A4 B5 Rear Bumper Removal

[gerards19]

I'm trying to move the rear bumper on my 1998 A4 Avant, without too much success. Having follow previous instructions all looks fine until I try and slide the bumper from the car as it appears to be stuck on the wheel arch. Has anyone undertaken this procedure before, and could offer some assistance.

[chrismaher2007]

theres a guide here

[hipshot]

I've reached a complete dead end trying to remove my back bumper. I have followed all the guides mentioned on the forums to the letter and read the Haynes manual. The bumper will just not budge (forward or back)

I have removed the 4 bolts in the boot, the torx screws in the wheel arches and have tried to prise the sides away from the clips on the body and....nothing. I have pulled the bumper away at the leading edges so hard it sounds like something is cracking! but I cant for the life of me think what could be resisting that much other than the snap clips which should come away with a hard tug.

Someone please help before I destroy the damn thing.

Thanks in hope...

[hipshot]

bump

[::SPG::]

I've done an A4 Avant bumper (to fit a tow bar) I don't remember it being difficult, as you said remove wheel arch fixings and the four internal bolts. You unclip it from the wheel arches if I remember correctly, holding the bottom moving them upwards. Once the wheel arches are free it just slides out. Simply said . . .

[hipshot]

I've done an A4 Avant bumper (to fit a tow bar) I don't remember it being difficult, as you said remove wheel arch fixings and the four internal bolts. You unclip it from the wheel arches if I remember correctly, holding the bottom moving them upwards. Once the wheel arches are free it just slides out. Simply said . . .

Thanks fo the reply.

Finally found that if you pull out the top leading edge of the bumper at the wheel arch and then push it down it releases the top clip, then the bumper lifts off the lower clip.

One small problem, the whole bumper will still not slide off...

I've since discovered that my car has had a tow bar fitted inside the bumper cavity with two steel arms inserted into the normal apertures for the regular alloy bumper rails, having unbolted these steel arms the bumper will still not budge a mm, no matter how much I try to pull it out backwards - I even tried to prise it off with a car jack (very carefully) - the bolt holes have stayed perfectly aligned.

What's happened? Are they welded in? dont think thats even possible. Are they wedged in? Is it the weight?

Any ideas gratefully received - I really need to get this bumper off urgently. Thanks guys.

[hipshot]

Solved.

Ok in ase anyone else comes up against this : theres another set of 2 bolts on the boot floor and another two behind the trim panel on boot lip.

Bloody caravanners!

[B5Auditude]

Remove 4 bolts under carpet in the trunk,(2 on each side) remove 6 bolts off bumper supports,(3 on each side, top one has axes point through a hole in trunk) push bumper forward, pull sides away from clip. You may have to wiggle it around a bit. They're the same clips as the front..

[FrenchAudi]

Mine has a extra Phillips head screw in each wheel arch, through a small metal strap pop-riveted onto the bumper. The straps hold the top leading edge of the bumper in line with the wheel arch, and must be removed to take off the bumper.

Even with these screws removed I could not unclip the leading edge of the bumper by hand.

I eventually levered the front of the bumper outwards, using a piece of 3" x 2" timber about 2 feet long placed about halfway down the front edge, and levering against the rear tyre.

This opened up a gap at the top front of the bumper, into which I slid a piece of 3" x 1/2" wooden strip about 2 feet long.

I slid the thin piece back along the gap, levered it downwards while again levering the front of the bumper outwards, and it immediately popped off its clip.

The weather is quite cold, around 5ºC, so it is possible the plastic clips are too hard to release easily, but I can't wait for warmer weather

Pulling out and up on the lower part of the bumper as recommended by my Haynes manual only resulted in the lower part of the bumper (spoiler) pulling away from the upper part, but at least I can fix that now the bumper is off.