How to take off radiator cover?

[clevernickname]

Hope I'm allowed to post this here. I think radiator cover is what it is called?

The cover at the front of the engine that has like 8 clips or so. How do you take those clips off and the whole cover off? Never done anything like this before.

My friend has a tool he bought that he used for his radiator cover but it's a 2012 mazda 3, are they all mostly the same?

I'm just trying to put a piece of cardboard in so I can plastidip the front horse without any extra getting into the radiator...

Couldn't find any videos online.

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[Pony15]

Just remove the 8 clips, first extract the center, then all the clip.

 

[clevernickname]

But..how? lol be patient with me..

 

[Reds197]

See the pic.

 

[clevernickname]

You can just pull it out by hand?

 

[Pony15]

You can just pull it out by hand?

No, use a small, flat screwdriver. Pull at the same time, do not pull to hard!

 

[Pony15]

When the center is like in the picture you can pull it out by hand

 

[Tommy V]

When the center is like in the picture you can pull it out by hand

Yes use a pic or really small screwdriver to pry the middle section up,once up u can pull the clip ok buy hand.

 

[DarkSubRosa]

Mine were pretty difficult to unclick at first enough to remove. I used only the plastic interior removal tools so I didn't do a lot of damage to the cover trying to pry them up since that plastic will dent and scratch pretty easily.

 

[clevernickname]

Thank you very much. Sorry very new to this.

What is this "plastic interior removal tool" you speak of?

If i break the clip, how bad is that.

 

[Chameleon]

I use this.

 

[DarkSubRosa]

I've got a set of these. Basically has a tool like Chameleon posted that you can use to pry up the clip without snapping the edge off by using a screwdriver.

 

[clevernickname]

If I use a screwdriver it'll snap off?

 

[Millgeo5]

If I use a screwdriver it'll snap off?

Just don't use much force just get the center section up enough to grab it with your fingernails it pulls up easy once started

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