So, the color I wanted was in Texas, where they use front license plates. Consequently, my new S2K, which the dealer in Santa Fe had trucked in, was ready for front plates and without the bumper plugs -- but that's OK, they're getting them for me.

What's not OK is that the nuts for the plate screws (or whatever's inside the bumper) are there only for one side -- meaning that those on the other side are loose and rattling around in there. In the order of the universe and all, this is no big deal, but a new car shouldn't have things rattling around, even if I can't hear them.

Any suggestions about what to do short of removing the ^#%$@ bumper? (The dealer's about 45 miles away, so that's a possibility, of course.) Thanks, HPH

 

Do you think you will ever need to remove those bumper plugs and attach the plate bracket? If not and if it were me, I would shoot a little clear silicone seal in there** and stick that plug on. This will stop any rattles once it cures. If you ever decide to use that plate frame or if the next owner needs to, THEN take the bumper off and fix it right. Silicone is soft enough that it isn't considered "permanent".

** Try to avoid getting it into the threaded hole. See if you can partially thread a long bolt in there to hold it and support it while you do the silicone. If you can secure the bolt for a couple of hours till the silicone cures before putting the plug in, this will be icing on the cake.
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Second scenario:
Can you even see the nut device? If not, it'll fall out of the bumper eventually.

 

Hmm, DrC, I don't think bumper removal is too big a deal. It's a lot of small bolts (well, at least the '00-'03 bumper was), but I think it's doable.

Do you have a shop/helms manual, DrC?

 

Hmmm...good suggestion, xv -- I can't see the loose one, but I may be able to fish around for it with a bent coat hanger or something and stick it back in place with good old silicone.

And I've got a shop manual on order, so I'll be ready for the surgery should it come to that. Thanks for the encouragement! HPH

 

If you really want to do something about it before the shop manual comes, here is a pictorial of how to take the front bumper off:
http://www.ricks2k.com/info/instructions/diffuser.pdf
Your '05 bumper won't be much different to get off.

 

For the record: I just got the shop manual (covers all years), and there's a separate page for the front bumper removal for 04-05s. More fasteners, including (grump, grump some more) some clips (the kind with the pull-out centers). So Rick's instructions are close, but inexact for the AP2s. HPH