Numberplate lights

[vkx245l]

Noticed one of the numberplate lights had gone the other day. Went to change the festoon bulb in it yesterday and noticed that the bulb hadn't gone but that one of the screws had lost its head and so half the assembly was hanging down. Pushed it back up, contact was made, the light came on.
WD40 on the other screw - crapola - the head shears straight off.

There are two units, four screws in all, and they are all in a terrible state! I've read elsewhere that the screws rust, expanding as they do, and crack the unit lens.

I'm guessing that the whole thing comes as a complete unit? The broken one is now stuck on with gaffer tape until I can get new units. I won't be using crappy Audi screws in the replacements. I now have to remove the headless screw threads, which I'm not looking forward too and I've soaked the other ones screws with more penetrating oil in the hope that the heads don't come off when I remove that one.
Has anyone else tried to change these bulbs or suffered the same problem.

Thanks

Jonathan

 

[Skipton01]

Hi Jonathan,

This is a well documented failing of the A2 (and most Audis that use a similar light for the number plate.

Get ye down to B&Q and purchase a pack of stainless self tappers, which you'll need to cut down to length slightly (a pair of pliers should be up to the job).

When you get the new light unit, immediately discard the attached screws and fix using the stainless ones.

The lights themselves come as a complete part, not just the lens, so you don't really need to fit all of it, just leave the black part in situ.

Getting out the old screw should be relatively easy with radio pliers, as the threads are biting on plastic, not metal, so there should be no rusting together of parts.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[vkx245l]

Thanks Mike

Thank goodness the screws are only biting into plastic. I had visions of a metal fixing all nicely rusted. Stainless steel is definitely the way forward.

Anyone else not having suffered this yet might want to do a bit of preventative maintenance..please form an orderly queue down at B&Q
Cheers

Jonathan