Bodge needed

[boyabouttown]

My z4 had the rear reflectors removed and looks like they trimmed the clips to just leave an open aperture. There is nothing there now to clip new reflectors onto, so any ideas on how i can hold the new reflectors in place.

 

[Jasonn]

Mega bodge would be mastic - i used it to fix a number plate onto my old toyota - worked a treated it snapped when someone tried to nick thecnumber plates

 

[Jasonn]

Could also use those 3m sticky pads you get for a dashcam - you normally get spares when you buy a camera.

DON'T use "No More Nails" its not flexible and falls off

 

[Deepseaskateboard]

My z4 had the rear reflectors removed and looks like they trimmed the clips to just leave an open aperture. There is nothing there now to clip new reflectors onto, so any ideas on how i can hold the new reflectors in place.

Post a picture of it, it’s hard to visualise.

 

[Mikopop]

Clear silicone

 

[Stash36]

Are you sure your not missing an inner shroud the reflector clips into? Could you superglue all around the edge perhaps

 

[boyabouttown]

 

[Nictrix]

Looking at the 2 pics it looks like the indicator holds itself in by the clips and nothing else will be needed.

 

[mr.tourette]

Does look to me like there's something missing it clips into..have you checked schematics in real oem? Also cannot understand why on earth someone would remove them and leave that unsightly mess

I think as mentioned above if a bodge is needed then clear silicone is the way to go

 

[mcbutler]

Mastic sealants come in many grades and guises.
Straight silicone will fail in an oudoor environment and any solvent based gunk will likely damage your bumpers etc.
For plastic I would recommend STIXALL - comes in a black tube either clear or white.
Its super sticky on plastics (and most other stuff) long lasting, totally waterproof and has great grab
(so your bits wont fall off while its drying fnar fnar).....
Around £5 a tube in B&Q.

 

[mr.tourette]

Mastic sealants come in many grades and guises.
Straight silicone will fail in an oudoor environment and any solvent based gunk will likely damage your bumpers etc.
For plastic I would recommend STIXALL - comes in a black tube either clear or white.
Its super sticky on plastics (and most other stuff) long lasting, totally waterproof and has great grab
(so your bits wont fall off while its drying fnar fnar).....
Around £5 a tube in B&Q.

Good recommendation, Ill put that one in my garage notebook

 

[Deepseaskateboard]

Mastic sealants come in many grades and guises.
Straight silicone will fail in an oudoor environment and any solvent based gunk will likely damage your bumpers etc.
For plastic I would recommend STIXALL - comes in a black tube either clear or white.
Its super sticky on plastics (and most other stuff) long lasting, totally waterproof and has great grab
(so your bits wont fall off while its drying fnar fnar).....
Around £5 a tube in B&Q.

Good recommendation, Ill put that one in my garage notebook

You can get a clean edge with something like this:
beisuosi 3 in 1 Silicone caulking Tool, Sealant Finishing Tool Grout Scraper, Reuse and Replace 6 Silicone Pads, Great Tools for Kitchen Bathroom Window（11PCS） https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZCVW2C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K0A8VC0R15VF5DXDWFGD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They are also called fuji scrapers I believe…

The issue with this, is that those reflectors are probably under an intense amount of air pressure at speed, and since they are so thin, they may not have sufficient adhesion to stay attached.

Perhaps you can stick a plastic backing plate to the inside of the bumper, and attach the reflectors to that?

Looks like it would be a bumper off job though and less of a bodge.

You could try to stick them around the edges, but be prepared to replace them again.

 

[boyabouttown]

Thanks for all the suggestions, going with a thin bendy piece off sheet steel, cut bigger than the hole, stixall or similar to inside of bumper, then carefully remove clips from reflector and silicone into place.

 

[mcbutler]

Mastic sealants come in many grades and guises.
Straight silicone will fail in an oudoor environment and any solvent based gunk will likely damage your bumpers etc.
For plastic I would recommend STIXALL - comes in a black tube either clear or white.
Its super sticky on plastics (and most other stuff) long lasting, totally waterproof and has great grab
(so your bits wont fall off while its drying fnar fnar).....
Around £5 a tube in B&Q.

Good recommendation, Ill put that one in my garage notebook

You can get a clean edge with something like this:
beisuosi 3 in 1 Silicone caulking Tool, Sealant Finishing Tool Grout Scraper, Reuse and Replace 6 Silicone Pads, Great Tools for Kitchen Bathroom Window（11PCS） https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZCVW2C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_K0A8VC0R15VF5DXDWFGD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They are also called fuji scrapers I believe…

The issue with this, is that those reflectors are probably under an intense amount of air pressure at speed, and since they are so thin, they may not have sufficient adhesion to stay attached.

Perhaps you can stick a plastic backing plate to the inside of the bumper, and attach the reflectors to that?

Looks like it would be a bumper off job though and less of a bodge.

You could try to stick them around the edges, but be prepared to replace them again.

The lightness of the reflector helps with adhesion, and regardless, if you use stixall its not coming off - period

 

[Nictrix]

Seriously are you not all overthinking this, does one side not just hook into the bumper and then its pushed into place with the spring clip holding it in.
I dont know this for sure but looking at the reflector thats what it looks like to me.

 

[mr.tourette]

Seriously are you not all overthinking this, does one side not just hook into the bumper and then its pushed into place with the spring clip holding it in.
I dont know this for sure but looking at the reflector thats what it looks like to me.

Maybe Im not looking at it right but I cant see where those clips will go? To me it just looks like they would be sitting in a void

 

[Nictrix]

Seriously are you not all overthinking this, does one side not just hook into the bumper and then its pushed into place with the spring clip holding it in.
I dont know this for sure but looking at the reflector thats what it looks like to me.

Maybe Im not looking at it right but I cant see where those clips will go? To me it just looks like they would be sitting in a void

To me it just clips to the bumper itself, a bit like the non-lci side indicators, they just clip onto the wing.

 

[mr.tourette]

Seriously are you not all overthinking this, does one side not just hook into the bumper and then its pushed into place with the spring clip holding it in.
I dont know this for sure but looking at the reflector thats what it looks like to me.

Maybe Im not looking at it right but I cant see where those clips will go? To me it just looks like they would be sitting in a void

To me it just clips to the bumper itself, a bit like the non-lci side indicators, they just clip onto the wing.

If they just clip in why is OP wanting to bodge them

 

[Nictrix]

Maybe Im not looking at it right but I cant see where those clips will go? To me it just looks like they would be sitting in a void

To me it just clips to the bumper itself, a bit like the non-lci side indicators, they just clip onto the wing.

If they just clip in why is OP wanting to bodge them

Dont know, I havnt read that they have been attempted to be fitted.
It would be good to see a pic of the reflectors next to or in the hole to see if anything else is needed.

 

[mr.tourette]

Ok, just been out and had a look under the bumper on exhaust side.. you can definitely see a black plastic fitting it clips into also should have metallic tangs on the 2 big clips to secure it into the fitting

Pic lifted from an ebay ad showing missing part it clips into