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      04-10-2012, 07:56 AM   #142
deezofchuck
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Drives: OVER SLOW LEFT LANE DRIVERS!
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: NOVA

iTrader: (3)

very strange - the pictures do show up on the iphone app - I used this DIY last night to install my matte black kidneys....I have some tips to share with people from my personal experience...

1) My 2008 335xi actually had star screws (T30) not the hex (5/32 like the OP had - although his pictures show star screws as well)

2) Some people may not have an issue, but since I have a bigger forearm I had to be pretty careful reaching in to unclip the original grills on the bottom. You don't want to stretch the bumper cover out TOO far because of where the front fender bends around the light housing. It is pretty flexible though - so just be careful!

3) Be careful not to push TOO hard on the top of the clips to unseat them. The amount of plastic material on the outer part of the clip "hole" on the bumper is rather thin and flimsy. Luckily, I did not break anything, but it seems like the best way to approach unseating the clips is to brace the opposite from which you are pushing. This will ensure nothing will break. If you look carefully on the picture of the OP's grill removed you can see what I am talking out.

4) I had a harder time putting the replacement grill back in because of ONE little piece on the bottom on the grill. If you look there are two clips on the bottom and another piece that guides the grill into the bumper. That piece needs to go in flush or else the entire grill will not seat properly and you risk breaking off something (which I thought I did many times! ). What I did was line up all the clips and insert them just before they clip in and then reach down behind the bumper cover and pull UP on the bottom part of the frame to guide that little piece in.

I know all this is kind of hard to imagine without pictures - but you will know exactly what I am talking about once you actually try to install these.

thanks for the DIY OP! my hands are a little raw from seating and unseating the new grills like 3 times to get it to seat properly, but the end result is amazing! Good luck people - this is an easy DIY, but don't over look the little pieces that can break!
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