

hi,
having taken most of trim off a few times in past I would advise drilling or cutting these plastic fixings off and fixing new plate with sticky pads.

Graham

 

[Mudplugger]

Hi Graham,

It really is as awkward as it looks?

I'm amazed then that the current non-original plate, fitted by a non-franchised dealer, has been so carefully screwed on. On the other hand, this may explain one piece of damage to the trim in this area that I spotted.

I will most likely do as you suggest and use sticky pads.

Thanks.

 

[Inskip75]

Its not that bad, the trim comes off with gentle leverage off spring clips - i probably have some spare if you want to attempt this and break some. Unscrew from 'inside' closing handle first but can't remember if any screws within warning triangle section?

But suggested what I thought was the best option - especially as if the surface is flat I always use the pads. On the front of the A6 I have used pads but still screws as bends away quite a bit.

 

[Mudplugger]

I noticed the one visible screw by the 'inside' closing handle and wondered if that was one of the 'keys' Thanks for the offer of spring clips, much appreciated; I may well take you up on it if I go the trim-removal route.

On the front of the A6 I have used pads but still screws as bends away quite a bit.

My current front plate appears to be held on with two large self-tappers, nothing more, so I'm presuming that access behind here is even harder than at the rear?

Andrew

 

[Inskip75]

If they are self tappers they will not have nuts but will screw into bodywork - just a thought -have you checked your rear plate isn't on self tappers. Try to unscrew, it may just screww off!

 

[Mudplugger]

Unfortunately whoever fitted the plates did it differently front & rear: steel self-tappers on the front and plastic 'number plate screws' with inaccessible nuts on the rear. Nice thought though.

I bought a pack of "Sellotape Sticky Fixers" in Homebase yesterday for about £2.50 and that lists "number plates" and "vehicles" amongst the possible applications on the back. Seemingly each pad can hold 60g, so it shouldn't be too hard to figure how many I need to safely hold the plate on at each end. Certainly it'll do until I have some other reason to dismantle the rear trim anyway, because at £10/plate I'd prefer to risk that than spend half a day breaking trim-clips (especially as I have yet to get a manual showing me where they all are).

Thanks for all your help above though, much appreciated.