How To: Replacing The Numberplate Lamps (Nightmare!)

[The Swede]

Replacing the numberplate lamps should be about the simplest of bulb replacements one can perform.

Driving without working lamps can result in a MOT failure.

Mine were gone and I set out to replace them. Just to notice that there is NO WORD about this in the car's manual and that it is a bl**dy nightmare job.

Might be that I used the long way and missed a trick, but at least, it will show that Lexus wants you to go to the dealership and spend money :megaangry:

Find below the "how to":

Step 1: Loosen the trim of the bootlid by prying the plastic pins loose with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Undo the four screws that keeps the strip in place that sits over the numberplate lamps.

Careful, you also need to undo the two middle ones that keep the lock in place.

Step 3: Now gently pry the strip loose. Bear in mind that it's still held in place by two more plastic pins which are pretty stubborn. Careful, the strip is pretty brittle !

You might not need to take this strip off, but you'll struggle to get the housing of the lamps out and you will need to be a smurf to get to the bulbs.

These are the annoying pins.

Now go and get a cup of tea... you're only half way.

Step 4: In normal circumstances you'd now assume you can take the transparent cover off the bulb, swap the bulb and fit everything back...

Sure, well our Japanese engineers seem to like SM.

First of all, the bulb is in a closed housing which is clipped onto the bootlid. It would be easy to unclip... if someone at Toyota had not had the brilliant idea to cover the housing at the inside with a metal cover / tunnel. WHY ?? God knows !! It's an absolutely useless !

So you have to slide your fingers into this metal "tunnel" and push the plastic clip so the lamp housing pops out.

Narrow ! Better ask you wife for help.

Step 5: Take the lamp holder out of the back of the housing, swap the bulb... and reassemble your Lexus with Japanese attention to detail !

Good luck !

[steve2006]

Nice write uo and I thought the LS was a pain to do!

[The Swede]

It's well screwed together...

[Guest]

Thanks for the write up :) very useful.

Do you thing the numberplate lights from the newer is would fit?

[The Swede]

Thanks for the write up :) very useful.

Do you thing the numberplate lights from the newer is would fit?

No clue. Why would you swap them? In the end, only thing you want to do is swap 2 5W bulbs every 110000 miles... which DOES prove to be a nightmare.

Anyway, hope it will be useful for others and save them the money of a mechanic.

[Guest]

No clue. Why would you swap them? In the end, only thing you want to do is swap 2 5W bulbs every 110000 miles... which DOES prove to be a nightmare.

Anyway, hope it will be useful for others and save them the money of a mechanic.

the ones on the 2 generation IS produce a white light rather than yellow. but I won't be replacing them unless they go.

[The Swede]

No clue. Why would you swap them? In the end, only thing you want to do is swap 2 5W bulbs every 110000 miles... which DOES prove to be a nightmare.

Anyway, hope it will be useful for others and save them the money of a mechanic.

the ones on the 2 generation IS produce a white light rather than yellow. but I won't be replacing them unless they go.

Well, I don't know if you noticed, but the UK numberplates are a tiny bit yellow too... And I am colourblind ! :D

Solution can be to use blue bulbs in your numberplate lamp. They'll give a white light.

That being said, you don't often see the rear of your own car when you drive around in the dark