Has anyone tried the Hood Protector PN: 82 11 0 417 928? How does it attach to the hood? The picture on the BMW website is so small that you cannot tell! The Nose Bra notes that it won't fit the 2011 so that is not an alternative.
Received one reply on another website. The protector clamps on was the answer to fitment. Is there no one else out there who has one?
Maybe not what you're looking for, but Bavauto.com has those invisible front shield films - go to http://www.bavauto.com , enter in your car, and navigate to Exterior - Accessories - Front End Protection
don't care for the clear "saran wrap" plastic. I actually wanted a standard Nose or hood bra that I could take on and off as needed. Nobody has those either due to the 2011 face lift.
I hope you're not talking about those horrible black vinyl covers. Oh sure, an ugly black bra will protect against rock chips - for a price. The problem with some of these is that they don't allow your paint to "breathe." What they do instead is trap moisture underneath the bra. When you run your engine, this also heats the hood of the vehicle, as well as any moisture molecules trapped between the hood surface and the underside of the bra. With no place to go, the heated moisture starts to slowly eat away at your paint's clearcoat. It takes years of bra use to do this, but eventually, what you wind up with is a hood with peeling clearcoat, and possibly peeling paint as well. The only solution that remains is to repaint the entire vehicle, as the uncovered portion of the vehicle paint has cured at a different rate from the covered portion of the hood and wouldn't match a repainted hood. To call it "saran wrap" shows a complete lack of knowledge of what it really is. It's not "saran wrap", or anything related to it. It's a transparent polymer that protects against rock chips, yet doesn't yellow, peel, or bubble if applied properly, and allows your paint to breathe and age normally. If you can't tell it's been applied from the rest of the vehicle, the installer applied it correctly. Best of all, it's removable without damaging your vehicle's paint. The good stuff is made by 3M, and despite what the website says, most experts don't recommend you try to install this yourself. The film is very large and difficult for one person to handle and apply evenly. It's actually worth it to pay an expert to save you the hassle and frustration of installing it. It is possible to protect your vehicle from rock chips without sacrificing your paint. http://invisiblemask.com/site.html I'm not affiliated with this website or the company it represents, and share it only to educate you on what 21st century owners are putting on those cars instead of ugly black bras from the 70's and 80's. Why not throw a padded roof, whitewalls, an upright grille and wire hubcaps on your X5 while you're at it? Just kidding.
I hear you and I know all the pitfalls of the dreaded vinyl bra. I don't like anything on the front end of my vehicles; however, in my area of central Pennsylvania, snow or ice or even a dusting brings out the trucks to spread a mixture of pea gravel (aka antiskid material) and a tablespoon of salt per truckload. By putting a good coat of wax on the front end before putting the bra on and, of course, removing the bra when the vehicle is back in the garage, there is no damage to the paint. OTH, leave it on forever and you're asking for a paint job. Is it a pain in the butt, yes. But it does protect the front end. And it meets my temporary need. I've used the nose mask as some call it on a Corvette, Saleen Mustang, M3, etc with no ill effects. Naturally, they don't see much snow and ice driving. And now that I am retired and have the X5, I don't have the requirement to drive in the freakin' snow unless I want to which will result in only needing the bra here and there. BTW, I did not know that the plastic was breathable; I still don't like the look as apparently you don't like the "bra look." I was thinking of some wide whites and wire rims and a big boom box and....
What's not to like about an invisible bra if you can't see it? Throw in a set of those 13-inch roller skate rims sticking out past your wheel wells to complete the "inner-city goombah" look.
No...24's with 35 series tires. Wait a second - I live in hillbilly country so I'm keeping it stock with my sport 19's.
I assume it's like the one BMW sells for the old X3 which requires gluing two "catches" and three silicone "bumpers" to the hood surface as well as several "clamps" along the leading edge of the hood that hold brackets. The clamps have screws that can mar the paint but I've been able to successfully remove the glued-on parts on X3s even after they've been attached for several years. I'd ask your dealer for a set of installation instructions. They should be able to provide them even if they don't stock the part.
I've been told that it "clamps on" without any further explanation by a member on another website. I have asked the dealer and 4 BMW parts folks who advertise in the Roundel for an install sheet. They tell me that they do not have one and that it must be in the box along with the hood protector. None of them have the part in stock so they are very sorry that they cannot help. Not one of them had any idea how the protector was mounted. I have had hood protectors on my pickup trucks and, in the past, on an Explorer and a Mountaneer. They were mounted to the hood by screws on the underside of the hood. My X5 has 4 holes at the base of the hood (under the kidney grills); it seemed to me to be there in the even that a hood protector was to be mounted. What a mystery for such a simple matter!!
I just remembered that I am a member of the BMW "Inner Circle." So I log in and write to the customer service people. WHAT A JOKE! They write back, please contact your dealer's parts department for that information. The sweethearts did not have the desire to take one extra step and talk to the main head shed to find out the answer. The Parts Guys have no idea unless they had the part in stock and were willing to open it to look at the part or the instructions. None that I called or emailed had the part in stock.
There are instructions for many installations available on-line to the dealership. I don't know if this is one of them, or not. I'm happy to check but you might ask your dealership parts manager to check for you or get a copy from NA. Or call BMW Customer Service and tell them you're not having any luck getting information on a BMW accessory for your BMW and see where that gets you.
I've been told that there are no instructions online for the hood protector by several parts managers. I emailed Customer Service and received a "hand off" of the football; calling will probably give me the same answer. I ordered the part from my dealership where I bought my X5 and they told me that if I'm not happy with the fit or attachment that I could return it; so I'm going to take the "chance."
Well I ordered the hood protector with the proviso that if it was not right that I could return it. My dealer (Sun Motors, Mechanicsburg PA) was very nice, as always, and said no problem. Picked it up yesterday and tried to install it today. Long story short; it's back with BMW and I have a refund. The protector had cutouts for the roundel and the kidney grill. Nylon bumpers are applied to the hood (4) at strategic points. The protector mounts via mini blocks and plastic pins attached to the protector; pieces of adhesive plastic are applied to the edges of the hood to protect it from the small metal "L's" that are screwed into the blocks with one end under the hood which when tighted applies pressure to the metal to hold the protector on. Made in Canada. Instructions clear and PRINTED in 2006. Could not align the hood protector on the hood with the cutouts directly in front of what they were cutout to show. And the four predrilled holes in the bottom of the hood were not used at all! How disappointing. You would think that if a part is listed in a BMW catalog that it was tested to fit and not *** U ME D to fit cause the aftermarket guy said it would. Even Harley Davidson products made in the US or China or Germany or wherever, if it says it will fit then, by god, it will fit the model it was made for. Is that too much to ask for from BMW?:
No replies or comments? I guess that I was the only fool who bought and tried the nose bra and the hood protector. Anyway, by the number of lookers, I hope I spared some from the temptation to buy and the waste of time attempting to install them and pickup + return.
It seems your choices are down to a vinyl bra or "invisible" paint protection. Both have their advantages at their price points, compared to refinishing rock chips.
Tried the BMW vinyl bra and it was also NO GOOD for the 2011. I will deal with the potential for pebble damage on a yearly basis with the experts at my BMW dealer's body shop with minor touchups by yours truly in between.
My son tells me the same "joke" about the guys in New York (LI area). Here in Central PA, Sun Motors, Mechanicsburg, are really good. Maybe it's the small town demeanor or that we all carry personal protection.
I am awaiting delivery of my 530e (to replace a 330e) in Bluestone metallic. I am thinking of getting one of the paint protection films applied to the front of the car. Suntek Ultra and LLumar Platinum (same thing) seem to get the best reviews that I have seen. XPEL and 3M get good reviews also but are not hydrophobic. Personally, I don't want a bra on my car but everyone is different.
