Help With Front Grille Assembly Removal (2015)

[mphilleo]

You folks were so helpful the last time I asked for help with my brakes, so thank you, that job went well!

I have a different problem this time. My wife has been mentioning that the chrome treatment on her grille insert has started to let go. I wanted to surprise her by fixing it, but I'm having a heck of a time. I've removed all the topside apron fastener clips. It took a lot of searching, but I found references to the square slotted fasteners through the access holes on each side of the head lights.

I got the passenger side fastener to rotate, but the driver side one deformed right away and it's in pretty poor shape. Even still I wasn't able to loosen the assembly any. I don't care if I have to drill out that fastener on the driver side, I'm just wondering if there's any suggestions or if I was even close to the right procedure. There's no shortage of guides on grille removal for the quest, just not this final USDM generation. Any help, references, etc are hugely appreciated. Thanks!

[VStar650CL]

See EXT-18 here:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... %2Fext.pdf

There's a string of plastic pawls along the bottom edge of the grille, the FSM has a pretty good closeup drawing. The tongues on the pawls usually need to be lifted and not pushed, so a small hook tool is generally a good way to get underneath them.

[mphilleo]

Any pro tips on the lower clips on the left and right most positions? If they we're in order it would be number one and number eight. Thanks!

[VStar650CL]

Any pro tips on the lower clips on the left and right most positions? If they we're in order it would be number one and number eight. Thanks!

No, the corner pawls can be a PITA on just about any Nissan model, you just need to find a tool that reaches under them. We don't see a lot of Quests and I can't recall doing a grille on one, but I literally have a whole box of assorted hook tools for that stuff (a few of them specially bent and modified to go places no hook has gone before).

[mphilleo]

Any pro tips on the lower clips on the left and right most positions? If they we're in order it would be number one and number eight. Thanks!

No, the corner pawls can be a PITA on just about any Nissan model, you just need to find a tool that reaches under them. We don't see a lot of Quests and I can't recall doing a grille on one, but I literally have a whole box of assorted hook tools for that stuff (a few of them specially bent and modified to go places no hook has gone before).

Thanks again! I never was able to reach those last two tabs. But the assembly was finally loose enough I could unscrew and release the tabs attaching the chrome insert to the grille assembly. I've got the old chrome treatment off and will be prepping it for new paint.

[VStar650CL]

[ElevatePrism]

Did you get this done? I need to do mine also. Did you use paint ? Or some kind of film ?

[mphilleo]

Did you get this done? I need to do mine also. Did you use paint ? Or some kind of film ?

I ended up releasing most of the pressure clips and a few screws which allowed me to release it. Then I underwent the painstaking process of peeling all the old chrome foil off period after that I use some plastic primer and a few coats of semi-gloss black paint. It turned out pretty well.

[ElevatePrism]

That ound great might try that. Do you have any photos? Would like to see the finished result