I know that you said *without* removing the bumper cover, but I never found a way to do it. The grilles on the older 8th gens could just be pulled right out, but on the 2012+, it seems that it's almost impossible to remove them - at least without breaking something.

With that being said, you'd be surprised how easy it is to remove the bumper cover. Mostly "push" style connections with a few screws. It the end, I found it much easier and less frustrating to just remove the bumper cover than trying to save time by removing the grilles without removing the bumper cover (and end up regretting it because you end up damaging either the grilles or the bumper cover - or both).

I've removed the bumper cover a few times now - it really isn't hard at all and doesn't even take that long - and you can easily do it by yourself... If interested in details, let me know.

 

JTrosky to the rescue again! Thanks for the insight, JT. Ugh - I was afraid of that. Although I am a firm believer in undressing the area in which you are working, I'm not a fan of removing bumper covers unless there is no other option.... Not conceding defeat just yet, but will need to noodle on this for awhile to see if I can come up with a work around. Like many things, I have a feeling there is the "official" way to remove them and possibly an "unofficial" way the body shop professionals have figured out to save time/effort.

Thanks again, JT.

 

Actually, I recently bought that $20 electronic service manual - let me take a look and see if they list a "special" way of removing them...

And you're probably right - I have a feeling that body shops can do it without removing the bumper cover. I'm just afraid of breaking something while trying.

You'd be surprised how quick and easy it is to remove the bumper cover though - seriously. I just did it recently (again) in order to install my "bolt-over" billet grilles...

EDIT: - Unfortunately, I can't find any sort of procedure for grille removal in the $20 service manual...

 

Thanks, JT. I have the paper version from Helm and GM clearly didn't put much effort into the grille removal section, much less updating some other parts of the manual which reference a "50th Anniversary Model" which, I think was either 2007 or 2008. Given that I sprung the cash for a 2014-specific workshop manual, I find it a little amusing/disappointing that the 2014 manual references something specific to a model year six or seven years older and not offered since then.

If I am understanding the clip mounting system correctly (at least on the upper grille), I am thinking a series of plastic wedges or shims inserted between the grille and the bumper cover at each attachment point may be enough to dislodge the clip, but I'll need to play with it.

 

Here is a picture of how the grilles fasten (from the back of the grille). Basically, there are those gray "tabs" that fit though "slots" in the bumper cover. the problem is that the "tabs" fit into the "slots" VERY tightly (the tabs get bigger at the end). It's almost like the bumper cover "slots" re-shrink after you pull the tabs though. It's hard to explain, but it's much harder than you'd think to get the grilles out...

Who knows, if you pull the grille hard enough, maybe you can get it out without breaking anything, but I'd be afraid of either breaking the plastic grille or even breaking the plastic bumper cover if you just try to "force" it out with brute strength...

 

Great pic, JT. Thanks for providing. I saw a similar perspective this morning when I had the driver's headlight out and managed to "persuade" the side-most tab out of its hole, then I saw what looked like a line of more tabs just like it and decided I better consult the oracle (you guys) before proceeding. This is definitely a warm weather task (plastic is more pliable, less likely to break). Definitely not a fan of the "brute strength" approach when it comes to body fasteners made by GM - that spells disaster for the tabs/clips.

For the sake of completeness and to show that I am open to alternative approaches, how many fasteners to remove the bumper cover? I am assuming it is best to remove the side and bottom fasteners before removing the top?

Some day, I need to buy you a beer.

 

That lower grille is a bit tougher to get out than the top. Indeed, it is a warm-weather task to complete. I've replaced mine and fortunately it was in the summer. I let the car sit facing the sun during the heat of the day and it came out with no damage. A Ford technician told me once to never do interior work or anything that involves plastic during the winter unless you can get into an enclosed garage and get some heat...like at least 75 degrees. I have used my wife's hairdryer before to get similar things done and it worked good. Only thing is that you might have to do one or two tabs at the time. If you have some of the nylon interior/upholstery tools, these work well, too in addition to some heat. Another way to access the lower grille is to remove the front lower splash pan. Once this is removed, you should be able to access the lower grille from the bottom. I hope this helps.

 

I don't have an exact count, but basically, you just look along the bottom of the bumper cover - there are a handful of those plastic "push rivet" things and a few screws. You also need to take out a few push-rivet things on the front side of each wheel-well (where it meets up with the bumper cover) and the four push-rivets on the top (between the headlights). The "hardest" part is that there is a semi-hidden bolt on each side of the bumper cover, where it meets up with the fender - which I usually undo from where the wheel-well cover used to meet with the bumper cover (after you've removed the push-rivets. It's right behind a "slide to remove" metal post on each side. Once you get those 2 bolts out, you basically just "slide" the whole bumper cover forward and it comes right off. Once you've done it once, you'll see what I mean - it's easier than it sounds - but those 2 semi-hidden bolts took me a few minutes to find the first time.

I'll see if I have a picture from the service manual - it may help. Will edit this post with the pic shortly.

EDIT: Here you go - the #4 's are the screws on the bottom of the bumper cover. The "semi-hidden" bolts are the #2 's. Hope this helps:

The one time that I did remove the grilles from the bumper cover (to replace them with black versions), I remember having a hard time getting them out ever *after* taking the bumper cover off and having access to the back (when those pictures where taken)! That's why I say that it would be *really* hard to get them out without removing the bumper cover - because of how hard it was even with the bumper cover removed!

 

I was tring to mount an led light bar behind one of these grilles, but it seems harder than i thought.....anybody ever install lights like these in here?

QUOTE=2014LTDLTZ;3618538]Good morning, all. Soliciting your individual and collective wisdoms on the best/most efficient way to remove the upper and lower front grilles on the 2014 Impala Limited......WITHOUT removing the bumper cover.

Near as I can ascertain, these things are held in with a combination of tabs and body clips. For the upper grille there is a top cover which is easy enough to remove to get some access. Next, remove both headlights. How are the clips on the grilles most efficiently disengaged (without breaking them)?

What am I missing? What is/are the best tool(s) for the job? Thanks in advance for your assistance![/QUOTE]

 

Hi Jimmy - an update on my original post.

Short answer: undress the front end like JT suggests. It IS a little more involved than I wanted to do, BUT it did give me unfettered access to install an aftermarket trans cooler. Looking back on it, I don't think I could have done it any other way. With the major pieces in place (e.g., bumper cover, etc.) even IF I had been able to somehow remove the grilles from the outside, there would have been very little/no room for me to do what I wanted/needed.

Get in touch with your Impala and remove the bumper cover as advised.