Rear bumper insecure - how is it fixed

[HPsauce]

I noticed that my rear bumper wasn't aligned properly, just a subtle difference between the gaps to the bodywork and bootlid between left and right.
No marks suggesting any impact, but who knows the cause.....
Anyway, on checking just now I found that the nearside was somewhat loose and would move a few mm up and down.

Can any one describe the mountings and how to access them, and is there something obvious that could have come or worked loose? I was wiggling it in the general area of the exhaust.

[Dezzy]

If you still have the plastics on the under side drop them at the rear, bumper is held on by 2 off socket cheese headed bolts that run through the impact pistons.

See the pic below, you can see where the impact piston goes where the 3 holes are, piston is on the floor under car and the bolts that hold bumper to piston you can just see in the bottom of the pic.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=5332&stc=1&d=1354095230

[HPsauce]

OK thanks, sound simple enough if I can get access - weather isn't ideal at present. :(
The nearside bumper moves in and out and up and down a few mm so I hope it's just that those bolts are loose and nothing worse. Can't think why though.... :Confused:

[David's8]

Elsaweb has good exploded views of PF/FL bumpers and fixings. See

http://elsaweb.spaghetticoder.org/nav/EN/Audi/A8-V8/4D2/758/4465/63/16209/

[PsYcHe]

there's a reinforcing bar across the inside of the bumper which is what bolts on to the car. The bumper is clipped on to this, so could be that this is the issue.

[HPsauce]

It feels like it's just the bumper that's moving; nothing more solid seems loose behind it.
I need to get hold of my mate down the road who has a proper trolley jack etc. ;)

[HPsauce]

The bumper is clipped on to this, so could be that this is the issue.
I guess that requires removing the bumper totally to find out what is wrong and rectify it. :(

[Dezzy]

You won't need a trolly jack to take the bumper off, it's a nice and easy one 2 bolts and it's away

[PsYcHe]

Yep.. it's easy to get underneath and get it off.. just watch the rear wheel arch liners as you pull it back.

[Architex_mA8tey]

Single Piece Rear Bumper - Exploded View (http://elsaweb.spaghetticoder.org/doc/A.en-GB.4D-KM-KMA/20839814/2)

Adjusting Rear Bumper (http://elsaweb.spaghetticoder.org/doc/A.en-GB.4D-KM-KMA/20839816/2)

[HPsauce]

Well I've not had it off yet but my ex-garage-proprietor mate was here this afternoon and had a quick look.
He reckons only the plastic is moving and that the beam is still solidly in place, so it's come detached on one side, probably because someone has hit it sideways in a car park. :mad:
So, not knowing what the clips are like holding the plastic to the beam I don't know if they're broken or just loose/dislodged. Either way it will have to come off to investigate, not a job for winter-time on the driveway. :(

[Dezzy]

If it were mine i'd empty a tin of expanding foam behind and let it go off cut excess away.

That's the Landrover owner coming out of me :o

[HPsauce]

We don't do that sort of thing in A8 land. :tuttut:

Looking at the exploded view there are a lot (up to 18) of clips holding the outer bumper to the serious structure beneath. They seem to be the expanding sort that have a central pin to splay out the legs and secure the fixing.
I'm guessing I may need anything up to 10 of them as about half of my bumper is moving around and I presume they've been sheared through. :(

Does anyone know where they're available (and at what price) or are they just fairly normal trim clips? Probably won't know for sure until I take it all off and look. :-(

[Architex_mA8tey]

Does anyone know where they're available (and at what price) or are they just fairly normal trim clips? Probably won't know for sure until I take it all off and look. :-(

If you mean the split rivets item 8 then they are part number 4D0807300 and are not much at all, prob about 50p each

http://www.vagcat.com/p/B153/807500.png

[HPsauce]

Thanks, yes that's them. +++
Methinks I'll swing by Amersham Audi and get a bagful before I take the bumper off. :D
(unless A8parts can get them cheaper......)
A few web sites seem to call them "body pins" and they seem to be quite widely used. I've bought similar for fixing things back on my Focus.