XBimmers.com | BMW X6 Forum X5 Forum
 
TireRack





Go Back   XBimmers.com | BMW X6 Forum X5 Forum > BMW X6 Forums > General BMW X6 and X6M Forum

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      09-24-2013, 08:39 AM   #1
badblkX6
Captain
United_States
63
Rep
772
Posts

Drives: 2014 X6 35i
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: South Jersey

iTrader: (9)

How to: X6 Upper & Lower Grille Replacement (Bumper On)

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to post a new thread about how to change your silver upper and lower grilles with black OEM ones WITHOUT removing the bumper.

There have been a few threads where people have been asking this question and a few forum members were able to chime in with different ways that they were able to replace theirs. Here is how I did mine and would highly recommend it. Thank you to all those who created the other threads with your detailed pictures and sharing your knowledge.

Tools required: Philips head and flat head screwdriver (both on the thicker side)

It took me no more than 25 minutes to swap both of the grille pieces out and I was taking my time.

As everyone knows, the top piece literally pops in and out. All you need to do is open the hood, and pull the silver piece away from the car. It will pop out and you will just need to snap the new black one into its place. The bottom piece took about 22 minutes to do.

All you need to do is use a Phillips screwdriver and remove the three screws under the bumper that attach the silver plastic skid plate to the bumper. After the screws are taken out, unsnap the back of the skid plate then pull it out towards you (away from the front of the car). It slides right out. Set the screws, skid plate and Philips head screwdriver aside until you are ready to reinstall.

Next you will need to push the top of the grille in (towards the car) while pulling the painted part of the bumper out (away from the car). You will be able to unclick the tabs at the top of the grille leaving the bottom remaining.

In order to unclip the bottom of the grille from the bumper, I would recommend you use a medium sized flat head screw driver. With one had holding the screwdriver and the other hand holding the bumper (the black plastic piece which is just above where the skid plate was located) push the grille away from the bumper (towards the car). This will take a little patience and some strong fingers. I would recommend starting from the middle and working your way out. As you unclip the first tab, pull the grille up, so the tab which is on the bumper goes underneath the grille, then work your way to the next tab (either left or right depending on which way you would like to start) repeating this process until you reach both corners.

The corners are the trickiest part since it is so tight. I would recommend you bending the grille from the middle which will bring the corners closer together. Make sure you are pulling from the bottom of the grille (bring the grille bottom out first, the top pulls out last). With one hand bending the grille, use the other hand and push the corner of the grille in (towards the vehicle). It will come out and it will not break. Do this for one corner at a time.

After the bottom of the grille is pulled out, just push the top back in (towards the vehicle) until it unclips and pops out.

In order to insert the new black grilles, just reverse the steps. Put the bottom of the grille in first, snap it into place and then push the top of the grille back in and push the bumper so it snaps into the top of the grille. Replace the skid plate and put the screws back in.

Switching out the grilles made my car look much more aggressive and cleaner. I would highly recommend anyone else interested in doing this to give it a shot. It can easily be done without taking off the front bumper (which many of you and myself did not want to even attempt).

Please note that you can purchase these grilles either online or at your local dealership. The install for those with Active Cruise Control may be different. The part numbers for the grilles are:
Center Upper: 51117159597 (SCHWARZ)
Center Lower: 51117176282 (SCHWARZ)

I purchased my grilles used from a forum member, so you may need to search online or call your local dealership for pricing. It was roughly $37 for the center upper and $90 for the center lower when I called my dealership a month ago if I remember correctly.

Good luck!

Last edited by badblkX6; 09-24-2013 at 08:45 AM..
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:45 AM.




xbimmers
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST