How to Replace Grille 2004-06 Nissan Maxima

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In this video I'm going to show you how to remove and reinstall the front radiator grille on this 2005 Nissan Maxima, pretty much the same as any '04 to '08. The tools you'll need are a flat blade screwdriver, pliers, a Phillips screwdriver, 10 millimeter socket with a ratchet and extension, and a flashlight. I do remove the entire bumper cover because I find that's the easiest and the best way to get the grille apart. Otherwise you risk breaking the bumper cover and you'll see that somebody who took apart this car before had already done that.

Start with your hood open and remove two clips. For one here, use a flat blade screwdriver to pry up on the center, and pull the clip up and out. Now this is free. Do the same thing over here on this side, pry up on the center. In front of the wheels are two Phillips screws. You'll want to remove those. Now, you pull this out and pull your inner fender like that, and it pulls back. You can see back of your side light. It's really hard to film, but there's the connection right here. Here's a tab on the outside. Pull that tab and disconnect it. Now, up inside, there's a 10 millimeter bolt that you want to remove. Also, if you reach your hand further up in, you'll feel another one of those bolts. I generally have found the best tool is a socket with an extension and ratchet. I'm just going to fast forward through removing those two bolts. Obviously, again, I'm doing this on the passenger side. You want to repeat the same procedure on the other side. There is a series of pins on top. There are six right across here. It looks like this vehicle has been apart as it only has two of the original ones. One's missing there and it's got a different style over here. The other option is you can take this apart up here, which has the same thing, a series of pins. You can see on this vehicle it's actually got a bolt here and no pins here. It looks like they may have actually superglued this together. I'll fast forward here again as I'm pulling the clips out. Just like on top, you pry the center out and then pull the clip down. On the bottom they are a little more difficult usually because sand and dirt has gotten in and it makes the clip difficult to get apart, so you'll probably need a screwdriver as well as a pair of needle nose pliers. Once you've gotten those fasteners off, pull firmly on each side, out and firm. Grab it by the sides here. Pull forward and the whole fascia comes off.

I find it a lot easier to take the grille off when you pull the fascia off. This grille is a perfect example why. On this vehicle, somebody has just ripped this off, or maybe it got damaged in an accident or something. But you can see there's supposed to be little slots here where these tabs and the grille lock into. With it off, you can easily get in here with a screwdriver, push on these tabs and unlock them. But you can see that somebody didn't do that. In addition to that, what you want to do is, over here, there's just a little plug. You push the middle of the plug down, and that allows that to unlock. As I said, you would normally unlock each one of these tabs and pull the grill off, but my fascia has been broken. Then, additionally, if you wanted on a new grille to put this, you'll want to change this top panel over. There's basically just four clips: one here, here, and then on this side as well. These clips are just like the other ones. You pry up the center. Pull the clip out, and now, to put it back together, you just push the clip inand then put the locking tab right in.

Now, the grille in my vehicle was fine, but the fascia is messed up. I can't really do much about that. Once you get the grille off, it's actually easier to put the fascia back on and then reinstall the grille. I'll put the fascia in. Now, you can put these clips, right on top here, in. Lock them into place. Now, you want to push it in. Make sure it goes over. Do the same on the side. I'm just going to speed it up as I put those clips in the bottom of that panel. Load the bolts in here. Then what you can do is pull out on your fender. You put the bolt up through, first, and push it in, and start it in the fender. Make sure that is started and then start this one. Same thing, you look it up through, lock it in, start it in the fender. Start it up in, and when it starts getting tight, you're going to push it on your fender a little bit to make it nice and flush. Then, get this one. Then, right here, I'm just reaching in, grabbing the harness for that cornering light and plugging it back in. Push your fender back up and in. Now reinstall the two Phillips screws underneath. Obviously repeat the procedures for the other side. To reinstall your grille, normally, you're going to carefully line the bottom tabs right in, and press it down and into place. Then replace your clips up here.

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