OK, just got pulled over for the second time last night for my rear license plate light not working. Luckily no tickets yet, but I'm sure that's just a matter of time.

Have the new bulb in hand, but I can't seem to get to the old one. My Hayne's manual says to just reach up behind the bumper and twist the bulb holder to remove it. Problem is there's not enough room. I can get my fingers on it, but not enough to get a grip and twist it, and there's also not enough room to get pliers in there.

Any tricks to this? (It's a 98...)

It's about 33 degrees out, so the snow's melting and I'm having to lay down in freezing cold running water to get at the backside of the bumper, so if there's an easier way that I'm missing, I'd rather not lay there and fight with it any longer than necessary.

 

On my 2001, there's 2 screws that hold it to the bumper. Remove the screws and you can slide the entire housing out to replace the bulb.

It's a PITA, but I don't know too much about the 98-00 stuff, so this may be irrelevant.

 

Same here, 2 screws. But instead of pulling out towards you, push in, then you will reach the bulb. Twist out and replace.

 

Awesome, that worked. Had to take my wife's hair dryer out to thaw the ice out of the screw heads, and one screw broke while taking it out, but once the whole assembly was loosened up replacing the bulb was a 10 second job.

Thanks. I hate the cold, and you guys just saved me a severe case of frostbite on my butt cheeks. LOL....