How to Change the Grills on a BMW

1. Open the hood of the car.
2. Inspect the area around the grills. On an older model like the 1988 535is, the kidney grills and side grills are held in place with screws.
3. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws that run along the upper edge of the grills.
4. Pull the grills up and out.
5. On new models like the new 135i, you may have to remove several torx bit screws (shaped liked a star) that hold a piece of bumper trim in the front, upper portion of the engine bay, above the grill.
6. Pull the trim forward enough so that you can look down behind the grills. Locate the clips that hold the grills in place, which will be on the inside portion of the grills.
7. Using a long tool such as a screwdriver, insert it through the grill until you can press on the clips that hold the grill.
8. Pull the grill out gently while pressing on the upper clips.
9. Once the upper clips are loosened and the grill is moving a little at the top, move to the lower clips.
10. Insert the screwdriver and press gently on the clips. Pull the grill out. Repeat for the other grill.
11. Remove the side grills in between the headlights and the kidney grills by unscrewing the screws that hold the side grills on. Some models, like the 135, do not have side grills.
12. Install the new grills in the reverse of removal. Replace the side grills first if they were removed, then gently press in the new kidney grills, pressing gently until they snap into place. On older models, the grill will simply screw back on.