grill removal quick and no grazed knuckles
05-04-2006 | 06:19 AM
#1
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: UK with german roots
My Ride: 535d Sport, carbon black, media pack, visibility pack, grey leather, heated seats, sun protection glass, voice control, Eibach ProKit, 19" 166 style wheels, e-maps ECU remap to 325hp and 640NM, top speed limiter removed
Just swapped my grill for a black one and have been reading up on "how to" removal instructions on here before, but wasn't perfectly happy with what I could find, as a lot of them involved scraped fingers etc..
Well, here is how I did it. You can do it rather easy all by yourself, but for one little part it does help if you have someone giving you a quick hand (like the ugly guy in front of my car on the pic) for a few seconds only.
After taking out the lip (rubber lip on plastic liner) that seems to be the bonnet seal on top of your grills (it just pops out) you can see the top clips of the grills. Prise them down and push towards you, so they are not locked anymore. (3 each side)
Now with a Torx 30 undo the 5 screws that hold your front apron on the top
you can now easily move it forward between 1 and 2 inch, so you can get behind it to release the clips towards the center and also the ones to the outside. There are 3 clips on top, one to the centre, one to the outside and 2 at the bottom of the grill. the two bottom clips now come out easy, too, and the complete grill slides out to the front.
Refix your 5 screws on top of apron, slide and clip in the new grills, put the sealer lip back on and that's it.
Took me 20 minutes.
Well, here is how I did it. You can do it rather easy all by yourself, but for one little part it does help if you have someone giving you a quick hand (like the ugly guy in front of my car on the pic) for a few seconds only.
After taking out the lip (rubber lip on plastic liner) that seems to be the bonnet seal on top of your grills (it just pops out) you can see the top clips of the grills. Prise them down and push towards you, so they are not locked anymore. (3 each side)
Now with a Torx 30 undo the 5 screws that hold your front apron on the top
you can now easily move it forward between 1 and 2 inch, so you can get behind it to release the clips towards the center and also the ones to the outside. There are 3 clips on top, one to the centre, one to the outside and 2 at the bottom of the grill. the two bottom clips now come out easy, too, and the complete grill slides out to the front.
Refix your 5 screws on top of apron, slide and clip in the new grills, put the sealer lip back on and that's it.
Took me 20 minutes.
05-05-2006 | 01:40 AM
#2
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 817
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From: Philly,PA now Berlin,Germany
My Ride: E60 Limo with M-Sport package(m5 mirrors,m5 trunk finisher,m172 summer wheels,blk front grills,m5 paddle shift kit(my530i),m pedal covers,m floor mats,
E87 2005 The Misses car
E39 2002 Touring with M-Sport package/family wagon(gone but not forgotten)
thanks for the tip 
should have thought of thay myself before I tore flesh :thumbsdown:
should have thought of thay myself before I tore flesh :thumbsdown:
05-05-2006 | 01:48 AM
#3
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From: So. Cal 626
My Ride: 2007 550i White/Black, SMG, Sports Pkg, Comfort Access, Nav, HUD, Satellite Radio, Anthracite Maple Trim
2006 X5 3.0, Black/Black, Sports Pkg, Premium Pkg, Xenon Adaptive Headlight, NAV, Rear Climate Pkg, Anthracite Trim
Nice job
07-20-2006 | 08:24 AM
#4
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From: NY
My Ride: 2008 Silverstone II E60 M5 2012 E70 AW X5 50i Sport w/ LCI Aero Kit and Rocker Panels
Olli_535d is the man! These are perfect instructions. I did the job last night and it took me around 20 minutes. Car looks great and I have no broken clips on the old or the new grill. My hands/fingers have all the skin intact too 
. Anyone looking to do this, use the above instructions. You can't go wrong!
. Anyone looking to do this, use the above instructions. You can't go wrong!
07-26-2006 | 02:49 PM
#5
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Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Warsaw, Poland
My Ride: 2010 523i. Alpine white, dakota leather, 8 speed auto, VDC, bluetooth, HID lights, parking sensors, sport seats, black window trim, tinted rear windows
1988 Ferrari 328 GTS, nero on rosso corsa.
1992 Mazda MX-5 / Miata
2009 Ford S-Max 2.5T
Originally Posted by cmansbimmer' post='313120' date='Jul 20 2006, 05:24 PM
Olli_535d is the man! These are perfect instructions. I did the job last night and it took me around 20 minutes. Car looks great and I have no broken clips on the old or the new grill. My hands/fingers have all the skin intact too . Anyone looking to do this, use the above instructions. You can't go wrong!
. Anyone looking to do this, use the above instructions. You can't go wrong!
My tip is to have a small screwdriver in your hand once you force it behind the grille in order to better be able to pop those clips. Anyway I did it myself, it took the prescribed 20 minutes, knuckles intact, all four kidneys intact but comfortable and easy this ain't and you definitely don't want to be doing it after a manicure 
--
Przemek
03-22-2007 | 07:03 PM
#9
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 827
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From: New Jersey
My Ride: 06 530XI Sapphire Black, Black Int. 6sp, Cold, Prem
Originally Posted by olli_535d' post='277952' date='May 4 2006, 08:19 AM
Just swapped my grill for a black one and have been reading up on "how to" removal instructions on here before, but wasn't perfectly happy with what I could find, as a lot of them involved scraped fingers etc..
Well, here is how I did it. You can do it rather easy all by yourself, but for one little part it does help if you have someone giving you a quick hand (like the ugly guy in front of my car on the pic) for a few seconds only.
After taking out the lip (rubber lip on plastic liner) that seems to be the bonnet seal on top of your grills (it just pops out) you can see the top clips of the grills. Prise them down and push towards you, so they are not locked anymore. (3 each side)
Now with a Torx 30 undo the 5 screws that hold your front apron on the top
you can now easily move it forward between 1 and 2 inch, so you can get behind it to release the clips towards the center and also the ones to the outside. There are 3 clips on top, one to the centre, one to the outside and 2 at the bottom of the grill. the two bottom clips now come out easy, too, and the complete grill slides out to the front.
Refix your 5 screws on top of apron, slide and clip in the new grills, put the sealer lip back on and that's it.
Took me 20 minutes.
Well, here is how I did it. You can do it rather easy all by yourself, but for one little part it does help if you have someone giving you a quick hand (like the ugly guy in front of my car on the pic) for a few seconds only.
After taking out the lip (rubber lip on plastic liner) that seems to be the bonnet seal on top of your grills (it just pops out) you can see the top clips of the grills. Prise them down and push towards you, so they are not locked anymore. (3 each side)
Now with a Torx 30 undo the 5 screws that hold your front apron on the top
you can now easily move it forward between 1 and 2 inch, so you can get behind it to release the clips towards the center and also the ones to the outside. There are 3 clips on top, one to the centre, one to the outside and 2 at the bottom of the grill. the two bottom clips now come out easy, too, and the complete grill slides out to the front.
Refix your 5 screws on top of apron, slide and clip in the new grills, put the sealer lip back on and that's it.
Took me 20 minutes.
where did you buy the new grills?
