redoctobyr

Hi guys, I need some guidance. I was trying to remove my license plate screws the other day, and, short form, they were seized up and I seem to have broken whatever they thread into in the bumper. One of the screws just spins (after having made a popping noise and having a grey piece of plastic fall to the ground) without going anywhere), and the other is pretty much at that same point. How do I remove whatever they thread into so I can replace them? I looked quickly behind the bumper and didn't see anything, do I have to remove the bumper cover? It feels like they screw into some threaded plastic piece that has now broken and turns freely with the screw. Thank you for any help!

Gotrice4

had the same problem for many months and became a real problem when i had to install my new license plates. What i did was bought a dremel(actually a Craftsman Rotary tool) and used the cutting wheel to cut the screw head off. Then you can see then back and i broke the plastic deal that the bolt is nestled in and replaced everything with stainless steel hardware. It is going to be a little more difficult to remove and replace from now on but it was the "easiest" way i found. Oh, by the way, if you do it this way Be Careful!

speedtrip

Is the seized screw on the front or rear bumper?

I went through the same experience not to long ago for my rear bumper. For my max there was a plastic clip that slides over the hole for the license plate bolt in the bumper cover. On the back side of that plastic clip is a metal nut that is surrounded by plastic so that it cannot spin. When I was trying to remove the bolt I was turning it for all I was worth and I heard a pop sound and it started to spin. The pop sound came from the plastic surrounding the metal bolt giving away. So now the license plate bolt and nut are spinning together.

I was able to reach behind the bumper cover and grab the nut with a set of vice grips to keep it from spinning. The other one I couldn't reach with the vice grips so I took a dremel tool and just cut off the bolt head.

clee130

My rear lisence plate screws were completely rusted together after not changing them for 5 years. There was absolutely no way I would have been able to get them off. They looked like they melted into one ugly brown thing.

So I had to drill through them and then I used a huge branch clipper to cut through them.

But a dremel would have worked just as well, I just didn't have one then.

And now I just use plastic screws.

Nick97SE

iTrader: (14)

I too had this problem on the back plate on my '92 GXE. I don't remember if the way the plate screws in on the back is the same on the 3rd and 4th Gen, so I'll post my solution anyway.

I had to break the heads off the screws and drill them out. I then got stainless steel screws (I think) that my dad picked up for me. I secured them by getting a set of long thin plyers and a bolt. I put the bolt up under the part the plate screws into and screwed the screw in from the same time. Like someone said above, it'll be a pain to remove, but it'll be less of a pain than it was before.

Good Luck, and I hope I made sense.
-Nick

redoctobyr

Sorry, I didn't specify. The license plate I'm talking about is on the rear bumper. If I cut the heads off the screws, I can just push them through and whatever they attach to will fall off with them? Will I be able to reach up behind to install a new (stainless) nut for them to thread into? Sorry for the questions, I really appreciate the help!

sinewave

If you replace the u-shaped clips, you won't have to try and reach behind the bumper cover. Pep Boys has them in metric and SAE, but I only saw metal clips. I used stainless steel hex-head bolts and have not had any siezing problems.