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      06-04-2019, 10:18 PM   #1
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Post Black Grill Replacement Guide

Part Numbers:

51-13-8-091-295, GRILLE,FR
51-13-8-091-296, GRILLE,FR

Pricing:
Somewhere between $79 and $130 a piece (depending on discount)

Tools:
- Set of plastic trim panel removal tools (example)
- Microfiber towels
- Super fine screen cleaning cloth (similar to what you would get for a cell phone, etc).

Time:
< 1hr

------------------------------------------------

They finally handed over the extended black trim bits and pieces for the M40i, but it didn’t go nearly as smoothly as I had hoped. My issue was that I didn’t want to install them myself this time because of the comparatively small openings in the grill and unknown complexity related to the weird active cooling vents in front of the radiator. Long story short, the mirror caps were painted the wrong color (black vs black sapphire) and they weren’t as prepared to install them as I was led to believe.

The car was going to have to spend the night at the dealer AND they didn’t even know if they could do it because there was a “special” tool, made specifically for removing the grills on the G29 that they didn’t think they had yet. Then they said it would be a little over $400 to do the install… That, combined with everything else left me pretty irritated and driving home with a bag of parts.

So, for posterity, here’s my guide to swapping them out if anyone else wants to do it themselves. Spoiler alert, you don’t need a super-secret special tool.

The service tech did give me their internal guide for replacing them, shown below. The only real value that I found with it, was that it largely looked straightforward, didn’t have any weird steps involving the radiator and the crude depiction of the tool didn’t look like anything that was “necessary”, but its part number is included if anyone wanted to get one.



The first thing I did, was to lay out the new grills adjacent to the existing ones to see where the tabs were. I found it easiest to simply count out the rows/columns of the grill pattern to figure out where to start.

The overall process involves using a thin trim removal tool in between the perimeter edge of the grill and the front facia, pressing down once you’re in to depress the 9 tabs located on the grill. The tabs are all situated such that they must be pressed inward to the grill to release (image below).



The order that I did them in is shown below. Only the 1st and last seemed to be important, with the first being the easier one to get disengaged and the last being a pain on both sides.



As you can see in the pic below, I placed the small screen cleaning / lens cleaning cloth onto the tip of the trim removal tool before inserting into the split to minimize any chance of scratching. It seemed to work pretty well.



Once you get them going, you’ll find yourself with the upper tabs all released while you continue to work on the lower tabs – particularly that last tab. When you’re doing that, I recommend taking a couple regular micro fiber rags and wedging them between the grill and the body panel since the backside of the grill can scratch the paint if you not careful as you work out the last few tabs. Luckily, I noticed the contact before anything got scratched.



For reference, here are the two openings without grills attached.



Once you get the grills out, its worth cleaning out the opening to make sure that theres not small stones, grit, whatever that might rub when installing the new grills.

Inserting the new ones is pretty straight forward – just line up the tab locations and apply light pressure at each tab point until you hear/feel it click into place.

All done.



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      06-04-2019, 10:40 PM   #2
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Awesome write up! I am not too fond of the cerium bits so highly considering doing this when I take delivery.
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      06-04-2019, 10:42 PM   #3
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Excellent! Thank you!!!!
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      06-04-2019, 11:41 PM   #4
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Thank you! How to we vote to make this a sticky post?
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      06-05-2019, 07:03 AM   #5
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Good job.
The microfiber towels look like kitchen not automotive towels though. If you are going to use them on the car, at least pull out that tags as they are known to scratch the paint
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      06-05-2019, 11:21 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmehanna View Post
Good job.
The microfiber towels look like kitchen not automotive towels though. If you are going to use them on the car, at least pull out that tags as they are known to scratch the paint
Certainly, but i wasnt rubbing anything with them, just something that was handy to create a barrier between the sharpish plastic back of the grill and the body.
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      06-05-2019, 11:25 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pinkoboe View Post
Awesome write up! I am not too fond of the cerium bits so highly considering doing this when I take delivery.
Ill get the part numbers for the fins on the front later today, but all i know for sure is that the part numbers for the fin things that i got are NOT the right part for my car. I believe theyre for cars without the driver assistance package, but im not sure.

Fwiw, the more that i look at it with the black grills and the cerium fins, im kinda digging it. The color and angle of the fins seems to counter balance the visual of the headlights so i might keep those parts on there
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      11-01-2019, 03:04 PM   #8
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I can't get it to work

I want to install a BMW CCA tag in my M40i grill, and need to get in behind the grill to tighten a holding nut, so I tried to remove the grill as you suggest here, but while I can get a putty knife with a cloth shield into the gap, I press down where you show, and it won't budge, even with a lot of force. I'm afraid to apply more pressure. On that 1st one, you press down, directly toward the ground, right? Thanks for the help. -- Dave
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      11-09-2019, 10:58 PM   #9
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The instructions were super helpful. I changed out the chrome grills for black grills in about 15 minutes. As recommended, I started at the top and worked my way around to the bottom. The two bottom taps towards the middle were the hardest to undo (I broke 2 on the first grill but got the second grill off without damage). It did take a little bit of force to pop the first few tabs loose.
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      11-10-2019, 08:54 AM   #10
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Has anyone done the mirror caps yet he changed the cerium grey for black or body color)?
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      12-08-2019, 02:35 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CeEl View Post
Has anyone done the mirror caps yet he changed the cerium grey for black or body color)?
Don't believe so yet. It's the same process for the Supra though if you look that up online.

For my 2er, you use a plastic pry tool and pull the glass down from the top and it pops out. Then there's screws or clips inside to remove the cap for replacement. Pretty easy, but you feel like you're gonna break the mirror pulling it out.
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      02-18-2020, 08:16 PM   #12
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Update in case anyone stumbles on this thread and sees the last question about the mirror caps....


I just did mine with BMW OEM Carbon Fiber caps. The first step is to adjust the mirror all the way up and in using the electric adjustments.

Then using your fingers or a pry tool, reach under and pull the mirror straight out. It is friction fit and will give with a POP. The wires will hold it from falling.

From the mirror side, you'll see 3 squeeze clips across the top with a black plastic "peg" preventing the squeeze. Simply push that peg out the way and squeeze the clips and push through. Work your way from one side to the other until all 3 clip pairs are released and pushed through. Don't push too far as the bottom is stuck.

The bottom can be pried away from using a plastic from the back. There are not actual hooks to move like the top or the hooks on the grills, but the bottom should be pulled or pried strait away from the mirror case.

Installation is easier; just align everything and squeeze all the way around. The cap should go straight on. It's a tight squeeze to get the bottom to "click". then continue to squeeze until the 3 clips push all the way through and the black "peg" moves into place.

Clear as mud!
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      03-12-2020, 05:45 PM   #13
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Where can I find the black grill for cheap? Found one on eBay but over it's $300 plus tax..
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      04-21-2020, 04:20 AM   #14
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Grille Swap

Thanks for the guide, took me 30 min to swap the grilles from the chrome to the shadowline. I love it. Here are some pics
Attached Images
  
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      04-21-2020, 11:24 PM   #15
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Love this pic
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      04-22-2020, 06:39 PM   #16
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Love this pic
Pirate Z4? Arrrr ....
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      04-30-2020, 05:08 AM   #17
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Update

I had ordered the m stripes for the front grille after I ordered the black grilles. I put them on and I wanted to see what everyone thought. They're kinda growing on me.
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      04-30-2020, 06:19 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArmnStig View Post
I had ordered the m stripes for the front grille after I ordered the black grilles. I put them on and I wanted to see what everyone thought. They're kinda growing on me.
I've seen these plastic snap-ins before and could only imagine how they'd look. For me, it's a no go seeing your picture. They're too far apart IMHO.

Saw people put them on their 2er and I thought it looked cheap next to the painted option (which I opted for). I know it'd be difficult to do painted lines on this grill, which sucks and I wish they'd make slat grills for this car as m performance mods, but the snap-ins needing to be spaced so far apart just looks bad. If they were on consecutive marks (I see yours is spaced every other one) then it might look better, but the red needing to be so far right into the narrow to reach top/bottom like the others, just to have the dark blue skip a slat was a poor design.
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      07-26-2020, 10:10 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArmnStig View Post
Thanks for the guide, took me 30 min to swap the grilles from the chrome to the shadowline. I love it. Here are some pics
Looks a thousand times better. Why doesn't BMW offer this as an option?
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      07-26-2020, 10:16 AM   #20
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Looks a thousand times better. Why doesn't BMW offer this as an option?
They do.
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      07-26-2020, 10:48 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by SakhirM4 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by J-RO View Post
Looks a thousand times better. Why doesn't BMW offer this as an option?
They do.
Not in the US with 2020 model year... supposedly with the 2021 model year. Haven't checked if the configurator is updated yet.
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      07-26-2020, 10:59 AM   #22
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Although the US 2021 online configurator is not updated, the Shadowline Package (ZHO) is available for $300. Shows in the 2021 Z4 Ordering and Pricing Guides. Check out the stickies for this forum.
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