On my 2006 MCS, the filler piece for the fog light hole on front, fell back into the bumper. How is the best way to fix that? In the Bentley manual the pictures are not clear, but it looks like removing the front bumper to fix it would be a sure thing. Can I put it back just by removing the bottem cover to avoid bumper removal?

I am surprised by how poorly mounted these are (my other one is incredible loose also.) Is there any way to better to secure them? I'd hope so considering the trouble it may take to put it back.

Yes I could bring it to the dealer, but waiting or leaving the car may be worse than the cure.

 

The bumper cover is easy to take off, I think that might be the only way to fix this, as a local club member had the same problem, I think we ended up taking the bumper off

 

The bumper cover needs to be removed to fix the problem. There may be some broken plastic in the area where it is secured. I used some sheet metal straps and pop rivets to keep it in place.

Clifton

 

Was able to remove the loose item by just removing attachment screws on one side - could not put it back in because the clips were broken - no problems but I wonder if I'll have to plug it up when the snow starts falling.

 

That's what I wound up doing. Started to take of the bumper off and then just removed enough screws to pull one side away, got my hand in there and had enough room to put the piece back in place. I think I know how it goes in and I hope I got it right. It is in tighter than the other one and is lined up so ... we will see.

The other side is very loose. I'd like to push it back in place to see if it could be better secured, but I am afraid of knocking it out of place and having to go through the same thing on that side ... no thanks.

Are these pieces always so loose?

 

Was able to get to the fog blank from the backend by removing the 4 screws in the wheel well. Pulled back the plastic wheel well panel and was able to reattach the fog blanks into position. Didn't have to remove the bumper cover.

 

What's the trick to getting those screws out of the wheel well? I was turning and nothing was happening so I started gently pulling up on the screw. Then the entire plastic plug came out with the screw still in it.

When I reinstalled everything I just pushed the plastic plug (with screw still attached back into the hole. That's real secure that way ... not! What is the ideal thing to do when reassembling? Are you supposed to not reuse those plastic plugs?

 

yeahh dont reuse them.

 

The filler piece is clipped in from behind, and is easiest to access by removing or pulling back the fender liner. Remove 4 push pins directly behind the light, one push pin near the outside edge at the side marker, and one screw behind the lower air dam under the car. This gives plenty of room to pull back the liner.

To deal with the push pins that look like faux plastic phillips screws, use a phillips screwdriver to turn the head while inserting a small flat screwdriver (or even a longish fingernail in a pinch) in the small slot alongside the edge of the 'head'. This will allow the cetner of the pin to rise up. Once the center is high enough to grasp, pul it out. You might get the center pin by itself, or the whole push pin assembly will come out with it. Pull the outer piece out if it still remains, and separate the inner and outer piece until ready to reassemble the car. To reinster the pin, squeeze the 'legs' of the outer part and inster into the hole. Take the inner part and press it fully into the outer piece using your finger. This will spread the outer piece in the hole and hold everything together.

The push pins are not designed to hold things together tightly (like a screw), rather they allow movement to occur that tends to happen with the plastic pieces they are meant to secure.