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Aftermarket (AliExpress) grill and fitting

25K views 141 replies 33 participants last post by  J_P  
#1 · (Edited)
EDIT: In my instructions below, I removed the DAPP radar cover, which includes the heating element. As @Jobe01 pointed out, this will actually fit under the new grille. Do not remove this cover, and you will retain heating functionality!

I know others have already posted about this grille (thanks @CEDDY for bringing it to my attention), but I thought I'd make a post to detail installation, etc.

I ordered mine just over 1 month ago. It shipped quickly, but it was unfortunately sitting at customs for 2 weeks! It was packaged REALLY well, and came with a license plate attachment.

Installation was fairly easy (no bumper removal necessary). I used a pry tool, and did it by myself. Removing the OEM grille is kind of annoying. Some of the clips got stuck on the mounting bracket attached to the car, and it was a bit of a struggle getting them loose. The Ultrasonic sensors are easy to remove/reinstall, but the camera is a little tricky, because of how short the cable is. You have to clip the camera into the grille bracket while mounting the grille!

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned before is that by installing this grille, you lose out on the DAPP radar heating elements. The cable for those plugs directly into the OEM DAPP cover, and will have to be tucked away as it cannot be connected to the aftermarket grille.

Build quality is really good. Mine has no paint defects, but I did scrape it a tiny bit in a non visible area during installation.

The sad state of my OEM grille, with peeling black tape on the surrount, and peeling touch up paint on the silver bits:
Image

Image

Image


OEM grille removed:
Image


Radar cover removed:
Image


Old/new grille:
Image

Image


I covered the DAPP radar heating element wire with plastic/electrical tape, and tucked it behind the bracket:
Image

Image


Installed:
Image

Image
Image
Image

Image

Image


Overall, I really like the clean/aggressive look! It would've been nice if they left the hole to attach the M logo, but it's not a big deal. I might either glue one of my other M logos on there (or maybe order a black one) or just leave it as is.
 
#2 ·
Not sure why the photos aren't showing up. They show up in the editor, and when I click them individually 🤔
 
#4 ·
Ya, I'm not sure why. I deleted them and reuploaded them on i4Talk twice. In the meantime, I just added a redundant link to imgur:


The order of the pictures is the same, so you can see the headings in my first post for context
 
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#7 ·
Until i4Talk pictures load, you can view them on imgur:


I know others have already posted about this grille (thanks @CEDDY for bringing it to my attention), but I thought I'd make a post to detail installation, etc.

I ordered mine just over 1 month ago. It shipped quickly, but it was unfortunately sitting at customs for 2 weeks! It was packaged REALLY well, and came with a license plate attachment.

Installation was fairly easy (no bumper removal necessary). I used a pry tool, and did it by myself. Removing the OEM grille is kind of annoying. Some of the clips got stuck on the mounting bracket attached to the car, and it was a bit of a struggle getting them loose. The Ultrasonic sensors are easy to remove/reinstall, but the camera is a little tricky, because of how short the cable is. You have to clip the camera into the grille bracket while mounting the grille!

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned before is that by installing this grille, you lose out on the DAPP radar heating elements. The cable for those plugs directly into the OEM DAPP cover, and will have to be tucked away as it cannot be connected to the aftermarket grille.

Build quality is really good. Mine has no paint defects, but I did scrape it a tiny bit in a non visible area during installation.

The sad state of my OEM grille, with peeling black tape on the surrount, and peeling touch up paint on the silver bits:
View attachment 43704
View attachment 43703
View attachment 43705

OEM grille removed:
View attachment 43706

Radar cover removed:
View attachment 43707

Old/new grille:
View attachment 43709
View attachment 43708

I covered the DAPP radar heating element wire with plastic/electrical tape, and tucked it behind the bracket:
View attachment 43711
View attachment 43710

Installed:
View attachment 43713
View attachment 43712 View attachment 43714 View attachment 43715
View attachment 43716
View attachment 43717

Overall, I really like the clean/aggressive look! It would've been nice if they left the hole to attach the M logo, but it's not a big deal. I might either glue one of my other M logos on there (or maybe order a black one) or just leave it as is.
It looks good. The only issue I see is no PPF. Will it scratch as easily as the OEM grille? If so, it won't look sharp more than a couple of months.
 
#8 ·
Ya, PPF would be nice, but without a template, it'll be hard to do. My side black trim pieces are also not PPF'ed, and they're definitely worn, but not too bad. I figure if it's really bad, I can just get a new grille down the line. I saw another seller on AliExpress has it listed for 87 CAD + 50ish shipping = ~$100 USD all in
 
#10 ·
#12 ·
Thanks! I know @Jobe01 added the M badge on his grille, maybe I’ll try something similar.

As for PPF, I’m still considering it, but given the price, I might just order a new grille and replace it when it gets worn 😂
 
#14 ·
I don’t think the LCI part is available anywhere yet, but I imagine it’ll cost significantly more than this. You can get this for around $100 USD, including shipping, on AliExpress.

Personally, I like the look of this more than the LCI grille, but that’s subjective.
 
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#15 ·
Very nice. Unfortunately, the loss of the heating for the radar makes it a non-starter for me. DAPP works OK, though?
 
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#16 ·
Ya, it would definitely impact performance in the mountains! DAPP seems to work normally, but I only had about 5 minutes on a city road to test it. Will do more testing and report any issues this weekend.
 
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#18 ·
I've had this grill sitting in my cart for two months now. Just can't pull the trigger knowing the '25 M50
Image
Image

grill looks so much better. We just had the whole front bumper and grill replaced due to an accident. The facility couldn't find any part numbers for it yet or they would have used it instead.
 
#19 ·
I've had this grill sitting in my cart for two months now. Just can't pull the trigger knowing the '25 M50
































grill looks so much better. We just had the whole front bumper and grill replaced due to an accident. The facility couldn't find any part numbers for it yet or they would have used it instead.
Agreed. If I replace mine, would go with OEM and not AliExpress etc.
 
#22 ·
I know others have already posted about this grille (thanks @CEDDY for bringing it to my attention), but I thought I'd make a post to detail installation, etc.

I ordered mine just over 1 month ago. It shipped quickly, but it was unfortunately sitting at customs for 2 weeks! It was packaged REALLY well, and came with a license plate attachment.

Installation was fairly easy (no bumper removal necessary). I used a pry tool, and did it by myself. Removing the OEM grille is kind of annoying. Some of the clips got stuck on the mounting bracket attached to the car, and it was a bit of a struggle getting them loose. The Ultrasonic sensors are easy to remove/reinstall, but the camera is a little tricky, because of how short the cable is. You have to clip the camera into the grille bracket while mounting the grille!

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned before is that by installing this grille, you lose out on the DAPP radar heating elements. The cable for those plugs directly into the OEM DAPP cover, and will have to be tucked away as it cannot be connected to the aftermarket grille.

Build quality is really good. Mine has no paint defects, but I did scrape it a tiny bit in a non visible area during installation.

The sad state of my OEM grille, with peeling black tape on the surrount, and peeling touch up paint on the silver bits:
View attachment 43704
View attachment 43703
View attachment 43705

OEM grille removed:
View attachment 43706

Radar cover removed:
View attachment 43707

Old/new grille:
View attachment 43709
View attachment 43708

I covered the DAPP radar heating element wire with plastic/electrical tape, and tucked it behind the bracket:
View attachment 43711
View attachment 43710

Installed:
View attachment 43713
View attachment 43712 View attachment 43714 View attachment 43715
View attachment 43716
View attachment 43717

Overall, I really like the clean/aggressive look! It would've been nice if they left the hole to attach the M logo, but it's not a big deal. I might either glue one of my other M logos on there (or maybe order a black one) or just leave it as is.
Do you have a link ?
 
#24 ·
I know others have already posted about this grille (thanks @CEDDY for bringing it to my attention), but I thought I'd make a post to detail installation, etc.

I ordered mine just over 1 month ago. It shipped quickly, but it was unfortunately sitting at customs for 2 weeks! It was packaged REALLY well, and came with a license plate attachment.

Installation was fairly easy (no bumper removal necessary). I used a pry tool, and did it by myself. Removing the OEM grille is kind of annoying. Some of the clips got stuck on the mounting bracket attached to the car, and it was a bit of a struggle getting them loose. The Ultrasonic sensors are easy to remove/reinstall, but the camera is a little tricky, because of how short the cable is. You have to clip the camera into the grille bracket while mounting the grille!

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned before is that by installing this grille, you lose out on the DAPP radar heating elements. The cable for those plugs directly into the OEM DAPP cover, and will have to be tucked away as it cannot be connected to the aftermarket grille.

Build quality is really good. Mine has no paint defects, but I did scrape it a tiny bit in a non visible area during installation.

The sad state of my OEM grille, with peeling black tape on the surrount, and peeling touch up paint on the silver bits:
View attachment 43704
View attachment 43703
View attachment 43705

OEM grille removed:
View attachment 43706

Radar cover removed:
View attachment 43707

Old/new grille:
View attachment 43709
View attachment 43708

I covered the DAPP radar heating element wire with plastic/electrical tape, and tucked it behind the bracket:
View attachment 43711
View attachment 43710

Installed:
View attachment 43713
View attachment 43712 View attachment 43714 View attachment 43715
View attachment 43716
View attachment 43717

Overall, I really like the clean/aggressive look! It would've been nice if they left the hole to attach the M logo, but it's not a big deal. I might either glue one of my other M logos on there (or maybe order a black one) or just leave it as is.
OK… sorry- this is going to be a dumb question probably… but why did you remove the stock radar heat/cover? No need to do that- radar waves have no problem going right through the plastic…..

I left my cover on, to retain the heater capability, under the new grille. It all still functions as it should.

for those that doubt me on the radar part- just look at a fighter jet- it’s got a nose cone over the radar dish… and I promise the nose cone isn’t made of some crazy new material…
 
#27 ·
The heater does not, and should not (imo) be removed.

A relatively large portion of my work involves radars.. I have no concerns with leaving the stock plate in place (with the heater installed) and the new grill over the front as far as radar performance is concerned.

the one part I’m still an “unknown” on is how effective the heater will be with the extra plastic in front in the event that portion of the grill ices over, or collects snow. I’m imagining the heating elements are relatively low power… so depending on fitment and conditions,,,the heater could be more effective than stock or less effective..or the same. While I also do deal with structural icing at times at work, it’s not something I deal with regularly.
 
#31 ·
I can't imagine the heat would transfer well enough. As it is, I have had multiple times when heavy snow has stuck to it and blocked ADAS.
 
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#32 · (Edited)
That’s why the gap might actually be more effective… think of it kind of like a yeti cup, or “layering” outdoor wear when skiing/climbing/in the back country…

a condition called “ice bridging” can occur when a single heated surface is exposed to SLD (supercooled liquid droplets).. it’s fairly well documented in aviation with de-icing boots, and older generation bleed air heating systems. Basically, the ice/snow adheres to the leading edge and is then hollowed out, leaving an ice “bubble” just far enough away from the heated surface to stay frozen… a low temp anti-ice system (similar to what’s on our cars) would certainly be susceptible to this condition. A thin layer of air, with a layer of plastic may be enough to prevent that “bubble” from occurring by allowing for the ice to actually develop, as the plastic to be heated, and then “shed” the ice/snow without creating the ice bubble on the secondary surface. But without testing we’ll never really know, and across “all” weather conditions- the heat system on our radar, stock or not, could easily be overwhelmed. The key point here is to know that using acc in poor weather conditions (icing/heavy snow specifically) is typically a very bad idea.
 
#33 ·
Wow, I didn't realize this thread was so active. I actually like the AliExpress grille more than the LCI one, which is great, because it's cheaper, and I don't have to wait

Do you have a link ?
Just search "i4 grille" on AliExpress. There are many sellers. Here's an example: 4 Series I4 Grille For BMW G22 G23 G26 Front CSL Style M4 Grill Auto Racing Grid 2021- xDrive Gran Coupe Cabrio 425i 430i M440i 1 soldC$92.23Extra 5% off with coinsAuto Parts Modification StoreSee previewSimilar items, but just go with the cheapest one (including shipping)

Totally agree. And like I mentioned- I left mine on and the grill installs perfectly.

The gap between the new and old grills may actually improve performance of the heating element if the icing/winter conditions are exceptionally severe.

but then again- If one is using the features of ACC during conditions like that- I question that person’s judgement.
I assumed it wouldn't fit 😱 Actually had no idea this was possible until now. I don't drive my car in the winter anyways, but I might go back and add the cover if I can get it installed without removing the grille, or only unclipping the bottom of it. I feel like it's adequately protected with the new grille though, so snow aside, I'm not concerned about the radar.

Moving the M badge over is pretty simple. It has a single knob on the back, and is actually secured with the same 2 sided automotive quality tape that holds the gps antenna cover on the roof on. I have a roll of that tape (it’s about $10 on Amazon), so I just punched the m badge off the old grill, put the knob between the second level styling, and affixed it with the tape. The trim tape takes about 24 hours to fully cure, but once it’s cured, that fixture won’t go anywhere, unless you hit it with a heat gun for a few minutes.., and then you’ll be left to clean up a very sticky, runny tape residue. The stuff is magic. View attachment 43942
This is great, thank you! Sound like I'd have to take the grille off to install it, so I probably won't do it for a while 😅

Went with this guy , Ard is the one who found the link and posted it all over the fb i4 forum , me and Shane Craig followed suit . Definitely works with DAP / ACC I4 new grille
Nice!! It's cool that you guys installed your grilles together. Looks great!
 
#37 ·
This looks great! I have the same Brooklyn Grey M50 with DAPP with the anniversary emblem!
Did you order gloss or matte grill?

and just so I’m clear, you do keep the heat for radar connected or not?

and lastly, what size are the rim centerpieces you used? (That’s the last 50th anniversary pieces I need!)

thx!!
 
#39 ·
I know others have already posted about this grille (thanks @CEDDY for bringing it to my attention), but I thought I'd make a post to detail installation, etc.

I ordered mine just over 1 month ago. It shipped quickly, but it was unfortunately sitting at customs for 2 weeks! It was packaged REALLY well, and came with a license plate attachment.

Installation was fairly easy (no bumper removal necessary). I used a pry tool, and did it by myself. Removing the OEM grille is kind of annoying. Some of the clips got stuck on the mounting bracket attached to the car, and it was a bit of a struggle getting them loose. The Ultrasonic sensors are easy to remove/reinstall, but the camera is a little tricky, because of how short the cable is. You have to clip the camera into the grille bracket while mounting the grille!

One thing I hadn't seen mentioned before is that by installing this grille, you lose out on the DAPP radar heating elements. The cable for those plugs directly into the OEM DAPP cover, and will have to be tucked away as it cannot be connected to the aftermarket grille.

Build quality is really good. Mine has no paint defects, but I did scrape it a tiny bit in a non visible area during installation.

The sad state of my OEM grille, with peeling black tape on the surrount, and peeling touch up paint on the silver bits:
View attachment 43704
View attachment 43703
View attachment 43705

OEM grille removed:
View attachment 43706

Radar cover removed:
View attachment 43707

Old/new grille:
View attachment 43709
View attachment 43708

I covered the DAPP radar heating element wire with plastic/electrical tape, and tucked it behind the bracket:
View attachment 43711
View attachment 43710

Installed:
View attachment 43713
View attachment 43712 View attachment 43714 View attachment 43715
View attachment 43716
View attachment 43717

Overall, I really like the clean/aggressive look! It would've been nice if they left the hole to attach the M logo, but it's not a big deal. I might either glue one of my other M logos on there (or maybe order a black one) or just leave it as is.
Hi could you please do me a favour and share the link for this grill, i have been seaching high and low finding many options but nothing that blanks out the topside of my grill.
Thanks in advance .
Andy.
 
#42 ·
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#41 ·
thanks for that i will give it a go. I contacted my BMW dealer here in the UK for a price on the LCI grill and received the usual "its too early and it wont fit your car", im sure it will as the camera and 2 sensors are in the same place the bumper surround hasnt changed with me only being concerned if my currenr radar box would fill the LCI cut outs. I will give this copy one a go as im now settled that i dont have to mess with the radar allowing it to cover the existing box with no conflict 🤔
 
#44 ·
No problem at all! Based on what @Jobe01 said, it seems like that's the case. I removed mine only because I assumed it wouldn't fit under the new grille. I didn't even try LOL. If I was doing it over again, I'd keep the cover on. Aesthetically, I doubt you can see a difference, behind the new grille.
 
#45 ·
I just placed an order for this type of grille. "Local" dealer in the Netherlands.
Ordering directly from AliExpress is a bit of a hazard, because EU tightened the VAT rules a couple of years ago. Some sellers add VAT to their prices and some don't and then you have the hassle with the customs, so that was easier even though it cost a bit more.
 
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#48 ·
does the radar and the camera go through the plastic? Or do I need to punch holes or something?
The signals pass through plastic so no holes needed. The grill just fits over the existing detector as is.
 
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