Welch
Well-Known Member
It seems that the local workshops are not familiar with the 6 series grille replacement. The most common method seems to be the "Brute Force" method, in which the mechanic just grabs the grille and yank it as hard as they can. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work with my car, in spite of yanking and yanking, the grilles didn't budge.
Here is another way of doing it without brute force and preserving your original grille(I have seen broken grille fins when they use the yank-it-as-hard-as-you-can method).
Difficulty level: Novice (Not more difficult than fixing Ikea furniture!)
Time taken: 30 mins (Because I was doing it slowly and carefully)
Equipment used:
1) very long flat head screwdriver
2) torx (size T30) screw driver, this is a screw driver with a special 6 sided star shaped head.
3) sharp nose pliers
4) rubber mechanic gloves
5) curved metal scraper
View attachment 65490
Steps:
1) Open bonnet and locate rubber strip just below leading edge of bonnet
View attachment 65492
2) Gently peel back rubber strip, It should come off with no / little resistance.
View attachment 65493
3) Remove rubber strip exposing all the bolts holding upper edge of bumper to car body.
View attachment 65494
Here is where the 6 differs from the 3 series. In the 6 series, you will see 6 screws with star shaped patterns (torx size T30) and 4 plastic self expanding rivets(that look like buttons). The 6 screws hold the bumper to the car and the 4 plastic self expanding rivets hold some black plastic cladding to the bumper.
You can see in this picture, from left to right, torx screw, rivet, torx screw, rivet, torx screw.
View attachment 65495
4) Unscrew the 6 torx screws and remove, keeping them somewhere safe.
View attachment 65496
Once you have removed all 6 torx screws, the bumper is no longer attached to the car body and is only attached to the black plastic cladding of the engine bay.
5) Lift the edge of the bumper so that you can access the bottom of the rivots and try to move the self expanding rivots from side to side.
6) Use the metal scraper to get underneath the edge of the rivet, gently pushing the edges upwards. You should be able to now get the head of the sharp nose pliers under them and simply pull them upwards. They should come off with moderate resistance.
7) When all four rivets are removed, the bumper is now free to slide forwards a little. This is enough to slide the very long screw driver between the gap between the bumper and car body.
Before the next part, examine your new grilles and you will see 3 plastic tabs on the top, 3 on the bottom and 2 on the sides.
View attachment 65491
8) Aim the very long screwdriver at the plastic tabs and press down on them while gently pulling on the grille from in front. (It is best to wear gloves as the inner edge of the grille fins are very sharp). You should see the grille starting to come lose where you pull.
9) Repeat for all 3 upper plastic tabs. Now the grille should lose enough to allow you to slide your finger to the side and press on the side tabs. This should release the grille more.
10) I didn't seem to be able to get to the bottom plastic tabs but once the top and the side tabs were free, pulling the grille forwards seem to release the bottom ones anyway.
11) Removing the second grille is easier as you can slide your finger from the side to press on the side tabs. Of course you have to release the top plastic tabs first too.
12) Align the plastic tabs of the new grille with designated slots in the bumper and press gently and the new grille should slide in with a very satisfying click.
13) Now all you have to do is push the bumper back in position and do up the 6 torx screws. The self expanding rivots just need to be pushed back down into place.
14) Don't screw the torx screws up too tightly yet, close your bonnet first to check for alignment of your bumper. Once you know where the bumper should be, open your bonnet and screw the torx screws tightly.
15) Replace the rubber strip by simply pushing it downward into place.
Stand back and enjoy your new grilles.
Hope this helps.
Here is another way of doing it without brute force and preserving your original grille(I have seen broken grille fins when they use the yank-it-as-hard-as-you-can method).
Difficulty level: Novice (Not more difficult than fixing Ikea furniture!)
Time taken: 30 mins (Because I was doing it slowly and carefully)
Equipment used:
1) very long flat head screwdriver
2) torx (size T30) screw driver, this is a screw driver with a special 6 sided star shaped head.
3) sharp nose pliers
4) rubber mechanic gloves
5) curved metal scraper
View attachment 65490
Steps:
1) Open bonnet and locate rubber strip just below leading edge of bonnet
View attachment 65492
2) Gently peel back rubber strip, It should come off with no / little resistance.
View attachment 65493
3) Remove rubber strip exposing all the bolts holding upper edge of bumper to car body.
View attachment 65494
Here is where the 6 differs from the 3 series. In the 6 series, you will see 6 screws with star shaped patterns (torx size T30) and 4 plastic self expanding rivets(that look like buttons). The 6 screws hold the bumper to the car and the 4 plastic self expanding rivets hold some black plastic cladding to the bumper.
You can see in this picture, from left to right, torx screw, rivet, torx screw, rivet, torx screw.
View attachment 65495
4) Unscrew the 6 torx screws and remove, keeping them somewhere safe.
View attachment 65496
Once you have removed all 6 torx screws, the bumper is no longer attached to the car body and is only attached to the black plastic cladding of the engine bay.
5) Lift the edge of the bumper so that you can access the bottom of the rivots and try to move the self expanding rivots from side to side.
6) Use the metal scraper to get underneath the edge of the rivet, gently pushing the edges upwards. You should be able to now get the head of the sharp nose pliers under them and simply pull them upwards. They should come off with moderate resistance.
7) When all four rivets are removed, the bumper is now free to slide forwards a little. This is enough to slide the very long screw driver between the gap between the bumper and car body.
Before the next part, examine your new grilles and you will see 3 plastic tabs on the top, 3 on the bottom and 2 on the sides.
View attachment 65491
8) Aim the very long screwdriver at the plastic tabs and press down on them while gently pulling on the grille from in front. (It is best to wear gloves as the inner edge of the grille fins are very sharp). You should see the grille starting to come lose where you pull.
9) Repeat for all 3 upper plastic tabs. Now the grille should lose enough to allow you to slide your finger to the side and press on the side tabs. This should release the grille more.
10) I didn't seem to be able to get to the bottom plastic tabs but once the top and the side tabs were free, pulling the grille forwards seem to release the bottom ones anyway.
11) Removing the second grille is easier as you can slide your finger from the side to press on the side tabs. Of course you have to release the top plastic tabs first too.
12) Align the plastic tabs of the new grille with designated slots in the bumper and press gently and the new grille should slide in with a very satisfying click.
13) Now all you have to do is push the bumper back in position and do up the 6 torx screws. The self expanding rivots just need to be pushed back down into place.
14) Don't screw the torx screws up too tightly yet, close your bonnet first to check for alignment of your bumper. Once you know where the bumper should be, open your bonnet and screw the torx screws tightly.
15) Replace the rubber strip by simply pushing it downward into place.
Stand back and enjoy your new grilles.
Hope this helps.
