4-Hours Later Z4 06+ Bumper Unremovable

BimmerZealot · 04-16-2008, 02:35 AM

Hey guys, so it all started with repainting my blackout grills, all was going well till I tried to install them. My passenger side grill popped all the way in past the opening in the grill. Confused thinking I missed the latches I tried 2 more times. Finally I looked inside and the plastic piece which has the tabs on it was DETACHED from the bumper grill holes (problem found). Not being able to see behind the grill holes to put the pieces back on I decided to attempt the bumper removal. Following the various guides, little did I know it was not possible.

I removed the 4 push pins (dropped in as planned) and removed the expanding rivets. Removed the 7 screws under the bumper and the 7 in the engine bay. Ready to pull off the bumper from the side right? WRONG, it doesn't pull off no matter how hard I try, I think I cracked plastic of the reflector along the way. I read the guides over and over finally realized none of the guides had front reflectors. Attempted removing the square nut holding the reflector for another hour to no avail. Ended up removing the radiator cover and reaching in from in front of the radiator to install my passenger grill and call it a night.

MORE PROBLEMS: The expanding push pins on the 06+ aren't the same as the pre-06 they have a mushroom shaped cap on one side of each pin. Making the "put the rivets in and push the pins in" impossible since the pins can only be inserted from inside the bumper. So totally lost, I ended up just putting in the expanding rivets and popping in the push pins. Holds but now I have nipples in my fender well and no way to push them back through to remove my bumper.

So now, my bumper is misaligned on the passenger side, my expanding rivets are half assed and my grill isn't impermanently fixed.

But being 12:30AM I needed to call it a night and attack it another day.

IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME!!!! PLEASE POST!!!

inTgr8r · 04-16-2008, 07:37 AM

Ohhhh.... I hate it when things go like that.

Sorry I can't shed any light, but I do sympathize with your frustration.

155MPH · 04-16-2008, 07:38 AM

Man, that sucks. I can't help but I can relate.

dekaliber · 04-16-2008, 09:12 AM

I was strongly considering doing an M bumper conversion myself, but now I'm not so sure. Sorry man...didn't realize the '07 bumpers were going to be different.

gearl · 04-16-2008, 10:36 AM

And i thought i was having a bad day. At least you made me feel better. I remember back in my poverty days i once owned a brand new chevy chevette and i decided to save money i would simply changed the spark plugs all four of them myself. The next time i started the engine it did not complelty turn over before i heard a clunk. Apparently without me realizing it one of the center rods from the spark plug broke off the plug when i removed it and fell back into the hole and rested on top of the cylinder head. So i had to have the entire top half of the engine removed in order to fix it. The $50 it would have cost me to have someone else replace my plugs would have been much easier and cost affective. Lesson learned.

BimmerZealot · 04-16-2008, 02:50 PM

Thanks for the kind words guys, I'm sure all of us have ran into a situation like this. Hopefully someone that has changed the 06+ bumper can chime in and help me get this thing off this weekend. I saw a few poeple on Z4-Forum that swapped out their 06+ bumpers or put on an 06+ bumper on a pre-06 so I think it can be done. I'm pretty sure the reflector has to come off, if anyone can tell me how that comes off please tell me as well. All I could see was a square nut inside the fender well, couldn't find a socket that would take it out.

Starscream · 04-16-2008, 03:39 PM

I had my bumper off on my previous 06 Z4 a lot,

You have done everything right,

theres 4 push rivet things on each side in the wheel arch,
theres 7 small bolts under the bumper,
theres 7 torx screws on the top of the bumper where the rubber weather strip touches the hood when its closed,
Then reach in and disconnect the 2 foglights or twist the bulbs out of the light itself

then,

PULL

the sides are clipped in by an unseen clip, just be a little agressive if it doesn't want to give,

Thats it,

BimmerZealot · 04-16-2008, 03:46 PM

How did you put the expanding rivets back in? Did you have pins without the head on it or did yours have the cap as well?

Starscream · 04-16-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BimmerZealot

How did you put the expanding rivets back in? Did you have pins without the head on it or did yours have the cap as well?

bought 8 new ones

The previous design (that thankfully you can get at the parts counter) is much better than the current,

you can "try" to get to the back of your current ones with the light panels in the wheel arch removed and you might be able to hold them and push from the opposite side,
stupid design IMO, but hey, thats Ze Germans for ya,

if you need any other help lemme know

BimmerZealot · 04-16-2008, 05:49 PM

Okay, I guess I'll pickup a set of new ones then. How do I make sure its the old style and not the new style? PN# ?

EdmM3 · 04-16-2008, 06:13 PM

I prefer the new design. They are reusable. The pin has a head on it that you push in, and then pull out again to remove it.

My dealer gave them to me free.

Bill

BimmerZealot · 04-16-2008, 06:39 PM

I think I have the same pins as you bhorne. But they weren't installed with the heads on the outside they were installed the same was as the pre-06 with the push all the way in to remove. So you're saying they are supposed to be visible from the fender lining as I mentioned?

The HACK · 04-16-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BimmerZealot

Thanks for the kind words guys, I'm sure all of us have ran into a situation like this. Hopefully someone that has changed the 06+ bumper can chime in and help me get this thing off this weekend. I saw a few poeple on Z4-Forum that swapped out their 06+ bumpers or put on an 06+ bumper on a pre-06 so I think it can be done. I'm pretty sure the reflector has to come off, if anyone can tell me how that comes off please tell me as well. All I could see was a square nut inside the fender well, couldn't find a socket that would take it out.

If you have time during the week to drive all the way up to Porn Capital (Chatsworth) I can show you how to remove it.

I should have some time toward the end of the day.

BimmerZealot · 04-17-2008, 11:56 AM

Probably not Hack, might give it a shot again this weekend, the general consensus now seems like "pull"

04-16-2008, 02:35 AM	#1
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	4-Hours Later Z4 06+ Bumper Unremovable Hey guys, so it all started with repainting my blackout grills, all was going well till I tried to install them. My passenger side grill popped all the way in past the opening in the grill. Confused thinking I missed the latches I tried 2 more times. Finally I looked inside and the plastic piece which has the tabs on it was DETACHED from the bumper grill holes (problem found). Not being able to see behind the grill holes to put the pieces back on I decided to attempt the bumper removal. Following the various guides, little did I know it was not possible. I removed the 4 push pins (dropped in as planned) and removed the expanding rivets. Removed the 7 screws under the bumper and the 7 in the engine bay. Ready to pull off the bumper from the side right? WRONG, it doesn't pull off no matter how hard I try, I think I cracked plastic of the reflector along the way. I read the guides over and over finally realized none of the guides had front reflectors. Attempted removing the square nut holding the reflector for another hour to no avail. Ended up removing the radiator cover and reaching in from in front of the radiator to install my passenger grill and call it a night. MORE PROBLEMS: The expanding push pins on the 06+ aren't the same as the pre-06 they have a mushroom shaped cap on one side of each pin. Making the "put the rivets in and push the pins in" impossible since the pins can only be inserted from inside the bumper. So totally lost, I ended up just putting in the expanding rivets and popping in the push pins. Holds but now I have nipples in my fender well and no way to push them back through to remove my bumper. So now, my bumper is misaligned on the passenger side, my expanding rivets are half assed and my grill isn't impermanently fixed. But being 12:30AM I needed to call it a night and attack it another day. IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME!!!! PLEASE POST!!!
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04-16-2008, 07:37 AM	#2
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2432 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	Ohhhh.... I hate it when things go like that. Sorry I can't shed any light, but I do sympathize with your frustration. __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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04-16-2008, 07:38 AM	#3
155MPH Major 63 Rep 1,379 Posts Drives: E89 Z4 sDrive28i M Performance Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Jersey Shore iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW xDrive430i ... [0.00] 2014 BMW Z4 sDrive2 ... [5.00]	Man, that sucks. I can't help but I can relate.
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04-16-2008, 09:12 AM	#4
dekaliber Major 75 Rep 1,143 Posts Drives: '07 Z4MC, '11 JCW, '18 Z06 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (1)	I was strongly considering doing an M bumper conversion myself, but now I'm not so sure. Sorry man...didn't realize the '07 bumpers were going to be different.
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04-16-2008, 10:36 AM	#5
gearl Love My Car 0 Rep 54 Posts Drives: 2006 Z4 3.0I Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: ST. AUGUSTINE FLORIDA iTrader: (0)	And i thought i was having a bad day. At least you made me feel better. I remember back in my poverty days i once owned a brand new chevy chevette and i decided to save money i would simply changed the spark plugs all four of them myself. The next time i started the engine it did not complelty turn over before i heard a clunk. Apparently without me realizing it one of the center rods from the spark plug broke off the plug when i removed it and fell back into the hole and rested on top of the cylinder head. So i had to have the entire top half of the engine removed in order to fix it. The $50 it would have cost me to have someone else replace my plugs would have been much easier and cost affective. Lesson learned.
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04-16-2008, 02:50 PM	#6
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	Thanks for the kind words guys, I'm sure all of us have ran into a situation like this. Hopefully someone that has changed the 06+ bumper can chime in and help me get this thing off this weekend. I saw a few poeple on Z4-Forum that swapped out their 06+ bumpers or put on an 06+ bumper on a pre-06 so I think it can be done. I'm pretty sure the reflector has to come off, if anyone can tell me how that comes off please tell me as well. All I could see was a square nut inside the fender well, couldn't find a socket that would take it out.
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04-16-2008, 03:39 PM	#7
Starscream Colonel 135 Rep 2,120 Posts Drives: ///M Roadster + E92 335i 6MT Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Park Ridge NJ + Windermere FL iTrader: (23)	I had my bumper off on my previous 06 Z4 a lot, You have done everything right, theres 4 push rivet things on each side in the wheel arch, theres 7 small bolts under the bumper, theres 7 torx screws on the top of the bumper where the rubber weather strip touches the hood when its closed, Then reach in and disconnect the 2 foglights or twist the bulbs out of the light itself then, PULL the sides are clipped in by an unseen clip, just be a little agressive if it doesn't want to give, Thats it, __________________ Imola Red Roadster
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04-16-2008, 03:46 PM	#8
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	How did you put the expanding rivets back in? Did you have pins without the head on it or did yours have the cap as well?
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04-16-2008, 05:49 PM	#10
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	Okay, I guess I'll pickup a set of new ones then. How do I make sure its the old style and not the new style? PN# ?
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04-16-2008, 06:13 PM	#11
EdmM3 Enlisted Member 3 Rep 44 Posts Drives: 635CSi, Z4, 330xi, 530i, E90M3 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Edmonton, Ab, Canada iTrader: (1)	I prefer the new design. They are reusable. The pin has a head on it that you push in, and then pull out again to remove it. My dealer gave them to me free. Bill
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04-16-2008, 06:39 PM	#12
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	I think I have the same pins as you bhorne. But they weren't installed with the heads on the outside they were installed the same was as the pre-06 with the push all the way in to remove. So you're saying they are supposed to be visible from the fender lining as I mentioned?
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04-17-2008, 11:56 AM	#14
BimmerZealot Major 61 Rep 1,210 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego, California iTrader: (2)	Probably not Hack, might give it a shot again this weekend, the general consensus now seems like "pull"
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