The trunk handle ( the strip above the liscensplate ) which houses the bulb's has to be removed from inside the trunk, Remove the liner and you will see a couple of nuts that hold the handle on. Remove and push out on the bolt ends with equal pressure( or lightly tap them with a soft mallet ) And Bingo. Replace both of them while your in there and make sure to clean and put down a coat or two of wax in and around the handle area. ;)
It may be 10 years later, but maybe someone else can benefit from unwasted time when replacing their license plate bulbs. DO NOT remove the trunk handle as stated above. Instead, from the inside of the deck lid, disconnect the wire connector from the bulb housing. Then, hold the housing firmly and turn it counter-clockwise approximately 1/4 turn and Bingo! it should come right out of the base that holds it! There are several you tube videos showing how to remove the inside deck lid liner. One video showed using a pry tool to remove the plastic retainer pins that appears to be a specialized trim removal tool. I removed the plastic retainer pins with a small slotted screwdriver.
Replacing The License Plate Light Bulb
in 93 - 05 Lexus GS300 / GS400 / GS430
Posted
It may be 10 years later, but maybe someone else can benefit from unwasted time when replacing their license plate bulbs. DO NOT remove the trunk handle as stated above. Instead, from the inside of the deck lid, disconnect the wire connector from the bulb housing. Then, hold the housing firmly and turn it counter-clockwise approximately 1/4 turn and Bingo! it should come right out of the base that holds it! There are several you tube videos showing how to remove the inside deck lid liner. One video showed using a pry tool to remove the plastic retainer pins that appears to be a specialized trim removal tool. I removed the plastic retainer pins with a small slotted screwdriver.