Removing rear bumper valance

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by blinkme323, May 29, 2020.

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  1. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    Has anyone taken off the black valance that is on the bottom of the rear bumper? Ours is dinged up you pretty bad, so I bought a replacement but now I can’t figure out how to get the original one off.

    I was able to release the push clips on the bottom of the valance, but it looks like there may be clips on the top as well?


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  3. You have to remove the tail lights.

    Peel back the trunk liner on each side.
    Remove 4 nuts per light from inside the trunk. Do not drop a single one of them.
    There are 2 plastic tabs that need to be pressed in different directions simultaneously while pulling the tail light rearward. I jammed a screwdriver in one to hold it while pressing the other and pulled the light out. An assistant or trained Capuchin monkey may be useful at that point.

    The protective plastic strip at the bottom of the trunk opening also needs to be removed. It required considerable force to pull off. This may be beyond the capabilities of the monkey, although those little fingers may help get it started.

    What was the cost for a new bumper cover?
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2020
  4. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    Ah sorry for the confusion, but I’m talking about the black plastic trim piece that surrounds the bottom of the bumper, not the whole bumper itself


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  5. Copy that. I took the whole piece off as one. Maybe everything needs to come off in order to separate the 2 pieces? I didn’t look to see what might be involved in that process when I installed the hitch.
     
  6. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    Got ya. Looking on the new one, there are four holes on the top of the valance that are connected somewhere. Problem is, I don't if they are clips, screws, etc. Part of me just wants to try and pull it off, but my luck, I will end up breaking the bumper itself.
     
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  8. In the last post (#73) on the Clarity Accessories thread, I described the hitch installation. Not sure how to provide a direct link to that post. Removing the entire bumper cover took 30 minutes. The push clips that you removed attach the valance to an under body panel.

    I may be advising you to do more work than is necessary by removing the entire cover, but I believe it will allow you to replace the valance without risking damage to another costly body part.

    On edit: There is a diagram for the rear bumper cover and valance at carid.com. It does not show any screws to attach the 2 pieces, so it may??? just snap together.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2020
  9. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    Thanks for the info. I can see the additional holes at the top of the new one that I have here, so I assume it is for those. Problem is, I have no clue how to get to them, lol.

    Unless as the poster above you said, I need to remove the whole bumper first, which would be very annoying for such a simple change.

    Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a repair manual that might have this info? I don’t mind paying for it, as my next step would probably be to take it to the dealership anyway.


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  10. If you or a friend have the tools that I listed in the above referenced thread, you’ll have the bumper cover off, the valance replaced and everything put back together in an hour.

    It may seem like a ridiculous amount of work but it is the quickest, least expensive option to get the job done.
     
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  12. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    Especially if you send the monkey for coffee...
     
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  13. Maybe the monkey got lost.

    This is taking longer than I imagined.
     
  14. Kerbe

    Kerbe Well-Known Member

    Did you ask for a Latte? You shouldn't expect anything from a Capuchin except cappuccino...
     
  15. jorgie393

    jorgie393 Well-Known Member

    There is a repair manual available online. It cost $25 a day (used to be $10) for 24-hours of access. Google Honda service express. Download and print everything you need, then review at your leisure.




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  16. Actually, just 2 black coffees. He came back with 2 spider monkeys and a case of Mountain Dew. They did rotate the tires and do an exterior detail in less than 5 minutes. Then proceeded to eat all the dried mango slices. They were last seen vaping in an oak tree.
     
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  17. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    I ended up getting the job done yesterday guys, not too bad. Thanks for the direction!
     
  18. What steps were necessary to complete the task?
     
  19. blinkme323

    blinkme323 Member

    I managed to do it without removing the bumper. I basically jacked the rear of the car up a bit and was then able to get my hand behind the bumper to remove the hidden push pin fasteners. After that, it was just a few tugs and it was off.


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