I wanted to replace the old kidney grilles on my wife’s X4 M40i with the nice black ones out there. Did a quick forum research and found out folks were having a tough time accessing the side and bottom clips, even after removing the top rubber seal and six bolts connecting the bumper to the chassis.
I asked both a dealer and a body shop for a cost to install and they quoted me $400 and $280 respectively. Neither one was obviously an option.
I was not planning on keeping the old grilles (the chrome has started to bubble), so I approached the problem as an architect: to access something you sometimes have to first remove and later replace something else.
The solution: I cut one of the slats in one of the two grilles, and that allowed me free access to all the clips on both grilles from the front . With this new “opening” and using a screwdriver, removal and installation took about 10 minutes.
Not an option for everyone, but an option nonetheless.
See attached photos.
