Mazda RX8 R3 Front bumper removal
Mazda RX8 R3 Front bumper removal
You will need:
10mm spanner
8mm spanner
Cross-drive screwdriver (stubby, medium)
Flat blade screwdriver (small)
Clean 5 litre container, or Mole pliers and two flat pieces of wood
Two travel rugs (carpet or sheet plastic will also do)
Somewhere to temporarily store all of the fasteners and bolts that you remove
I used a universal socket wrench with 8mm and 10mm sockets instead of the spanners.
Place the travel rugs under the front of the car. This protects the bumper when you drop it down onto the ground, so make sure they go far enough underneath.
![[Image: DSC_3874_zpsqwptepfi.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3874_zpsqwptepfi.jpg.html)
2. Removing retaining fasteners and bolts
On the left front wheel arch: remove four lowest plastic "twist" fasteners from the inner lining. These fasteners take a quarter turn anti-clockwise and are prone to damage if you try to force them. Turning the wheel to provide access makes this much easier. Then remove the single bolt (top arrow in the picture below) with an 8mm spanner.
Repeat for the right front wheel arch (don't forget to turn the wheels the other way :wink
8x plastic quarter turn fasteners
2x 8mm bolt+washer
![[Image: DSC_3873_zpsso7axdl4.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3873_zpsso7axdl4.jpg.html)
You now need to remove the 10 bolts that attach the undertray. Lie on your back in front of the car and looking up at the undertray, remove the bolts that connect the undertray to the bumper. Make sure that you identify the correct set of bolts to remove as there are more than 10 under there.
The bolts are of two different lengths so make sure you know where they go back (the 4 shortest are in the middle, with 3 long on each side). The short bolt is the same length as those removed from the wheel arch (above).
4x short 8mm bolts
6x long 8mm bolts
![[Image: front_panorama_fused_zpsu2x6vczf.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/front_panorama_fused_zpsu2x6vczf.jpg.html)
Now open the bonnet and remove the plastic cover that goes across the top of the bumper (and around the bonnet latch). The cover is held in place with six plastic press-plugs, so use the small flat blade screwdriver to lever the top up and pop them out.
6x plastic press plugs
![[Image: DSC_3875_zpsie2jp0dr.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3875_zpsie2jp0dr.jpg.html)
![[Image: DSC_3876_zpsu7gxte9a.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3876_zpsu7gxte9a.jpg.html)
Having removed this cover you should now see on the far left and right the last set of bolts and white press plugs. Gently lever up the white press plugs, it will most likely come up in two parts. Then use the 10mm spanner to remove the 10mm bolts in each side.
2x white press plugs (each in two parts)
4x 10mm bolt
![[Image: DSC_3878_zpsbkdc3k7w.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3878_zpsbkdc3k7w.jpg.html)
![[Image: DSC_3877_zpsghgkijpm.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3877_zpsghgkijpm.jpg.html)
3. Remove the bumper
All that is holding the bumper in place are clips that are mounted on the far left and right of the wings under the headlights and where the bumper seam is.
To unhook the bumper, all that is needed is to put your hand behind the seam and gently pull up towards you (i.e. away from the side of the car ). It doesn't require force, just firm pressure. Repeat on the other side and the bumper now has nothing holding on the front of the car except friction and closeness of fit.
![[Image: DSC_3882_zpsbbd4qvrp.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3882_zpsbbd4qvrp.jpg.html)
ou can now slide the bumper off of the front of the car. One person can do this by sitting in front of the car and carefully pulling the bumper free. Note that you can only bring it forward about 5-6cm and drop it to the ground (the fog light power cables are still attached).
Take particular care when removing the bumper as the fog lamp cables do not have a lot of free play. The headlight washer pipe is also attached (see the two red arrows, below)
While removing the bumper you may find that you need to lift the bumper seam as it is under slight tension and will drag across the plastic. Again, no forcing is required.
![[Image: DSC_3885_zpsu9jvel74.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3885_zpsu9jvel74.jpg.html)
![[Image: DSC_3934_zpspwlhfiwt.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3934_zpspwlhfiwt.jpg.html)
Unclip the two fog lamp power connectors.
Note that they seem to pick up a lot of grit and dirt from the road, and this can make them quite difficult to separate.
![[Image: DSC_3910_zpstbckgsvu.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3910_zpstbckgsvu.jpg.html)
![[Image: DSC_3895_zpsy1sunmqf.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3895_zpsy1sunmqf.jpg.html)
The headlamp washers are now all that remain that require disconnecting. The pipe is connected directly to the screen wash tank, and if you're not careful then this will empty all over the ground when you separate the pipes.
If you have a clean 5 litre container handy then you can use that to store the screenwash while you work on the bumper. I used a mole wrench and two flat pieces of wood to pinch off the rubber tubing (see pictures below).
Slide the retaining clip down the rubber tubing and gently pull apart the connector.
![[Image: DSC_3888_zpstch5aasu.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3888_zpstch5aasu.jpg.html)
![[Image: DSC_3890_zps6poypa2j.jpg]](http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/jimbob150385/media/DSC_3890_zps6poypa2j.jpg.html)
Congratulations! The bumper is now free of the front of the car.
To reconnect the bumper just follow the instructions in reverse order, making sure that everything is is reconnected. Be careful not to twist or bend back any of the plastic fasteners. At the end you should have no bolts or clips left over, your lamps will wash, and your fog lamps should work correctly.
Jimbob-T-Lex
11-10-2023, 11:32 PM #11. Preparation
You will need:
10mm spanner
8mm spanner
Cross-drive screwdriver (stubby, medium)
Flat blade screwdriver (small)
Clean 5 litre container, or Mole pliers and two flat pieces of wood
Two travel rugs (carpet or sheet plastic will also do)
Somewhere to temporarily store all of the fasteners and bolts that you remove
I used a universal socket wrench with 8mm and 10mm sockets instead of the spanners.
Place the travel rugs under the front of the car. This protects the bumper when you drop it down onto the ground, so make sure they go far enough underneath.
2. Removing retaining fasteners and bolts
On the left front wheel arch: remove four lowest plastic "twist" fasteners from the inner lining. These fasteners take a quarter turn anti-clockwise and are prone to damage if you try to force them. Turning the wheel to provide access makes this much easier. Then remove the single bolt (top arrow in the picture below) with an 8mm spanner.
Repeat for the right front wheel arch (don't forget to turn the wheels the other way :wink
8x plastic quarter turn fasteners
2x 8mm bolt+washer
You now need to remove the 10 bolts that attach the undertray. Lie on your back in front of the car and looking up at the undertray, remove the bolts that connect the undertray to the bumper. Make sure that you identify the correct set of bolts to remove as there are more than 10 under there.
The bolts are of two different lengths so make sure you know where they go back (the 4 shortest are in the middle, with 3 long on each side). The short bolt is the same length as those removed from the wheel arch (above).
4x short 8mm bolts
6x long 8mm bolts
Now open the bonnet and remove the plastic cover that goes across the top of the bumper (and around the bonnet latch). The cover is held in place with six plastic press-plugs, so use the small flat blade screwdriver to lever the top up and pop them out.
6x plastic press plugs
Having removed this cover you should now see on the far left and right the last set of bolts and white press plugs. Gently lever up the white press plugs, it will most likely come up in two parts. Then use the 10mm spanner to remove the 10mm bolts in each side.
2x white press plugs (each in two parts)
4x 10mm bolt
3. Remove the bumper
All that is holding the bumper in place are clips that are mounted on the far left and right of the wings under the headlights and where the bumper seam is.
To unhook the bumper, all that is needed is to put your hand behind the seam and gently pull up towards you (i.e. away from the side of the car ). It doesn't require force, just firm pressure. Repeat on the other side and the bumper now has nothing holding on the front of the car except friction and closeness of fit.
ou can now slide the bumper off of the front of the car. One person can do this by sitting in front of the car and carefully pulling the bumper free. Note that you can only bring it forward about 5-6cm and drop it to the ground (the fog light power cables are still attached).
Take particular care when removing the bumper as the fog lamp cables do not have a lot of free play. The headlight washer pipe is also attached (see the two red arrows, below)
While removing the bumper you may find that you need to lift the bumper seam as it is under slight tension and will drag across the plastic. Again, no forcing is required.
Unclip the two fog lamp power connectors.
Note that they seem to pick up a lot of grit and dirt from the road, and this can make them quite difficult to separate.
The headlamp washers are now all that remain that require disconnecting. The pipe is connected directly to the screen wash tank, and if you're not careful then this will empty all over the ground when you separate the pipes.
If you have a clean 5 litre container handy then you can use that to store the screenwash while you work on the bumper. I used a mole wrench and two flat pieces of wood to pinch off the rubber tubing (see pictures below).
Slide the retaining clip down the rubber tubing and gently pull apart the connector.
Congratulations! The bumper is now free of the front of the car.
To reconnect the bumper just follow the instructions in reverse order, making sure that everything is is reconnected. Be careful not to twist or bend back any of the plastic fasteners. At the end you should have no bolts or clips left over, your lamps will wash, and your fog lamps should work correctly.
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