453 Arch Panel Removal

Remove the front bumper so you can access a bolt later on. Open the door and look at the lower part of the door shut. These bolts are 10mm with a Torx30 inside. You can use either size tools to remove them.

Look to the top of the door shut to the black triangle in front of the wing mirrors. There’s a plastic rivet, lever this forwards with a trim tool. Then pull the entire part out.

The plastic cover can now be pulled directly from the car. It’s just clipped in.

Underneath is another 10mm/Torx30 bolt to remove.

At the back of the wheel arch there’s another plastic rivet.

Again, with a trim tool, lever the centre out and then pull the whole clip out.

Remove the bonnet (service panel) and look at the bottom corners of the windscreen.

Pull these rubber covers upwards to remove them.

Underneath you’ll find a Torx30 bolt to remove.

On the inside leading edge of the arch panel you’ll find another pair of Torx30 bolts to remove.

Between the 2 previous bolts, at the base of the scuttle panel is a foam piece…

… that can be pulled out to reveal…

…another 10mm/Torx30 bolt to remove.

Open the door slightly. Just behind the side indicator you’ll see a black clip. It makes life a lot easier if you put a trim tool or flat blade screw driver in between the clip and panel. It opens the clip up enough to allow the panel to be pulled sideways to unclip it.

Once the panel has cleared the clip…

…reach up under the panel and disconnect the indicator bulb holders by twisting them a quarter turn.

Look at the front edge of the wing, just below the the headlight.

Another two Torx30 bolt to remove.

With that final bolt removed, the wing can be removed from the car.

Job done.