Greetings. I was cleaning the underside of my trunk area and noticed the bolts to the back bumper underneath were spinning freely. Not being mechanically inclined, I thought they needed to be tightened. They didn't tighten. Well that got me checking other panels and low and behold I found a few loose ones.

So, is this a DIY project, or one I should take to the dealership? Since it's out of warranty, I'm fine with paying if need be to get everything tight on the outside of the car. But if it's not too difficult, I'd be willing to try.

If it's a DIY, can anyone explain the steps? I looked around the internet but haven't seen anything.

Thanks, Ron

 

Go ahead and tighten them. Use common sense and tighten everything that is lose. If it's a bolt or screw holding a plastic retainer clip make sure it's snug. Don't over tighten it because you can crack/break the retainer. Be careful of the brake lines. Make sure the retainers are snug but don't over tighten them. You are not going to hurt anything by tightening up loose bolts.

Also remember to use the right tool for the job. A ratchet and sockets work best. Stay away from using a crescent wrench unless you like rounding off bolts. Second best tool is a typical closed end wrench set.

Have fun and know that you will most likely do a better job that the parts changers at the dealerships. I can't call them mechanics because a mechanic can diagnose a problem. The modern computer age cars have a diagnosis system that tells the parts changer what parts are bad and need replaced.

 

I did use a ratchet, but it never tightened, just kept spinning. Perhaps the retainer clips are busted? Are those easy to get to?

 

You may be tightening a bolt with a nut on the back side. If so, simply put a wrench on the nut to hold it in place while you tighten the bolt with the socket - if you can get to it that is. Can't give you much more help than that without knowing exactly which bolts are loose. This is most definitely a DIY job.

 

Sometimes - not often, but SOMETIMES - you can grab the bolt head with vise-grips and pull it enough that the friction of the nut on the other side will allow you to turn the wrench and tighten it. Another way to do this is to put a screwdriver under the bolt head and pry while you use a ratchet or other wrench to turn the bolt. If it's your lucky day, the nut will have either a lock washer or a high-friction mating surface that will "bite" and you'll be able to gradually tighten the bolt and eventually you can even fully torque it without pulling or prying anymore. This is a technique that requires finesse, not BFFI*, so be patient, careful, and hopeful. Good luck.

* Brute Force and F*&^ing Ignorance.

 

Ron, if after following the advice of the guys here you can't tighten the bolts then consider taking it to a good auto body shop. They deal with this stuff everyday and will almost certainly be cheaper than a dealership.