When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
After weeeeks of spraying and soaking, there's no way I can screw out the screws...and get the lenses off to replace bulbs, or the cracked lenses even.
And..IIRC, to replace the body you have to pull the bumper, right? Ugh.
How about drilling off the screw head, pull the lens half, and get better access for penetrant AND better grip on the screw shaft to work them out.
They simply refuse to budge..and im near starting to strip the heads.
I have a spare full assembly here, and the bolts with it had all of the corrosion on the upper 1/2 of the screw that is NOT in threads of the base housing. Which leads me to think that that corrosion has the bolt mechanically stuck/locked to the lens housing plastic. The screw threads that were in the base housing, were fine.
Which is why I wonder about drilling off the screw heads and then pulling out the rest of the threaded screw where there should be no corrosion, and just buy new screws....SS goddamned screws.
Don't have to remove the bumper on an S4 to get the front fog assembly out. It is the two screws on each side behind 15 (medial lens piece) and 17 (rubber guard - pop the insert out). The other screws on the assembly are for adjusting the reflector.
If the heads are not try stripped you should be ok. I have always found a hand impact driver with the correct Phillips bit will get those corroded screws out. The banging may break a bulb filament at worst.
To get rear backing out just undo couple of nuts. You do have to remove wheel liner to access connector to loom - no need to remove bumper!
When reinstalling use smear of anti-seize on the 4 machine screws. Will come out easily in future.
Don't have to remove the bumper on an S4 to get the front fog assembly out. It is the two screws on each side behind 15 (medial lens piece) and 17 (rubber guard - pop the insert out). The other screws on the assembly are for adjusting the reflector.
That's the lens and reflector assembly, secured to the back housing. Those are the stuck fasteners. The question was removing the back housing, secured to the bumper by nuts and washers 8, 9 in the parts drawing.
Originally Posted by StratfordShark
If the heads are not try stripped you should be ok. I have always found a hand impact driver with the correct Phillips bit will get those corroded screws out. The banging may break a bulb filament at worst.
To get rear backing out just undo couple of nuts. You do have to remove wheel liner to access connector to loom - no need to remove bumper!
When reinstalling use smear of anti-seize on the 4 machine screws. Will come out easily in future.
Adrian
Interesting, thanks! I tried to get to those nuts with the bumper cover in place, couldn't reach them. I wound up leaving it in place and switching the wires around in the plug (I was changing from US-spec to Euro fog lights).
Jeff, that car hasn't been driven in the rain, has it?
I just changed out both fog light assemblies in my 89 S4. You have to remove the glass lenses to get to the nuts that hold the assembly to the bumper. There is a nut at each corner, the the assembly comes out and unplug the assembly from the loom.
I had to drill out the Phillips heads, remove the lenses, to get to the nuts in the back corners of each assembly.
That's the lens and reflector assembly, secured to the back housing. Those are the stuck fasteners. The question was removing the back housing, secured to the bumper by nuts and washers 8, 9 in the parts drawing.
Interesting, thanks! I tried to get to those nuts with the bumper cover in place, couldn't reach them. I wound up leaving it in place and switching the wires around in the plug (I was changing from US-spec to Euro fog lights).
Jeff, that car hasn't been driven in the rain, has it?
By prev owners, pretty sure owner #2 didnt much, owner #1 MAY have, but its the 7yrs it sat under a tree by owner #1 that cost the paint finish and these screws i sure.
I just changed out both fog light assemblies in my 89 S4. You have to remove the glass lenses to get to the nuts that hold the assembly to the bumper. There is a nut at each corner, the the assembly comes out and unplug the assembly from the loom.
I had to drill out the Phillips heads, remove the lenses, to get to the nuts in the back corners of each assembly.
Yup..that's what I thought, take out the screw heads.
Assuming the bodies of the 4 screws came out of the rear housing pretty easy after that...
Now..does anyone have new seals for the S3 or S4 fog lights?
Definitely remove the screw heads.. once you take the fronts off (lenses and grey plastic surround) you will expose the bolts inside the main housing (behind the reflectors) and be able to remove them from the bumper to get the corroded screws out on the bench.
I tried to unscrew the stuck ones on the car and it tore the plastic ear off the corner that holds the brass threaded boss for the screws - and the repair suddenly got trickier.. had to make a replacement tab out of aluminium with a nut on the back of it.
12-13-2015, 01:59 AM
S4 fog light assembly woes...
