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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by TimeToBakeTheDonuts on Tue Nov 10 22:13 CST 2020
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last visit: Thu Aug 29 16:10 CST 2013

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Hi all. Glad you are still here. It tells me my last login was in 1969 and I KNOW that is not accurate.

I am trying to remove my front bumper cover and I am stumped. I removed the 4 rivets in each front wheel well, and I removed the T20 Torx screws all along the bottom (about 12). The ends of the bumper cover come forward an inch or so, and the cover comes out from under the headlights so a small gap is visible, but it will go no further. It acts as though the center portion of the top of the cover (which sits under the hood when it is closed) is attached somehow. But there are no fasteners. I tried prying the edge of the cover up using a small prybar, but it would not move.

EDIT - I found what appears to be a Volvo manual diagram online, and it shows two bolts that go upward vertically from under the car. I saw two bolts but they appeared to be related to mounting the bumper, not the cover. I will investigate tomorrow. All I removed were the rivets and Torx screws. The link to the PDF file is at this thread: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37371

Here is another thread and it shows close ups of the three strips I am referring to. Note that people say they broke them - which is not a solution. These are the strips that look like somehow they must be released from the slots in the bumper cover.
http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/topic/173782-1998-volvo-s70-bumper-cover-removal-help/

When the hood is open, and I look down from the top, I see three plastic strips about an inch wide. One in the center, and one on each side about 6" away. It appears both on my car and in pictures of the bumper cover online that there are slots in the edge of the bumper cover and it slides over these three strips. All I can imagine is somehow those strips have a tab at the end that acts as a latch, but this would be inside the bumper cover and inaccessible to unlatch.

I have tried pulling pretty hard at the ends, but I can't get the top of the cover to move from the inside edge of one headlight to the inside edge of the other.

I can't find a YT video that covers this for 1998-2000. One video was titled "Easy S70 front bumper removal" but it doesn't show what it advertises. Any help would be very greatly appreciated. I believe the 850 had screws that went in downward from the top in this area. Mine does not appear to.

EDIT #2 Well, another hour of searching the net and I came up empty. The closest I got was the link above at Volvospeed which shows pictures of exactly what I think is holding the cover. Sadly I don't see a solution at that link to releasing the cover from those three strips.

Don

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by TimeToBakeTheDonuts on Wed Nov 11 10:28 CST 2020
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last visit: Thu Aug 29 16:10 CST 2013

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This is a weird one. I found a decent picture of the plastic piece the strips mentioned above are part of, which sits behind the bumper cover and goes across the entire front of the car. It is the sixth picture in this ad:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Volvo-S70-Front-Bumper-Cover-97-00/402396020489

Look at all the snaps on the protruding tabs, including on the three strips. So they slip through narrow slots that are part of the bumper cover. These plastic forming these slots are apparently what people break when they remove the cover (not good!) I don't see how the snaps could be released but I will attempt to slide something VERY thin on top of the strips. There really is no clearance I can see. The plastic piece rests on the bumper support in the center, and tabs go over the back the support at the location of each of the strips. My best hope appears to be to flex those tabs upwards, which would allow the bumper cover to come forwards while the strip is still attached to it. That piece is still available for about $30 apparently but I am reluctant to break it on purpose and/or get the cover half off and then get stuck. Maybe being too anal.

What a silly design. Volvo and plastics are a bad combination.

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by KlausC on Wed Nov 11 11:40 CST 2020
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last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:15 CST 2014

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Hi Don, last seen in 2013. You still have that car? I bet it has a few miles on it now!

Have you attempted to email the EBay person and ask how he got off the cover? Worth a try.

Yes, those tabs are designed to engage only, not disengage. But... a sharp yank might be worth a try?

But, if you are having difficulty under each headlamp, you might be looking for a screw or bolt in that area.

--
Keeping it running is better than buying new

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by TimeToBakeTheDonuts on Sat Nov 14 11:50 CST 2020
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last visit: Thu Aug 29 16:10 CST 2013

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Klaus -

I followed your suggestion, and the Ebay seller actually gave me her father's phone # since she is selling the cover for him. And he picked up the phone - who does that these days from an unknown number? He said that he was able to use a plastic trim tool to work into the slots where the strips go through to release the strips from the bumper cover. He noted what I have which is that over the years the plastic hardens and the joints were extremely tight. He said that he broke one of the three slots due to using a screwdriver, which was too sharp. He also said that it took 2-1/2 hours and a lot of patience.

So, this gives me some hope and a direction. I appreciate your tip, which I had not considered.

Don

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by KlausC on Sat Nov 14 13:18 CST 2020
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last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:15 CST 2014

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I like good news. Unfortunately, it is getting colder every day so the plastic gets harder every day.

Good luck!

--
Keeping it running is better than buying new

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by TimeToBakeTheDonuts on Mon Nov 16 12:11 CST 2020
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last visit: Thu Aug 29 16:10 CST 2013

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Yes Klaus, I have been concerned about that. I got started on this project too late for the season, just like others. I stained my decks after the leaves had started falling - which was very tricky for temperature hours of daylight, and debris.

I was not expecting the unexpected on this bumper cover - which I am removing to fix damage to it. I am considering heating the area in question. As an alternative, I am considering a more aggressive approach of using a reciprocating saw to cut the three strips - with the plan to replace that plastic strip with the tabs on it. $30 I do not wish to spend, but the tradeoff is I won't ruin the bumper cover or spend an extra hour releasing the tabs. If I can in fact source that part at that price, I may do it. I need the plastic trim tools I just ordered to do my 2005 V70T bumper trim anyway...

Don

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1998 S70 front bumper cover removal need helpful tip S70 1998

posted by TimeToBakeTheDonuts on Fri Nov 13 13:11 CST 2020
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last visit: Thu Aug 29 16:10 CST 2013

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Hi Klaus - nice to see you again.

I did give one hard yank on an end, and that is what caused the cover to come out a few inches from the headlight, and the plastic piece came halfway out and was dangling, clips visible. But, at the inside edge of the headlight - no movement at all and the entire center section is as tight as a drum. It does act like there is a screw fastener there but I don't believe there is. Unlike the 850, there is no trim piece under the headlight. My next attempt may be to pry up the back of the plastic piece as I mentioned earlier. If those three tabs can be released, it may make a huge difference.

I was thinking about this and my thought was worst case, destroy the plastic piece and pay $30 for a new one. I have a hard time accepting that as an appropriate course, but this arrangement really looks like it is not meant to be reusable. I appreciate you putting your eyes on it. Contacting someone like the guy selling that bumper is very good suggestion. The slots in the bumper cover look to be only 3/32" tall. I certainly do not want to tear them. Cutting the slats of the plastic piece and replacing would be preferable if I can't release them from the back edge of the bumper support.

Volvo sure made a radical shift in this design from the 850, and then another shift to the P2 which I own and will also have to be removing soon to replace the plastic headlights which have degraded from UV. The P2 design is straightforward with attachments up above at the hood seam and you don't have to drill rivets. You do have to pop off trim pieces to remove bolts. Seems like not enough S70 owners out there to have experienced this.

Don

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