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[humbucker]

There have been quite a few posts about replacing chrome trim on the rear bumper for pre-facelift and mini-facelift models but no maintenance guides. I thought I'd put one together to help with what seems to be another common Omega concern. For the purposes of the images, the work in this example was carried out on a mini-facelift Elite.

This guide will also cover removal of the rear bumper and replacement of the bumper supports as I did these at the same time and you need to have the bumper off to do this job. I realise there is a separate bumper replacement thread but figured it wouldn't do any harm to have another one bundled with this guide too. The different steps are outlined below. I have posted each stage separately for ease of reading.

 

Right, lets get started. The chrome strip on the rear bumper comes in three parts: the centre, left and right sections. Ensure you have all three parts (or if you have only one affected section just a replacement for that).

If you are replacing bumper supports (these are the long plastic supports that screw into the body of the car and hold the bumper in place on either side of the car) then you will need replacements of these. Your best bet is to find them in good condition off of a breaker, however, part numbers are: 90458214 and 90458213 if you can't source any. The chrome strips I used were from a breaker, but you can probably get these elsewhere new.

[humbucker]

So to begin with the bumper has to come off. To do this you will need to undo a selection of screws, the first of these can be seen on the inside wheel arch where the black part of your bumper ends. A chubby screwdriver or decent ratchet will get this out. This holds the bumper to the bumper support which we will be removing:



Then another screw sits inside the wheel arch, lower down. Undo this:



Finally, look under the car and you’ll see a third screw holding the bumper in place at the base of the bumper. Remove this, then repeat the process for the other side of the bumper:



At the rear underside of the bumper you will see three bumper pins. They might not be immediately obvious, but they look like three black plastic discs with a circular pin through them. Push the pin all the way through on each of these with a thin screwdriver or something similar and put the pins and their plastic housing to one side:



Next you need to remove the four torx screws which hold the bumper on the back of the car under the bootlid. Originally these were covered with a plastic ‘lid’. If present remove these and unscrew:



Now the bumper should come off. Be careful as the rear number plate light will still be connected, so as you remove the bumper be sure to unplug this.

Now we have the bumper off it is an ideal time to clean it inside out. You probably won’t be back under here for a while so worth doing a good job:

[humbucker]

Now, I wanted to replace my bumper supports as they had broken. This is common on the Omega, a slight knock on the bumper can cause them to break under extra pressure. The bits that break are the thin plastic parts that house the screw that holds the bumper to the bumper support just inside the wheel arch:



To remove, simply remove all the screws holding it onto the body of the car:



Repeat this on the other side of the car. As you won’t be back here for a while, it is a good idea to clean the exposed bodywork thoroughly. In the picture below I have polished mine up, and you might want to coat the bodywork in Waxoyl for extra protection. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t shine hehehe:



While you’re working on this part of the car you may notice the odd paint chip or thin area of paint. A good tip is to dab some clear nail varnish over the area in question to give it a protective coating and stop moisture getting in. At this stage you may think I’m verging on the obsessive (and you’d be right)…:



Once the area is dry put your clean replacement bumper supports on, remembering the metal clips that go over the ends where the screw goes in to hold the bumper on.

[humbucker]

On the inside of your bumper you will see two large magnet shaped clips, one each side of the bumper edge. Remove these (large flathead screwdriver comes in very handy during these stages):



Next you will need to push down and in on the clips holding the top and bottom parts of the bumper together; this is where the chrome strip sits on the outide. Just work on the section you want to replace, or do it in stages if replacing all three parts (start with either the left or right chrome strip):



Once you have prized open the section you want to replace carefully remove the chrome strip from the outside. Repeat the process until all the strips you want off have been removed.

WARNING: THE INNER EDGE OF THE CHROME STRIP IS VERY SHARP AND WILL CUT THROUGH YOUR FINGERS VERY EASILY. TAKE CARE WHEN REMOVING AND APPLYING CHROME STRIPS!

Get your shiny new chrome strips and line them up on the bumper where they will be placed. You will see a number of tabs/lips on the chrome strip that correspond with holes on the bumper:



Carefully press them in place and work your way along the strip ensuring there is no gap between the bottom of the strip and the body of the bumper. This can be tricky at the corners / parts where the strips meet but perseverance will pay off!! ;-)

Back on the inside of the bumper, using your flathead screwdriver, pull all the clips back in place so that they pull the chrome strips tight against the body of the bumper:



Put the bumper back on (reverse of the steps mentioned above) and marvel at your shiny new dink-free chrome strips:



Tadaa!



Now I guess I should apply some AutoGlym Bumper Care to restore the black finish on the plastic bit...  

You’re done!  (time for a beer)