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I love DIYs with pictures so this is my attempt at making one. There was no particular motivation for removing the rear bumper carrier other than having fun. My excuse was that, while replacing an old seal, a metal clip fell into the nether regions... so the whole thing had to be removed!
Outline:
- Recommended Tools
- Definitions
- Removal
- Installation Tips
- Parts
- Miscellaneous
- Gratuitous Photos
- Can You Identify the Part?
Recommended Tools:
- Torx 10 screwdriver
- 16mm box wrench
- Tack remover
- Prying tools
Definitions:
For directions I will use words like: upward, rearward, leftward. Imagine an arrow pointing from the center of the car direction-the-car-is-pointing-ward. Outward means away from the center of the car at any given point. Component names are from the online part catalog unless a more descriptive name is required.
Removal:
1. Remove tail light cover, left / right (optional)
2. Remove rear bumperguard sealing cap, left / right (optional)
3. Remove rear bumper seal, center (optional)
4. Remove bumper cover
5. Remove bumper guard, left / right (not required)
6. Remove whole rear bumper
7. Separate rear bumper carrier from rear bumper trim
8. Remove towing eye flap (not required)
(optional) - makes your work easier
(not required) - unnecessary task included for completeness
Let's get to it!
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Image 1: Here is the victim: BMW E39 530d Touring.
1. Remove tail light cover, left / right (optional)
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Image 2: Use a Torx 10 screwdriver to remove screws from the tail light covers, two on each side (red arrow). To remove cover, pull upwards (blue arrow).
2. Remove rear bumperguard sealing cap, left / right (optional)
![]()
Image 3: The caps are held in place by two clips each. Use both hands to grab the upper part of the cap and pull rearwards until the upper clip is released (red arrow). Repeat for the lower clip (blue arrow).
3. Remove rear bumper seal, center (optional)
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Image 4: Pull rearwards to remove the seal (red arrow).
4. Remove bumper cover
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Image 5: Release outer tab (red arrow) and pull rearwards on the bumper cover (blue arrow) just enough so the tab does not reengage.
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Image 6: Work your way to the other side releasing tabs (red arrow) and pulling rearwards on the panel (blue arrow) just enough so they do not reengage. On the inner tabs I used a bicycle tire removal tool.
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Image 7: Pull rearwards to remove the bumper cover (red arrows) after all the tabs, two outer and five inner, have been released.
5. Remove bumper guard, left / right (not required)
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Image 8: Start at the rear by pulling outwards and slightly upwards (blue arrow). There are five pairs of tabs spaced equally along the whole length. The lower tabs precede the upper tabs (red arrow) slightly. So continue pulling outwards and slightly downwards / upwards depending on the position of next tab still engaged.
6. Remove whole rear bumper
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Image 9: Use a tack remover to remove expanding rivets, three on each side (red arrows), joining the bumper and the wheel well cover.
![]()
Image 10: Use a 16mm box wrench on the slightly recessed bolts (red arrow) holding the bumper on the shock absorbers.
![]()
Image 11: The bumper rests on two shock absorbers. It is held in place by two slide-in brackets and two tabs, one of each per wheel well. Push the bumper rearwards at both wheel wells over the wheel well cover. Then grip it at the center, pull rearwards, and remove (red arrows). It is not heavy.
7. Separate rear bumper carrier from rear bumper trim
![]()
Image 12: The bumper carrier is joined to the bumper trim by 7 expanding rivets on top and 6 on the bottom. Remove the expanding rivets (red arrow) with a tack remover and separate bumper carrier from trim.
8. Remove towing eye flap (not required)
![]()
Image 13: Pry flap out from the top. Help the loop at the end of the band (red circle) through the hole.
Installation Tips:
![]()
Image 14: When installing the bumper, first set it down on one of the shock absorbers, then slide it into place on the opposite side. The bumper slides into the bracket (red arrows) and the tab on the upper edge (green arrow). Three expanding rivets go through the holes (red circles) and join the bumper with the wheel well cover.
![]()
Image 15: Orientation of clips on the rear bumperguard sealing cap.
![]()
Image 16: Tab overlap on installed bumperguard sealing cap and tail light cover.
Parts:
Some bumper parts were not in the online catalog. I assume the bumper is part of some optional package.
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Images 17, 18, 19, 20:
Bumper trim panel - 51 12 8 183 170 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Unknown part fused with bumper trim panel left side - 51 12 8 183 737 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Unknown part fused with bumper trim panel right side - 51 12 8 183 738 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Towing eye flap - 51 12 8 213 683 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM
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Images 21, 22, 23, 24:
Bumper carrier - 51 12 8 159 371 (guess) - metal
Bumper insert, left - 51 12 8 246 077 - PP EPDM TX20
Bumper insert, right - 51 12 8 246 078 - PP EPDM TX20
The top of the bumper carrier has four dense foam buffers glued to it.
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Images 25, 26:
Hex bolt - 07 11 9 900 518 - M10X110-8.8-ZN
Expanding rivet - 51 11 8 174 185 - PP (guess)
Ideally you pulled out 19 unbroken rivets in this DIY.
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Images 27, 28, 29:
Bumper guard, left - 51 12 7 005 879 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper guard, right - 51 12 7 005 880 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper cover, center - 51 12 7 005 913 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper seal, center - 51 71 8 204 699 (guess) - PP (guess)
![]()
Image 30:
Bumperguard sealing cap, rear left - 51 71 8 222 461 - PP TPO
Bumperguard sealing cap, rear right - 51 71 8 222 461 - PP TPO
Clamp - 51 71 8 232 647 - metal
The new cap I ordered already came with two clamps.
![]()
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Images 31, 32:
Tail light cover, left - 51 71 8 218 925 - PP TX20 (TE SEBS)
Tail light cover, right - 51 71 8 218 926 - PP TX20 (TE SEBS)
Screw - 62 11 8 375 035 - TX10 metal
Outline:
- Recommended Tools
- Definitions
- Removal
- Installation Tips
- Parts
- Miscellaneous
- Gratuitous Photos
- Can You Identify the Part?
Recommended Tools:
- Torx 10 screwdriver
- 16mm box wrench
- Tack remover
- Prying tools
Definitions:
For directions I will use words like: upward, rearward, leftward. Imagine an arrow pointing from the center of the car direction-the-car-is-pointing-ward. Outward means away from the center of the car at any given point. Component names are from the online part catalog unless a more descriptive name is required.
Removal:
1. Remove tail light cover, left / right (optional)
2. Remove rear bumperguard sealing cap, left / right (optional)
3. Remove rear bumper seal, center (optional)
4. Remove bumper cover
5. Remove bumper guard, left / right (not required)
6. Remove whole rear bumper
7. Separate rear bumper carrier from rear bumper trim
8. Remove towing eye flap (not required)
(optional) - makes your work easier
(not required) - unnecessary task included for completeness
Let's get to it!
Image 1: Here is the victim: BMW E39 530d Touring.
1. Remove tail light cover, left / right (optional)
Image 2: Use a Torx 10 screwdriver to remove screws from the tail light covers, two on each side (red arrow). To remove cover, pull upwards (blue arrow).
2. Remove rear bumperguard sealing cap, left / right (optional)
Image 3: The caps are held in place by two clips each. Use both hands to grab the upper part of the cap and pull rearwards until the upper clip is released (red arrow). Repeat for the lower clip (blue arrow).
3. Remove rear bumper seal, center (optional)
Image 4: Pull rearwards to remove the seal (red arrow).
4. Remove bumper cover
Image 5: Release outer tab (red arrow) and pull rearwards on the bumper cover (blue arrow) just enough so the tab does not reengage.
Image 6: Work your way to the other side releasing tabs (red arrow) and pulling rearwards on the panel (blue arrow) just enough so they do not reengage. On the inner tabs I used a bicycle tire removal tool.
Image 7: Pull rearwards to remove the bumper cover (red arrows) after all the tabs, two outer and five inner, have been released.
5. Remove bumper guard, left / right (not required)
Image 8: Start at the rear by pulling outwards and slightly upwards (blue arrow). There are five pairs of tabs spaced equally along the whole length. The lower tabs precede the upper tabs (red arrow) slightly. So continue pulling outwards and slightly downwards / upwards depending on the position of next tab still engaged.
6. Remove whole rear bumper
Image 9: Use a tack remover to remove expanding rivets, three on each side (red arrows), joining the bumper and the wheel well cover.
Image 10: Use a 16mm box wrench on the slightly recessed bolts (red arrow) holding the bumper on the shock absorbers.
Image 11: The bumper rests on two shock absorbers. It is held in place by two slide-in brackets and two tabs, one of each per wheel well. Push the bumper rearwards at both wheel wells over the wheel well cover. Then grip it at the center, pull rearwards, and remove (red arrows). It is not heavy.
7. Separate rear bumper carrier from rear bumper trim
Image 12: The bumper carrier is joined to the bumper trim by 7 expanding rivets on top and 6 on the bottom. Remove the expanding rivets (red arrow) with a tack remover and separate bumper carrier from trim.
8. Remove towing eye flap (not required)
Image 13: Pry flap out from the top. Help the loop at the end of the band (red circle) through the hole.
Installation Tips:
Image 14: When installing the bumper, first set it down on one of the shock absorbers, then slide it into place on the opposite side. The bumper slides into the bracket (red arrows) and the tab on the upper edge (green arrow). Three expanding rivets go through the holes (red circles) and join the bumper with the wheel well cover.
Image 15: Orientation of clips on the rear bumperguard sealing cap.
Image 16: Tab overlap on installed bumperguard sealing cap and tail light cover.
Parts:
Some bumper parts were not in the online catalog. I assume the bumper is part of some optional package.
Images 17, 18, 19, 20:
Bumper trim panel - 51 12 8 183 170 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Unknown part fused with bumper trim panel left side - 51 12 8 183 737 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Unknown part fused with bumper trim panel right side - 51 12 8 183 738 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM TV20
Towing eye flap - 51 12 8 213 683 (not in catalog) - PP EPDM
Images 21, 22, 23, 24:
Bumper carrier - 51 12 8 159 371 (guess) - metal
Bumper insert, left - 51 12 8 246 077 - PP EPDM TX20
Bumper insert, right - 51 12 8 246 078 - PP EPDM TX20
The top of the bumper carrier has four dense foam buffers glued to it.
Images 25, 26:
Hex bolt - 07 11 9 900 518 - M10X110-8.8-ZN
Expanding rivet - 51 11 8 174 185 - PP (guess)
Ideally you pulled out 19 unbroken rivets in this DIY.
Images 27, 28, 29:
Bumper guard, left - 51 12 7 005 879 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper guard, right - 51 12 7 005 880 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper cover, center - 51 12 7 005 913 (not in catalog) - ABS PC
Bumper seal, center - 51 71 8 204 699 (guess) - PP (guess)
Image 30:
Bumperguard sealing cap, rear left - 51 71 8 222 461 - PP TPO
Bumperguard sealing cap, rear right - 51 71 8 222 461 - PP TPO
Clamp - 51 71 8 232 647 - metal
The new cap I ordered already came with two clamps.
Images 31, 32:
Tail light cover, left - 51 71 8 218 925 - PP TX20 (TE SEBS)
Tail light cover, right - 51 71 8 218 926 - PP TX20 (TE SEBS)
Screw - 62 11 8 375 035 - TX10 metal
