can't remove rear license plate!!!

[GDawgC220]

front license plate removed with no problem.

now the rear is a biyatch...I can only get one screw out. The rest turn but they won't come out. The little nut/ring that is attached to the body of the trunk is now completely loose and turning with the screws. So the nut/ring is completely detached from the car, ugh. Keep turning and turning, no avail. Sprayed some WD-40 and nothing. Tried heating up the nut to see if it can loosen, no luck. Took some pliers to hold the nut and turn the screw, no luck.

seems impossible to get this license plate off now...so now I have the new one up front and the old one on the rear...two different plates.

maybe from age, those nuts came loose? Now I can't figure out how to get the screws out to get the old plate off...any suggestions?

[Pagz]

Bad luck man looks like its commen....somebody replaced one of mine with a pop-rivit....
if you take a nice sharp drill bit you should be able to drill the head out......

Regards,
Paul

[fastmayte]

replace the trunk lid...... ahahaa

yea drill idea seems good

[SLAMMED_C]

you have 2 options..
1: remove the trunk panel on the lid.. get a pair of vise grips on the rivet and then turn the screw out with a screw driver. if you cant get at the rivets to put vise grips on them.. then its off to option
2: drill out the screw head to remove the plate, then use a pair of side cutters to cut through the aluminium rivet enough to remove the head and slip it through the hole in the lid, dont forget to use some masking tape so you dont scratch the lid up.
with the other rivets without a crew stuck in them.. just drill out the heads and remove them through the back of the lid, just dont drill too far!! :confused:
Id recommend replacing the 4 rivets, cause if one did that.. the other may just do it later on too.

[stox]

I went through this with my W201 years ago. If you're willing to damage the plate, you can bend up the plate at the bolts, and then grab the aluminum mount with a narrow jawed vise-grip plier. Then, remove the bolt with a screwdriver. After learning this lesson, I have coated those bolts with anti-seize compound ever since.

[GDawgC220]

thanks guys. will give it a shot later today.

[Dr. ///AMG]

oh man that sucks ass. I did that on my dad's '94 W124 wagon back in the days. I was putting the plate on, and I wanted it on tight and I turned then SNAP! the thing kept turning and turning and turning... I never bothered to fix it though :P

[sleek_benzo]

I never bothered to fix it though :P

LOL.. touch it.. break it.. leave it..

[Brabus]

Just use some pliers to pull it out...

It's pretty much useless after that though since the whole thing is threaded out.

[Eurosport]

ha
i went through that too, i had to cut the threads they pissed me off, and reinstalled new ones like slammed c said
it's a pain though

[GDawgC220]

thanks for all the help guys!

got it out by drilling the screws out...what a PITA.