facelift fron't bumper removal - thanks
 

Ok this is a thanks to everyone who could reply to me after my rear end affair with a girl earlier this week that resulted in my pdc going wrong (flashing light on the pdc button and one long beep). Firstly I diagnosed which one was off, it wasn't making the clicking noise as I put my ear against it when the parking sensor button was on and key in postion 2.

After popping the tow point cover nearest to the 'bad' pdc sensor I could see just behind the affected sensor and that the cables were cut (due to collision ealier in week)....Soooooo remove bumper under the watchful and in patient eyes of the father in law, first time I tried it. Here are points for anyone going forward in the future:

1.Very good idea to have someone to assist
2. watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPxUSSa0L8
or if by the time you read this post link is dead then do a search for E53 X5 Bumper Removal (note this is for the facelifts) 2min vid with some scenes speeded up but it is great
3. Please see attached pic and be very careful with the disengaging of clips 4 from the slots as show in item 5, something that is not mentioned in vid...I got a bit clumsy and broke item 4 on one side, but somehow bumber is still back on ok looking, and believe it was ready to go after a botched removal replacement job when I left it at a garage for a bumper respray.

As for pdc sensor I ordered a new one but the 3 cables leading to the connector that attached to sensor were cut, soldered em together again, was tight as they were cut very close to the end of the connector plug, taped em up even put some heatshrink on em did the testing of the sesnors, and then put it all back together.....Loooong afternoons work, with the father in law now being owed a favour, so looks like more boring hours of oilve picking to placate him...hmmmmm

I'd add that if your bumper has not been off before or it's been a while, the plastic tabs on #4 will be brittle and will likely snap. Save yourself the headache and just order new ones for each side before attempting to pull the bumper.

+1 at this age, they are as brittle as can be. Bad side is these things cost 35-45 a pop!

Alas already done, bumper taken off, damaged pdc cables fixed, and bumper back on and yes broke the drivers side part 4.....but I have put bumper back on and sits just as it was before-not perfect but tolerable....

had my front bumper off recently - RIDICULOUS - "caged but" that bolts screw into (one on each side behind #11 (or #8?) (i forgot). One of mine kept turning and I couldn't get the bolt out, the other just crumbled and the nut fell out after removal.
BMW Cage Nut - Genuine BMW 51717023913

ALSO- give the ambient air sensor a good cleaning while the bumper is off

I was lucky all the screws and bolts needed just a nudge to be removable....no idea what I would have done if they had just spun and not unscrwed? as for the ambient air temp sensor totally missed doing this....again had father in law breathing down my neck and in a hurry (but I stress having another person helping is best)....and seeing as we fixed the pdc system which was the reason we took the bumper off I will take the approach if it aint broken don't fix it......yes would have been great to replace the cracked mesh grill but getting the parking sensor system up and running was more important than the cosmetics of the car...

Also darn glue i posted here (plastic weld) I used to afix the sensor housing to the bumber apparently in not suitable for the bumper plastic/housing.....strangely enough though the sensor is not budging when I poke at it with my finger :dunno:....

I have it on a good authority from a bumper guru that IF your bumper is brittle inflexible it is likely ABS plastic, if semi flexible (and black in colour underneath the paint) it is PPL aka polypropylene.....or PE polyethylene...not useful info unless like me you are searching for a suitable glue to fix these materials together. i found many glues do not work on PE PP plastics.....