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      11-29-2014, 06:53 PM   #1
FS993
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Ok, at the risk of sounding acutely inept, I give up. I get stuck in the unclipping of the bottom clips. Either I don't have the proper tools or I'm not pulling enough but I did try a few times. I already read the DIY and saw the video so that won't help.

Anyways,I was wondering if someone local in South Florida would be nice enough to give me a hand one of these weekends. I checked with my dealer and they quoted me 160! And indy shops are not open on weekends and can't see myself taking time from work for this.

It would be great to meet local fellow F8X owners too. Let me know. Thanks in advance. I'm in Miami.
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      11-29-2014, 07:03 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FS993 View Post
Ok, at the risk of sounding acutely inept, I give up. I get stuck in the unclipping of the bottom clips. Either I don't have the proper tools or I'm not pulling enough but I did try a few times. I already read the DIY and saw the video so that won't help.

Anyways,I was wondering if someone local in South Florida would be nice enough to give me a hand one of these weekends. I checked with my dealer and they quoted me 160! And indy shops are not open on weekends and can't see myself taking time from work for this.

It would be great to meet local fellow F8X owners too. Let me know. Thanks in advance. I'm in Miami.
For what its worth, I had a lot of trouble too. The video makes it look easy but I struggled for a good 30-40 minutes. I really had to get my hands in there and took my time. Some tips that might help you

1. Be patient and wiggle the grills
2. Look at how the clips squeeze together on the new grills you are installing to get an idea of how to squeeze the clips on the grills that are on your car.
3. Once you get one grill off then the next one becomes very easy as access is much easier
4. If one grill isn't coming out, try the other one. I spent 20 minutes on the right side grill, then gave up and switched to the left side grill and it came off in 10 minutes. Then the right one was easy.
5. Reinstalling is very easy

Good luck!
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      11-29-2014, 10:22 PM   #3
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Try popping out the bottom of the grilles first, before you start on the top and sides.

Whatever you do, take your time and don't try to force the clips out, or you may end up breaking the part of the bumper that retains the clips.
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      11-29-2014, 10:34 PM   #4
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I just did mine I'm in South Florida I could give you a hand
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      11-30-2014, 09:21 AM   #5
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Thanks guys for the tips! I might just give it another try.

4TW sent you a PM.
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      11-30-2014, 10:19 AM   #6
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It can be frustrating at times. I just did my buddies new 650i. That car scraped my arm up. You just have to get at it. It helps to have another person pull at the bumper.
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      11-30-2014, 11:54 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by w00tw00t View Post
For what its worth, I had a lot of trouble too. The video makes it look easy but I struggled for a good 30-40 minutes. I really had to get my hands in there and took my time. Some tips that might help you

1. Be patient and wiggle the grills
2. Look at how the clips squeeze together on the new grills you are installing to get an idea of how to squeeze the clips on the grills that are on your car.
3. Once you get one grill off then the next one becomes very easy as access is much easier
4. If one grill isn't coming out, try the other one. I spent 20 minutes on the right side grill, then gave up and switched to the left side grill and it came off in 10 minutes. Then the right one was easy.
5. Reinstalling is very easy

Good luck!
all great points. yes, muster up all your patience. it's a pain in the ass and will leave your hands/arms scraped up.

for me getting to the bottom clips were quite tough. and just when you get some clips off if you move the grille around too much they will lock back while trying to undo the others.

point 3 is dead on. once one is off getting the remaining one off is WAY easier.
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      12-10-2014, 08:48 PM   #8
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My biggest problem (besides the fact it was 28 friggin degrees which made the clips super hard to press and made my hands hate life) was that I couldn't keep "pull pressure" on the grill on the opposite side of the clips I was working on so I kept accidentally clipping the far side back in! It made me super mad. If you can get someone to put gentle pulling pressure on the grill once you pop out 2-3 clips it will really help. The second one will be much easier. I agree those videos make it look way too easy hahaha, my video would have been rated NC-17 for invoking demonic swear languages.
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      12-10-2014, 08:53 PM   #9
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starting with the bottom is the way to do it then do one of the sides and work your way around the top and end on the last side clip.you have to pull that bumper kind of far away from the car. Once you get the first one off the 2nd is really simple.
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      12-13-2014, 12:01 PM   #10
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I struggled for 30 minutes and could not get the bottoms clips to come out. Wow I didn't realize it will be this hard to do it. The video doesn't really show how to access the bottom clips. Sucks!
I'll just take it to shop on Monday.
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      12-13-2014, 02:24 PM   #11
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Just did this... my hands are all cut up and after an hour of trying to get all the tabs out, it's finally in. What a pain it was to do. The video made it look 100x easier than it was.
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      12-13-2014, 04:31 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by volkl23
Just did this... my hands are all cut up and after an hour of trying to get all the tabs out, it's finally in. What a pain it was to do. The video made it look 100x easier than it was.
You know what they say....
Practice makes everyone else look like idiots.
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      12-18-2014, 03:20 PM   #13
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I still have bruises and my forearms trying to get the grills out! Lots of swearing too!!!
Get an extra set of hands to help!
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      12-18-2014, 03:32 PM   #14
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Just in case it makes you all feel better, i replaced my grills too... It took about 5 minutes to get the first grill off, and less than 60 seconds to get the second one off

My advice is to have a good look at the replacement grill and form a plan on exactly where you need to apply pressure to unclip the clips, then methodically work your way around while using the other hand to apply constant pulling pressure to avoid the clips popping back in
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      12-18-2014, 08:46 PM   #15
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I can't believe this is such a pain. I haven't gotten around to trying again but will do so this weekend. And I do feel better knowing I'm not the only one who struggled!
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      12-23-2014, 08:38 PM   #16
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Struggled with the first grill as well - second was definitely easier!

I found using a torx driver (simply because that's what I had on hand - a screwdriver would work as well) to apply pressure on the bottom clips from behind while pulling from the front helped.

Really pleased with the results...

Need to get back on the side reflectors again. Thats my Achilles Heel, where I have gave up in frustration.

M
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      12-27-2014, 12:06 AM   #17
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so i spent two hours today and finally did it
Oh my god it was tough... but the gloss black look is well worth it, makes the car look so much more aggressive

this may be stupid but i as i was cleaning up i pressed on the part between the grills and there seemed to be some click sound, not sure if this is normal or i broke something.... see video.... so if someone would be so kind to just do a little test and let me know if this is normal? a bit paranoid i broke something, especially while my hands were back there...

Thanks in advance!

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      12-27-2014, 08:42 AM   #18
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I think this is normal. Mine doesn't click but it gives in a couple mm and sounds like grinding plastic.

I ended up doing mine in a local shop and it took 3 guys a good 30 minutes while I watched and supervised haha!
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      12-27-2014, 08:47 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tofuking
so i spent two hours today and finally did it
Oh my god it was tough... but the gloss black look is well worth it, makes the car look so much more aggressive

this may be stupid but i as i was cleaning up i pressed on the part between the grills and there seemed to be some click sound, not sure if this is normal or i broke something.... see video.... so if someone would be so kind to just do a little test and let me know if this is normal? a bit paranoid i broke something, especially while my hands were back there...

Thanks in advance!

This is normal. I have an area on the back bumper also that when pushed it sounds like a mouse squeaking.
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      12-27-2014, 09:44 AM   #20
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Thanks!!! That's a relief
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      12-27-2014, 09:46 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FS993 View Post
I think this is normal. Mine doesn't click but it gives in a couple mm and sounds like grinding plastic.

I ended up doing mine in a local shop and it took 3 guys a good 30 minutes while I watched and supervised haha!
Thanks!
Yeah it was not easy... Key was to just squeeze my hand in there... Had to take multiple breaks between clips.
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