IND Painted Reflector Installation Procedure

[Rxpert]

@IND

I have an M3 on order in San Marino Blue & this is one of the first mods I want to do once I take delivery.

I've been searching your website & found both front/rear reflectors, but don't see San Marino Blue on either reflector colour selection drop down list.

Can you PM me if this colour is available? Cost? And how would I go about ordering?

Thanks in advance

[saveywil1]

Originally Posted by IND-Distribution

Yes, we have done that color a couple of times.

Also great choice, its stunning.

I was scrolling through this thread to see if these were available! Will be ordering!

[F80girl]

I ordered these from you guys and attempted step 3 of pulling the reflector out....?!?!?!?!?!?! How the heck do you do this? I have a 2018. I cannot feel a lip to even put a pry bar underneath to pull this off. Can you please help with more detail on how to remove the reflector?

[IND-Distribution]

Originally Posted by F80girl

I ordered these from you guys and attempted step 3 of pulling the reflector out....?!?!?!?!?!?! How the heck do you do this? I have a 2018. I cannot feel a lip to even put a pry bar underneath to pull this off. Can you please help with more detail on how to remove the reflector?

Best is to heat up the back side of the reflector with a heat gun or hair dryer. Careful to not keep the heat too long in one spot however.

This should give you a little give on putting the pry tool between the reflector and bumper.

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by F80girl

I ordered these from you guys and attempted step 3 of pulling the reflector out....?!?!?!?!?!?! How the heck do you do this? I have a 2018. I cannot feel a lip to even put a pry bar underneath to pull this off. Can you please help with more detail on how to remove the reflector?

Like other have said - a hair dryer is a must to heat up the adhesive and make it pop off easier. Instead of using a pry tool, I recommend simply pressing on the reflector starting with the top corner until it starts to come loose. Once it starts to break away its easy to continue peeling it off.

These things are on there really good though so just be patient and keep working it with some pressure and the hair dryer.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Rxpert

@IND

I have an M3 on order in San Marino Blue & this is one of the first mods I want to do once I take delivery.

I've been searching your website & found both front/rear reflectors, but don't see San Marino Blue on either reflector colour selection drop down list.

Can you PM me if this colour is available? Cost? And how would I go about ordering?

Thanks in advance

My wife wants a pair of painted front reflectors for her Individual San Marino Blue M3. Euro Delivery is on 7/18 and the car will be stateside probably mid-September. I'll probably order sometime in August.

I have the Sakhir Orange ones on my M4.

[F80girl]

Thanks everyone for the info! I have a heat gun and will try that this weekend! Ill let you know how it goes/ post pictures.

[Rxpert]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

My wife wants a pair of painted front reflectors for her Individual San Marino Blue M3. Euro Delivery is on 7/18 and the car will be stateside probably mid-September. I'll probably order sometime in August.

I have the Sakhir Orange ones on my M4.

FYI, despite not being listed on the IND website, I contacted them regarding San Marino Blue and they do paint that color. I'm going to be ordering mine shortly & will post pics/feedback on how well the color matches (in like 2-3 months because I'm spending a month in Europe for ED and then have to wait for the car to come back).

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Rxpert

FYI, despite not being listed on the IND website, I contacted them regarding San Marino Blue and they do paint that color. I'm going to be ordering mine shortly & will post pics/feedback on how well the color matches (in like 2-3 months because I'm spending a month in Europe for ED and then have to wait for the car to come back).

Great! Thanks for the response! I'm looking foward to seeing them!

Same here, our trip will be three weeks, ending in Paris for our 25th anniversary. Our car just entered production this morning!

[SinatraM]

jeez these were a PITA lol

[allinon72]

Working smarter equals taking the wheels and half of the inner fender liner out. The extra 10 minutes makes things much easier, especially if you have the camera there.

[plillehoj]

IND, can you send me a quote for reflectors in Alpine White shipped to 48823? Thanks.

[NPuter]

Installed mine (well only one side) yesterday. HUGE PITA even with taking my wheel off and removing the fender liner. Even with using a heat gun, I was afraid I'd hurt the bumper with how much force it was taking to break the glue.
I ended up being about to get a piece of fishing line through a gap I created (going through the reflector cutout) and used that to then saw away the adhesive. If doing this, you have to be extremely careful that the line doesn't touch the painted front edge of the reflector cutout, because that would destroy it (I beat up the back edge pretty good doing this, but that makes no difference). With being really careful to keep the line only touching the reflector up front, it made the job a whole lot easier.

You can see I did not hurt any visible parts at all using this method. Although it did have me extremely nervous...

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[scoobystas]

very happy with IND, great communication and my champagne quartz reflector deletes blend in perfectly. thanks!!

install fairly easy, turn the wheel, remove the 3 bolts, get a hot blow dryer, warm up existing glue that is behind the bumper buy moving dryer around your orange reflector. Pull back fender liner, support bumper from inside and push orange flector into the bumper, it'll come out, its hard but it comes out.

I used wd40 on the inside of the bumper to remove glue residue, put the new ones in, looks great!

[Djdnav]

Thanks for the DIY iND!

I don’t get why so many folks have issues with this install. I did both sides in about 20 minutes with the car on the ground, and only removing 3 fender liner bolts.

['Cane]

Imola

[ctdw]

Hair dryer is the key...couldn't really get a pry tool in there with the camera in the way so used heat loosen adhesive and then get corner started by pushing in.

Grigio Telesto...

[shay2nak]

Any issues with PPF and heating the area?

[figure99]

Originally Posted by shay2nak

Any issues with PPF and heating the area?

No issues as long as you are careful... I used an industrial heat gun on low and my entire front is covered in PPF. I took the wheels off, removed the camera and sensor, and covered nearby wires with a good towel to help insulate them just in case. I applied heat from the inside of the wheel-well.

I definitely needed the heat gun... had a hell of a time with mine, perhaps because my car is relatively new, or they used some type of unicorn glue for 2018. I applied some heat, used a solvent, and a nylon pry tool... had to keep doing all three in increments of 30 seconds or so. Whole process took me nearly 2 hours... although I was very careful. Car looks perfect.

[Rxpert]

Finally got around to getting rid of those stock reflectors.

Originally I was second guessing doing this mod because I thought it wouldn't make much of a difference. I couldn't have been more wrong, car looks SO MUCH BETTER with the painted reflectors!

Thanks out to IND for this DIY guide as well as an awesome job color matching my San Marino Blue machine

Edit: Not sure what all the fuss was about this being a difficult mod & needing to take off the wheels. I had a heat gun set to 450'F, let it warm the area for a few minutes and they peel right out. I have the cameras too, not a problem, whole job both sides took ~30 minutes.

[SleepyF82]

So my dealership just told me they couldn’t pass me on inspection because of my color-matched front reflectors 😡. What have you guys done to work around this issue?

[ctdw]

Originally Posted by SleepyF82

So my dealership just told me they couldn’t pass me on inspection because of my color-matched front reflectors 😡. What have you guys done to work around this issue?

That sucks...I have not had an inspection yet and will be moving to NC shortly and will have a year before inspection...hoping this does not come up. I am surprised anyone would really notice this for an inspection.