Pretty much the story since they invented license plates. That's why most folks in all but the driest climates swap them out for nylon.

 

I have see nylon for license plates mounting. But rarely see them used although the anchors they go into are nylon.


The lights mounting hardware above the plates is the issue as years can go by before the burnt out plate lights are detected. That when the trouble starts.

 

I have see nylon for license plates mounting. But rarely see them used although the anchors they go into are nylon.

The lights mounting hardware above the plates is the issue as years can go by before the burnt out plate lights are detected. That when the trouble starts.

Everything in the back gets crudded up pretty badly. The advent of nylon license plate bolts got a lot of us thinking about what to do with the other bits back there. Fortunately, over the years, the smaller metric nylon screws needed for things like the lamp cover have become readily available at the larger hardware chains.

 

Small lesson: coat them with something. This has happened to every car I have ever owned. The problem is, usually the bulbs they use are long-life and last for many years, and by the time they need replacing the screws are...uh...screwed. In some cases to the point where trying to remove them destroys the screw and you have to resort to drastic measures to get them out.

So, when you finally do, and replace them, coat them with anti-seize...grease...machine oil...ANYTHING so that if you have to do it again you can get the screw out. Coat the threads and the head as well.

 

LOL


Ok I will look for them if I think of it next time. It seems owners need to go over and change what the manufacturer over looked, on purpose!!! Simple solution if done early enough. They have to be the hardest bulbs to change because of this problem. Many don't I am sure but its a sure way in some areas to get pulled over for lack of lights showing your plate at night.

 

My wife came home a moment ago and I decided I'd be proactive and do hers. Well amazingly there are no screws or any hardware holding the lens cover. The is a pressure snap I push to the side and pry open the lens (pivots like a door) which has inserts for the pivot end. Both bulbs were already done. Same LED's are in there now. Anyone tackling this job while quickly find out pulling the bulbs out is pretty much impossible.


The glass is slippery. I tear off a few inches of masking tape and fold it around 2/3rds of the bulb. Then I have something I can wriggle and pull on. It still takes significant effort (It did in my wife's Compass as well) but you can at least get them out in a few attempts with the masking tape around at least part of the glass.

 

Thanks for the heads up-warnings. I have to do this on the wife's Santa Fe. The last quick oil change the guy said he wanted to charge $8 per bulb. I may be lazy but there are some things like that, that make me get off the couch. It also needs one of the brake lights done as well.

 

If its rusted and the screws won't come out. He'll be really earning his $8. LOL As long as he doesn't brake the fixtures or worst. No Philips driver or bit on the planet will get them off. I tried many and desperate measure were needed. I had even sprayed them days before with top notch penetration oil, although it can't seep in past the lens area but worth a try.

 

I looked at the back last night after going out to see how the lighting looked. I didn't look like much when I did it. Well ouch it was pretty bright lighting out the bumper edge and ground behind the bumper. LOL oh well there is no danger of being accused of not having plate lights working. Maybe a odd safety feature with that area much better lit than normally found. The same lights in the Map locations aren't great but it likely because the isn't any reflecting going on up there. A direct down facing LED solution should work much better but without the blue hue I am getting. I hate that UV effect even on headlights.

 

The same lights in the Map locations aren't great but it likely because the isn't any reflecting going on up there. A direct down facing LED solution should work much better ..

Indeed it does. Somewhere around here are both antique and recent threads on that specific topic. The reflectors don't work all that well (which is part of the reason the OEM bulbs don't work well), and a somewhat more powerful down-firing LED is the only solution that worked for me in the map lights.

 

Recently I had to change a license plate bulb as well which had been replaced under warranty before. What they did is take the first screw out and since the second was rusted, they broke the plastic that holds the clip behind the light assembly. I guess that's one way of getting it out but certainly not acceptable. Kinda late now to go back and prove but as a former mechanic, this is unacceptable and really pisses me off.

And they wonder why I never go for regular maintenance!

 

True, but if I had a work order to prove they worked on it. Taking it back to their service manage and showing what you got would be hard for them to dismiss. Some repairs you have to inspect before leaving the dealer or at least test.

 

Trust me I check everything but I never thought I'd have to check to make sure they put the screws back in or if they broke something in the process!

I've been back so many times to that dealership the manager knows me by first name and always has a car waiting for me when I drop mine off. Only had to go back 5 times for them to fix an oil leak.

 

You have no signature so you vehicle details aren't available. If the manager now you he may get you another fixture to fix this issue.

 

I'm in the same boat,two dead bulbs and 4 rusty screws. Thanks for telling me that there are clips on the back. At least they are not rusted into hatch itself. My concern is getting them out without breaking the lenses. I can't even find a part number for the lenses but from similar models, there seems to be a left and right lens. Maybe not on the Santa Fe. I'll take the inside liner off the hatch tomorrow morning when there is more light. I was going to use one of those Alden easy outs but I am concerned about slipping. Maybe I can cut the clip with a Dremel and a cut off wheel. I'll replace the screws with stainless. Trying to keep stuff greased or coated, to avoid rust is a losing battle.
If it is not rusted, phillips should be good enough. My screw heads are really bad; I could barely tell they were phillips. Torx probably is probably the best gripping screw head.

 

I posted details on this horrible design. I am sure where it is as I did mine almost a year ago. A small drill will drill out the center of the screw head (4 of them). Grip the head with vise grips and they twist right off !! Some of the heads come off with the drill bit if you drill far enough and its wide enough as well. (1/8" bit should do it). The lense cover will come off over the screw studs left behind. They can be cranked out with vise grips as you now have something for them to bite onto. As you say either use stainless or brass if you have and oil/grease them with something before putting them back in. I got some cheap LED lights which weren't good enough for the interior map lights, used them and done.

 

Nothing wrong with using nylon replacements, either. Very little torque is needed to hold these in place.

 

sounds like the screws are destroyed in getting them out what size are they?

 

Just about any exterior Phillips screw that I remove from a car gets replaced with a plated Roberts coated with anti-seize. I just went through the licence plate thing with my 10 year old Chrysler to put in a reverse cam. All four screws were toast.
A simple job that should take 5 minutes turns into a major effort.

 

You bet and thats what engineers got paid for. Clearly someone must be aware that the bulbs don't last forever or lifetime warrantied. It need to be opened, one day and simply accessed.

 

I'm sure the design Engineer had it right when he/she originally specified the screw. The value Engineer probably backed up the spec one notch to something less expensive but still good for the job. Then cost analysis (bean counters) stepped in and said "standard mild steel will last just long enough for the warranty" and voila (correct French spelling) Bob's your uncle and you have the drill in your hand.:grin2:

 

Tricky stuff, that. They're a nominal M4 self tapping style screw, probably spec out as fillister heads .. smaller than a #8 sheetmetal screw, but bigger than a #6 sheetmetal screw. MOST nylons have machine threads, so finding a sub might not be that easy. If JetPress made metric sizes, their hard nylons would be just the lick >> Nylon Screws - Pan Head Self-Tapping < Nylon Screws < Nylon Electrical Accessories < Fasteners and Components < Products Someone up north or in Europe might have a better idea for a good metric source.

 

I used two types of small screws I found in my bin of hardware. No machine screws but more tapping or steel type. It only has to bite enough the thread in after all you're only holding plastic in place and not wanting to crack it. So sung does the trick.

Once the old ones are out its all down hill.

 

You can get black weather resistant sheet metal screws from Mcmaster. I have several sizes. They will get a light bit of corrosion on the head after a few years but never get rusty.


McMaster-Carr

 

The OD on those will be a bit large, but at least there's no doubt they'll bite. However, I'd be careful of those particular screws. The heads probably aren't going to seat properly in the holes due to diameter issues.

 

Well there are different sizes. The point was you can get finished screws that are corrosion resistant. You can always go to stainless steel too.

 

FWIW, the screws in my '08's lenses are already either black zinc or black phosphate over steel, and zero corrosion. What are those of you with this problem seeing in the way of coating material?

 

Mine (2007) appear to be steel with some coating but its hard to say what the coating is as the entire surface is rusted over, the rust has filled in the slots of philips head and it wont even let the screwdriver point seat in the screw. One was rusted over but I could get the screwdriver seated but difficult to turn. I wasnt really wanting to start this now in the cold. When spring comes probably drill the head off and use the vise grips as someone else suggested. thanks for the info on the screw.

 

Same as mine were last year.
- get an electric drill
- small bit about 1/8" to drill into the screw head at the center of the Philips head
- vise grips (not too big) but good teeth

Once you drill the heads out (just a bit more than 1/8" in and the heads pop off on the end of the bit). You pull the lens away and deal with the studs of the screws far enough to grip them now. Crank them out with the vise grips. You have to turn it around so you don't want a real big pair. I squirted penetrating oil etc but it was still a hard go getting some out.

If you are trying to remove the screws intact with chemical warfare and tools. I'll check back with you next year, and see if you're done with it.

Any kind of small head screw will secure the lens back on easily.

 

As there are few things on the Compass engineered right. They certainly got the plate lens optimal. No screw or metal clips. The lens releases at one end pressing a plastic tab back and swings down pivoting in the fixture. It then slips out if you want to remove it. Being cold I don't want to risk snapping the plastic just to show you. So there is a better way.

 

That's how my Genesis Coupe is. But they left the wires so short on the drivers side you can barely pull it out to replace the bulb.

 

Only the lens comes out/off so changing the bulb is real easy. LOL

I was just reading on MSN about the 2017 Elantra and how good and Canadianized it is with its frills and options. I wonder if the got that addressed as well. I noticed that the 2.0L engine had the alternator up top (where is needs to be accessible)

 

When it gets bad enough the clips and the screws fuse into one rusty mass, Remove lift gate liner. Remove garnish molding. Use Dremel, Alden #1 easy out, pliers, mini vice grips or your tools of choice to remove screws and clips.Don't break the plastic. Sheet metal screws are international. Metric 4.2 mm is the same as American #8 . Home Depot has nice little 5 packs of stainless, phillips head #8 sheet metal screws for $1.18. I bought 5/8" length but 1/2" might be long enough. They have both. There are generic U clip nuts or spring nuts, as Hyundai calls them but you need the right grip thickness, distance to center, and width to fit correctly. The OEM clips are part number 873502B000. The list price is 48 cents but plenty of thieving Hyundai dealers are charging more than double, as they do for other parts. It is also a good Kia number if you are searching locally.