When I was searching for this DIY for my own use, I saw a few other individuals looking for the same “project,” which turned out to be VERY simple. Since the removal is a little different from the coupe, I figured I’d put it here with pictures for those of us who have sedans.
Tools required:
– protective eyewear! (When you’re lying on your back beneath the bumper, you’ll thank me for this one!)
You may reach the two long bolts holding the rear bumper in place by finding the two circular apertures underneath it (see image).
2. To loosen and remove these two bolts, use the torx T50. If you use a ratchet set (perhaps with an extension) in this situation, it will be MUCH easier for you to pry it open because you will see how difficult it is to get that thing to spin at first.
3. Remove the screw on the front bottom of the bumper, directly above the tire well, using the 5/16th socket (see picture below). Then proceed to the opposite side.
4. Now that the difficult phase has been completed, carefully pry apart the side front lip of the bumper from its holder (right at the wheel well). The goal is to move the tiny black clip in a downward and carward direction. (See image). Repetition on each side.
5. Carefully move the bumper back and away from the car (a buddy can help with this) and set it down on a soft area to protect the finish.
You’ll observe that the only challenging part of reinstalling the bumper is sliding its sides onto the black grooves on either side of the quarter panel (see pictures of bumper and tracks below.) Once more, it might be easier to guide the bumper onto the 3-track holder with a companion by your sides. After finishing that, don’t forget to replace the four screws from below and snap the front lip back into place.
Therefore, unlike the coupe bumper, there is no need to remove the black trim in our situation in order to access the bolts; the entire process shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes.
What kind of rear bumper will suit a BMW E46?
First, remove the two lengthy screws from the bottom of the bumper with the T-50 Torx.
After that, loosen the two screws on the sides of the head at 5 16, which can be typed with another key but is more precisely the right size.
The bumper must then be carefully pulled back on both sides; there are tracks along which it appears to move. It is preferable to complete this simultaneously on both sides, so
You will need a screwdriver and Torx 25 to remove the bumper from the Coupe BMW E46’s body.
To gain access to screws B3 and B4, first remove the socket on the bumper beneath the number B1. Using the T-50 sprocket, unscrew B3 and B4.
Next, remove the four clips that are placed at the bottom of the mudguard in positions B2 in the first figure and in the subsequent pictures.