It’s started when I cleaned off bird crap off of my trunk. It was on the chrome area where it says infiniti. So is started to clean it off and pushed on it pretty hard and that rubber filler that runs along the top of the chrome piece got unglued and half of it fell in. So I took off trunk lining, took of both tail sights in order to get to inside. Here’s my problem. There are 3 screws that hold that trunk plate down. Those got unscrewed but thing was still holding. After further observation I found another 3 or 4 places where that plate is attached to the trunk. But those are not screws, they are black plastic caps which you have to squeeze with pliers from both sides in order to get them through the hole. However if you ever got under the lining, you know that the back part of the trunk has 2 walls with space between for wires, lock ect.. Those plastic things are on the inside and I was able to get to only 1 of them. If anyone ever done this please let me know how you got to them or what tool you yoused.

 

Let me know if you figure it out. I tried twice unsuccessfully to remove mine and ran into the same problem you described.

 

i wonder how they assembled it, had to have a special tool or small hands. I was thinking of needle-nose pliers, but have yet to find ones with really long nose. i wouldn't mind it as much if not for the rain getting inside, and the license plate lights are right there, may end up shorting out. By the way, why were you trying to take yours off, can’t be the same reason.

 

i tried it when i was putting those LED towers in my taillights. the "thing" had to be removed so i could get the trunk lights out, forget it. i just gave up and ripped the friggin lights out, and then got my fingers damn near cut off when trying to put them back in. that plate is one tough S.O.B. i swear it was laughing at me.

 

I was trying to remove the INFINITI nameplate back there. In order to do that I have to remove that whole center panel, and well, you know where this is going...

 

King, you don't need to take that plate off to take off your lights. at least on 2000 you don't.

Meta, those caps are blastic, how about burning them off and then just going to dealership asking for a new set. lol.

 

LOL, I thought about doing that, as I destroyed one of them in trying to figure out how they came off. I still don't think I could access a couple of them though.

 

since you destroyed one, i assume you got it out and at least looked at it. My question is, can they be "popped off" by jamming something sharp between the metal and the cap itself? if they are clip-ons and not a solid part of that plate i say that could be done.

 

IIRC they are just caps that are stubborn b*tches but can be removed. But they're a serious pain in the a$$.

 

ok, so i'll find out if those parts are even replaceble, if they are, i'll try just to brake them off