///M Front Bumper, Lower Mesh Grill Replacement DIY

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Keith
Joined: Sat 07 Nov, 2009 14:56
Posts: 85

  M coupe S50
Location: Maidenhead

///M Front Bumper, Lower Mesh Grill Replacement DIY

Post by Keith »

If you have a cracked grill due to a stone/bird or other roadkill crashing through it, you may wish to replace it like I did.

New part cost me approximately £51 and the number for this is 51112268644.

Tools required will be just a socket set and a couple (one small, one larger) electricians flathead screwdrivers (to prise off the trim fastener washers).


Procedure

I jacked up the car on one side only at the front. Even though just one side, this gave me enough space underneath to crawl around on my back and access all the necessary screws, bolts and panels to be removed.

Now I will describe the under panel removal process as a general guide - I did not note the exact number of screws and where they go etc - it's just common sense.

First you need to remove the black engine undertray. Looking around you will see where this is screwed in place - about 3/4 screws on each side (shown in the below picture (yellow at the top ins the bumper si this was taken on the N/S looking toward the back of the car)




After you have tackled the screws each side, there are 3 longer screws that run along the centre back of the tray. Whilst removing them, you will note that the part they are screwed into is flimsy and wobbles - I think this is more a case of the flimsy part being screwed to the undertray, rather than the other way around. Regardless, remove them and you will now be able to slide the undertray out.

You will then see this (picture below); the flimsy part. It is a cover to prevent the belts getting wet from splashes.



You can simply pull this out now, although note how it goes back in for refitting - it has a lip that slides between two other pieces of the engine higher up.

Removed;




What you also see in the above picture is the item to the right of the image. This is the same piece of plastic that you can see when looking down to the mesh grill when the bonnet is up.

Item 15 as shown HERE.

It channels the air coming into the lower grill and directs it to the oil cooler.

Removing this just requires it to be pulled down from the back, and then slid out. It'll take a bit of tugging, but does come out to reveal this;




Now that is out, you have full access to the grill from below and above when looking at it with the bonnet open.

What you are now faced with however is 13 of these;




At first, I assumed that these would all have to be cut off and replaced with new... However I found a way to get them all (apart from two) off in a reusable state. Which was nice as my dealer would only supply them in a pack of 24 at a cost of £9.36 (39p each)! Just for little washers!

I simply used a small electricians screwdriver to get under them, and then twisted to raise it off the stem a little. I moved around the clip doing the same, until I could fit a bigger flat-head driver in there. Again, work around the clip and eventually (as the stems are tapered) you will be able to pull it off. The plastic stews do bend a bit, but none of them broke. Sounds fiddly and time consuming but you soon get the knack and it can't have taken more than 45 minutes.

Pull out the old grill, clean everything up, pop then new one in and replace the clips. I found using the teeth of some pliers, slightly open over either side of the stems and tapping it down worked quite well to get all the old clips firmly in place.

Replacement of the air ducting is simple - just slot it back it the opposite to how you removed it, and make sure it is central.

Everything then slots back in place and screws in just like you removed it. Easy.

Please let me apologise for the lack of whole-shot pictures - I had forgotten to take more for the benefit of this DIY (sorry). It all becomes clear though once you get stuck in. :thumb:

Hope you have found this useful in some way.


Keith
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