2000 Esteem Rear Bumper & Bumper Cover

[sblrog]

Hey all,

I'm trying to take off the rear plastic bumper cover to repair (functionally) some cracks that were there when I bought the car. For some reason, my wife doesn't like the duct tape that came with it .

My question is, do I need to drop the whole bumper (including the steel bumper member) to get the plastic cover off. I'm guessing I DO.

Thanks.

[sblrog]

Dunno if anyone was interested, but in case you need to repair your bumper cover...

The plastic bumper cover is attached to the steel bumper member at a few places on the top and the bottom. The top places are only accessible if you remove the whole bumper assembly from the car.

The cover is also attached to the rear fenders at a few places. Undo THESE bolts/nuts/screws and then undo the 2 pairs (4 total) of 14mm bolts under the carpet in the trunk. The bumper member/assy will still be held onto the car by two square bars that slide into two square slots. You will probably need to pry it out (gently) due to rust and dirt. Once the assembly is out, you can easily get at the other fasteners. However, a few of them may snap or be seized if you live where they use lotsa salt.