I realized today that my lower mesh grill had a dent in it... kind of looks like I hit a baseball or something. I looks really ugly at the moment so I was thinking of pulling it out and driving without it.

Those mesh grilles are really easy to bend. Take it off & try reforming it yourself.

It did it's job. The dent could have been in your HE. Heiss is right, bend it back out and reinstall it. Or you could always get one from somebody who is parting a car out too. Don't run without it.
My $.02

I would keep it installed. First rock into the IC at 80MPH could do more damage than good. It's pretty soft metal. I've thought about making a tighter mesh for more protection.

It very simply to remove. Pull it away from the front end and straighten out. Clip back in and enjoy.

W211 E63, no IC.


You can probably bend it back without having to take it out it's that easy to bend.

Didn't catch the 63 part.

I've attached a photo of the damage and it's location. Is it still fixable?

It is very flexible, and if you break the clips pulling the mesh out, you can buy replacement clips from the dealer.

if you have a angled pic you should be able to pull it back out evenly.

Yes. Carefully unclip it from the bumper, bend a reform by hand, then reattach. It may end up a tad wavy, so just make small adjustments and be careful you don't bend it too far.

I had a piece of tread pretty much bend my grille right down the middle, but I was able to reform it just fine.

Before you clip it back in just put it in place best you can and look at it outside with the sun leaving a slight shadow across it, then look at it at different angles to tell if it is smooth looking, or if it still has dents or bulges. Then make small pulls with angled pick. Hard to judge in bright inside light or direct sunlight. A covered carport works best for me.

so to remove the grill i just pull it out from the front? No bumper removal necessary?

You may want to try and slightly pry open the first one or two clips to help make it easier and avoid breaking a clip

push from the back

It's held on by C-clips. wrap a pair of pliers with electrical tape and take a small screw driver to open the c-clips a bit. As with any project, get a flashlight and inspect every nook and cranny before you start prying. Just makes things a bit easier. It pulls out from the front of the vehicle, no need to remove the bumper.

When you start forcing things, you start breaking things.

You do not need to remove the lower grill to repair most dents. Take a hook and pick set (sold at Sears for $6.99) and slowly and gradually pull each honeycomb cell out. Do not pull too much and change the pull position often. Best result if you pull the wire intersections X as opposed to individual wires.


I had 2 dents when I bough mine, and it took me 15 minutes to get the job done. Looks like brand new! Do not use crooked pliers as they can chip black paint. Hope this helps.