Has anyone replaced the license plate bulbs? I have a 2003 Prius and need to replace those bulbs but they are blocked by the carpet that covers the inside of the trunk and I don't know how to get the clips out that hold it in place.
O.K., I just realized you probably have a Gen I. Not sure the following applies....... How To: Change License Plate Bulbs (Video) | PriusChat You might be interested in Lucious Garage's take on Prius bulbs. I agree that I have replaced more on the Prius than in any other car I have owed. At least the tail lights are super easy.... Light Bulbs - Luscious Garage | Hybrid Specialists
Thanks for your reply. I viewed your video and things are different in my Gen I. Instead of having a piece of plastic covering the underside of the trunk I have a piece of carpet which is attached to the trunk by a number of plastic rivets. I've tried prying them off but didn't have any luck. I don't want to apply too much pressure as I afraid if I do they will break. There must be a way to get them off that I'm missing.
They used a couple of different rivets. One kind has a little center plug that you can push in with a little screwdriver, which releases the rivet. The other kind doesn't have the plug and can be pulled out (gently if you want to reuse them) by slipping a diagonal cutter under the head, gently closing down on it, and pulling the rivet out. I replaced mine with these from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ B00DVLK4Y2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 In the link, there's a space just before the B that you need to eliminate--the forum software wouldn't allow me to post a link.
If you need to remove the carpet, you need to remove the plastic holding it down. Typically as mentioned by Brian there are two types. The push pins are USUALLY easier, but in the Prius, they most use the ones you need to pry up. Most people use screwdrivers, but you can damage things that way. You can buy a cheap set of trim removal tools at NAPA or Home Depot, or many other places. I bought mine from NAPA for around $6, but if you go up in grade you can easily spend $50. As for the fasteners, odds are you will break one or two. You can try to make do with something from a place like Amazon or NAPA, but in experience, it is best just to bite the bullet and buy them from Toyota. Rarely, if it looks secure enough, I won't even replace them if only one is broken. I forget what it cost when I bought a pack a year or so ago, but I am certain it was under $5 for the genuine Toyota product. Here's what a cheap set of trim removal tools look like:
The ones I linked to on Amazon are Toyota parts. Listed for Lexus. Shipping was actually more than the parts--but for around $8, I got 25 of 'em.
That's groovy, Brian. It's just that I have been burned a couple of times buying the fasteners from NAPA or CarQuest, swore they were the right ones and when I got them home, nope. Buying over the parts counter at Toyota, I know I got the right ones. Pricewise, I think it was cheaper for me. But, of course they were not delivered to my home and I had to "deal with the dealer." The good thing is that they have come to know me, so in the past year they routinely give me a 20 percent discount. WilDavis, I assume the better made trim removal kits probably could double as burglar tools, but the El Cheapos I bought, while they do the job, they seem somewhat stressed to the max doing it.
I did all the small lamps in my 2009 Gen II (…see threads passim) and the most difficult were the license-plate illuminators - there are a couple of "How To"s on youtube, but the main difficulty (for me) was the large plastic trim on the inside of the tail-gate, I found that I had to be a bit vicious with it, but not enough to break anything! Start from the corner of the rear-glass, working your way down and pull 90º directly away from the hatch! The trick is to be firm (use gloves) and to be careful not to lose any of the retaining clips of which there are seven (7) (I think, or there might be eight (8)), and to remember where they're located - they each have two parts (an inner and an outer) - the inners tend to remain in the plastic trim, and the outers tend to stay in the tail-gate, and if they pop out, it can be puzzling as to where they belong, so note carefully where they are located! I think (and I'm not going out to my garage to check) that the inners are white, and the outers are turquoise. Once the trim piece is removed, it's pretty simple to locate the lamp-holders, remove the power (small retaining clip which needs to be depressed) and then I used a small pair of needle-nosed pliers to insert into the bulb-holder and rotate counter clockwise (I think) about 45º. If you're replacing the wedgies with LEDs (see my other posts) you will need to make sure the new lamps are inserted the correct way (if you don't get it right first time, turn the lamps 180º and try again (before you re-assemble everything) - OK (sorry, this is turning into an epistle) lamps are replaced, and tested (you've checked them, right?) you're ready to re-fit the plastic trim! Test the lamps before you replace the trim! Get all the clips lined up, in their correct locations, put the trim into position, and you will find (if everything is correctly lined up) that the trim will be easy to pop back into its location. A couple of hefty blows with the side of your free hand (NO! DO NOT USE the mallet!!!!) will help. Once the trim pops back into place, you will heave a sigh of relief and realise how simple it actually is, and the next time (there is always a next time!) it will be much easier - I can boast that I can remove mine in about 30 seconds now! - hope this helps - Wil
