The front and rear Audi license plate brackets are usually installed with Torx screws plus horizontal-running adhesive strips.
Therefore, whenever the bracket holes get rounded up or even broken, you should know how to remove the Audi license plate bracket.
Most Audi drivers think about getting behind the bumper grill or unscrewing the plastic covering on the trunk’s door to remove the license plate bracket. However, this should not be the case altogether.
You need to understand what needs to be removed, unscrewed, or un-mounted before removing the license plate.
It is usually a straightforward process to take off the front license plate holder if you have a guide and all the necessary tools available.
Also Read: How to Fix License Plate Holes
Here, you will understand the most efficient way of removing the license plate bracket.
Note that these steps are almost similar to all Audi models. Only a few of the advanced Audi models differ significantly.
How to Remove Audi License Plate Bracket
There are four crucial steps involved to remove the Audi license plate bracket. But you need to follow all these steps and avoid damaging the entire license plate bracket.
Tools& Utilities:
- Heat gun or hair dryer (if needed)
- Screwdriver(1/4 or 3/4-inch) or spanner
- Electric hand drill with Torx screw bits
- Socket set or ratchet (depending on the bracket’s assembly)
Step 1: Unscrew the Hex Nut
Gently unscrew the hex nuts from the plate brackets using a screwdriver and remove the license plate. (There are usually four Torx screws or hex nuts that secure the plate in position).
Note that: You might notice additional Torx screws or even hex nut reinforcements on the license plate if the car had a previous owner.
There are two things you should keenly note down:
- You should gently drill out the rivets without damaging the bumper
- if the license plate was secured to the plate brackets with the rivets.
- Use a spanner or a socket set/ratchet to remove the tightly secured nuts instead of a screwdriver.
Step 2: Unscrew Plate Bracket
After removing the license plate, unscrew the plate bracket from the bumper using ONLY the recommended tools. Using un-recommended tools can cause the bolts to be rounded.
In this step, you need to use a screwdriver or any other similar tool to remove the two screws holding the bracket in place.
Turn the screwdriver or ratchet counter-clockwise to loosen the Torx screws or hex nuts.
Additionally, use an Allen key wrench if the license plate was installed with Allen Bolts.
You should also place the screws in a separate container to avoid misplacing any.
Step 3: Heating the Adhesive Strips
Often, you will find the plate bracket installed using glue/adhesive. If the plate bracket is fixed using adhesive strips, you should use a heat gun or a hairdryer to soften the glue.
How to do it correctly:
Constantly shift the hairdryer or heat gun approximately 5 centimeters from one position to the other on the plate bracket. Continue until the adhesive glue softens.
Old model Audi license plate brackets have excessive adhesive glue. So, it will require more time and effort to soften the glue.
Caution: Be careful not to use too much heat during this process. Do not concentrate the heat gun on one particular spot.
Step 4: Gently Pull out the Plate Bracket
After heating the adhesive strips until the adhesive softens, gently pull out or pry the plate bracket outwards.
Countercheck if the adhesive glue is soft enough to avoid damaging or even breaking the plate bracket.
If the front plate bracket is installed with three metal c-clips, reach behind the bumper grill and gently lift the license plate holder.
DO NOT use excessive force to pull out the bracket. Otherwise, you risk breaking or bending the license plate bracket.
Expert Advice:
- Thoroughly clean the license plate area before mounting a new bracket.
- Now is the perfect time to buff out scratches or dents on the bumper or trunk of your Audi.
How to Repair AUDI Rear License Plate Mounting Bracket
You should repair it immediately and avoid further complications when the rear license plate mounting bracket is damaged, broken, or misaligned.
There are two common problems you will encounter with Audi rear license plate brackets.
- A broken or cracked bracket and
- Expanded or rounded bracket holes.
Note that almost all Audi license plate brackets are usually screwed directly on the bumper or the trunk. Except for the advanced models that are fitted with metal clamps on the bumper.
Here are the steps to follow for efficient Audi rear license plate holder removal and repair.
- Un-mount the license plate from the mounting bracket without damaging the bracket
- Carefully unscrew the mounting plate from the trunk and check if the metal backing is fixed in its correct position.
- If the mounting bracket holes are rounded up, look for the exact-fitting washers, with the same size as the Torx screw. But confirm that the washers are larger than the rounded holes.
- Insert the nuts/Torx screws through the mounting bracket holes and place the washers between the mounting bracket and the metal backing.
Do not use superglue, epoxy, or any other artificial glue to repair a broken mounting bracket.
Conclusion
Nowadays, there are many different ways of repairing both front and rear license plate brackets. This depends on the amount or size of the damage.
For instance, if the holder holes are rounded up, you can use sizable washers to repair them. But if the damage is significant enough, you should replace the entire plate holder/bracket.
But before you even decide to replace it, make sure that you have attempted repairing the license plate bracket.
Additionally, you should use the recommended tools and get the job done if you want a more professional and faster result without any faults.
In this guide, we have looked at how to remove the Audi license plate bracket, as well as how to take off the front license plate holder.
The techniques discussed are not only efficient but straightforward, fast, and practical.