Rear License Plate Install

reilljp

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 9, 2016
Location
San Carlos, CA
TDI
2015 Passat
What are the correct screws to use when installing the rear license plate? I’ve noticed that many are too long and mark the paint/metal under the license plate bracket.


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Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
My Passat came with dealer supplied bolts for the licence plate and I would assume yours should be too. If not, get the dealer to supply them, they should come with the car.
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
I used #10x½" SS Torx truss head sheet metal screws. I just ground off the points and they work fine.
 
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Demo3

Veteran Member
Joined
May 19, 2013
Location
Longmont CO
TDI
2015 TDI Golf Sportwagen
I had that problem with my 2013 JSW but I did not change them... It is pretty dry here in Colorado so the little scratches the screw made did not rust. All the advice I have would be go by Ace Hardware and search through the screw bins.
 

1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
My Passat came with dealer supplied bolts for the licence plate and I would assume yours should be too. If not, get the dealer to supply them, they should come with the car.
Ours came with dealer supplied screws also, but they were so long that they were scratching the paint behind the bracket...
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
some tripple stacked washers fixed the too long screws for me, had them on hand, looks odd but works.

Passat has tapped holes in the trunk lid where as the golf has a plastic bracket.

Also throw some antisize on the threads of the passat, otherwise you'll be in a world of hurt tryng to get the screws out.
 

reilljp

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 9, 2016
Location
San Carlos, CA
TDI
2015 Passat
some tripple stacked washers fixed the too long screws for me, had them on hand, looks odd but works.

Passat has tapped holes in the trunk lid where as the golf has a plastic bracket.

Also throw some antisize on the threads of the passat, otherwise you'll be in a world of hurt tryng to get the screws out.


Extra washers. That is a good idea!

You can use plastic/nylon screws on the Passat.



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Nutty 5.0

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Location
SE PA
TDI
15 GSW SEL TDI 6MT
Really like the idea of the nylon. +2 Likes now! I just did some stainless screws (Assume #10's) with some stainless washers. It works ok.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Really like the idea of the nylon. +2 Likes now! I just did some stainless screws (Assume #10's) with some stainless washers. It works ok.
From my former work,if you call it a # 10 screw that to me indicates a self tapping screw. It is not a bolt with a machine thread which should go there.

I replaced the dealer bolts with stainless bolts with a hex head. Home Depot has many metric bolts in various lengths.
BTW: if you are using something that has a point then you are not using the correct fastener. Bolts are NOT pointed!
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Why would anyone use machine threads to mount into soft plastic? Granted limiting the length is the best idea.
 

Nutty 5.0

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Location
SE PA
TDI
15 GSW SEL TDI 6MT
From my former work,if you call it a # 10 screw that to me indicates a self tapping screw. It is not a bolt with a machine thread which should go there.

I replaced the dealer bolts with stainless bolts with a hex head. Home Depot has many metric bolts in various lengths.
BTW: if you are using something that has a point then you are not using the correct fastener. Bolts are NOT pointed!
No disagreement here, but most other manufacturer's use them (I'm speaking Ford's specifically) do and actually what my Stealership had in there. And I ordered the car new.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
There is NO way my original plate fasteners were self tapping. I replace with what I have with the same. The only difference is I chose to use hex bolts.
The hex bolts are a 5mm thread and overall length is 25mm.
I just went out to my car and pulled one.
 
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