Regardless whether it’s for your own safety, for roadworthiness testing or to avoid a fine, ensuring your headlamp bulbs are all the time functional is very important. Indeed, bulbs are wearing auto parts that will inevitably burn out with time and consequently need to be replaced. You’re most certainly on this website because one of your parking lights is burnt out and you’re worried about how to change your BMW 5 Series’s license plate bulb, we’ve written this article to help you do it by yourself and not have to go to your mechanic. Firstly, we will look at changing the license plate bulb from the outside, secondly, how to replace the license plate bulb without outside access, and thirdly, how to replace the rear license plate bulb of your BMW 5 Series.
How to change the license plate bulb on your BMW 5 Series throughout the outside
This tactic is the least difficult of the two, in truth, for this one you will just have to take out the protective covers of the bulbs. Unfortunately on some years or packages of car these covers do not open from the outside and if this is the case we will dedicate a moment on in the second section of this document to clarify the way.
So let’s begin with swapping the number plate bulb by going through the outside of your BMW 5 Series. Regardless whether it’s the front or the back of your vehicle the technique will be the same.
Here are a few simple guidelines to follow to conduct this maintenance tasks:
- With the engine turned off, disconnect the battery terminals from your car
- Face your license plate and use a flat screwdriver or knife to place the flat part into the notch provided for this intent (in most cases on the transparent cover) and lever on the plastic window to open the license plate bulb slot of your BMW 5 Series
- Use your screwdriver or knife to remove the bulb from its location, in the event that you are afraid of damaging something, you can also do it with your fingers.
- Finally, position the new license plate light bulb
- Last stage, before reassembling, reconnect your battery and test the light to confirm the successfulness of the procedure.
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How to change the number plate bulb on your BMW 5 Series without outside access
Second section of our document, replace this license plate bulb on your BMW 5 Series without external access. Generally you will be able to access it, however some series (often at the rear does not allow this access).
How to change the front license plate bulb on my BMW 5 Series
To change the one on the front plate, nothing could be easier, you will have to position yourself under the vehicle (ideally placed on candles to give you some space), and, going through the rear of the bumper, you will have to unclip the license plate bulb block, in most cases kept by two soft plastic tabs by pressing on both at once, then once you have your license plate bulb block in hand, Take away the plastic that acts as a seal, then with a thin screwdriver, on one side you will find a small notch, use a lever to open the plastic cover (be careful not to exert too much force or you will break the plastic cover), and you will just have to take out the burnt-out license plate bulb and swap it with the new , then test and reassemble the whole thing.
How to change the rear license plate bulb on my BMW 5 Series
Finally last option, you must change the bulb on the backplate of your BMW 5 Series, but you cannot open the cover from the outside of your vehicle. In such a case, here is the method to do this task:
- Unplug the battery from your BMW 5 Series
- Identify the spot of your light bulbs from the outside.
- From the inside of the trunk, you have to remove the lining of the trunk, kept by clips, you will have to lever carefully on all the frame of the trunk to remove it.
- Once located, before removing the bulb holders, disconnect the holders for easier access.
- Using a screwdriver, lever the two plastic parts to remove the bulb holder
- Replace the burnt-out license plate bulb on your BMW 5 Series, test it and reassemble it, watching the clips on the trunk liner
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There you have it, you have learned the main approaches for swapping license plate bulbs on your car, take note that on some models the technique may be a bit different but you should be able to do it following the outline of this content page. If you can’t do it, don’t hesitate to go to your garage area it would be a shame to break a part of your BMW 5 Series. If you wish to change other bulbs like the position light bulbs on your BMW 5 Series or the low beam bulbs on BMW 5 Series, don’t hesitate to read our articles which describe you the operation to follow.
To find more tips on the BMW 5 Series, take a look at the BMW 5 Series category.
