What kind of finger gymnastics do I have to perform to change a number plate globe??!

[RiffRaffMama]

I can't get the new globes in the sockets for my number plate lights. Now before anyone says "you pull the lens out and the globe is attached to it, do you not have thumbs or something?" this is a VX Berlina and just for fun, Holden thought they'd change the way the number plate globes go in and out on Berlinas. The lens is screwed in and comes out independent of the globe which is tucked up under the chrome garnish bit where you have to perform some feat of olympics level finger gymnastics to get the new globes in. There's no way to access them from inside the boot and as far as the workshop manual is concerned you just have to "install light into light assembly by pushing in". Really? Thanks.

The problem lies in the shape of the globe's base. Instead of being round, which you really can't stuff up, it's one of those stupid T10 globes you have to slot in to a spring clip, so if you don't have it aligned correctly, it's not going in. This is the crux of the problem - I can just hold the globe to the socket, but there's not enough room to move my fingers to turn it to a different angle, or to apply the necessary amount of pressure to push the globe into its tight clip socket.
I've only had this car a week but it is identical to my old car, (including the colour, but that's irrelevant) so I thought "how did I do this last time?" Looking at photos I can see that this car has an extra chrome bit that my old car was missing, which makes it even harder to access the globes. I've tried holding the globe with pliers in various different sizes, but some can't fit under because of the angle you have to put the pliers on and the ones that do, can't turn the globe because there's no room for them to move. You cannot remove the socket from the car. I'm a chick, I don't have fat fingers, but I just can't make this work for me. Tell me there's a trick to this please!

 

[Immortality]

I feel your pain. I've done this exact thing but I can't remember how I achieved the feat. I had to drill out 2 of the screw too

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Thought I'd update with what I ended up doing to get the number plate globes (or LEDs, in this case) into their sockets. This solution was made easier by the fact that the equivalent LED globes for this job have a flat top on them.

After much fiddling around and the frustration at continually hearing that metallic rattle as the bloody globe slipped out of my fingers again and tumbled down over the number plate, signalling yet another failure, I finally decided the only way this was going to happen was if I somehow attached the globe to my finger so I could manipulate it easier without the use of my thumb. For this I tried blu tack, but after having the blu tack roll off my finger too easily each time, I tried blu tacking the LED to a long flat screwdriver. This gave me the rigidity to push the LED more firmly as well as position it more easily because I had a better range of movement with the skinny screwdriver than with my finger and could better see the whole thing. I had to attach the globe to the screwdriver, try to place it in the socket, but because its one of those wedge globes with the "pinched flat" bottom to it, you have to align it perfectly, so I had to take the screwdriver back out and slightly turn the globe, try again and adjust again until it lined up perfectly, then I pushed it in to its spring clip. Once it is clipped in, the blu tack and screwdriver easily pull off the globe without it pulling back out with them. I then made sure it was in as good as it would get by pushing it with my finger. Watch out you don't press too hard on the black plastic holder as after 20 years of incandescent globes cooking them, they are really brittle.

Bonus tip - try and see exactly which way the clip runs so you align the globe correctly. There are two little notches out of the black plastic holder that runs around the clip. Because these sit on opposite sides of the holder, I mistakenly figured that was the way the clip ran too - from notch to notch. It didn't. Working that out sooner would have saved a good deal of "what the fück is your problem?!" exclamations.
Here's a couple of pics in case you need a little clarity on what I'm banging on about. Sorry they're a bit dark, I was outside and it was night time.