Your BMW isn’t the same without its iconic blue-and-white BMW badge. However, the badge’s color and material may gradually degrade from constant exposure to various environmental factors. Accidents and collisions can also physically damage the BMW emblem. An old or damaged emblem can detract from your BMW’s overall appearance.
Fortunately, you can replace the BMW emblem yourself. Here are the things you should keep in mind when removing the old BMW badge and installing its replacement:
A dedicated trim panel removal tool is crucial for this job. Made of sturdy plastic, the tool can remove the BMW badge without scratching the paint job and the metal part underneath the coat.
If you don’t have a trim panel removal tool, you can modify a flat-head screwdriver to serve as an alternative tool. However, you must modify the screwdriver first to reduce the chances of damaging the paint.
Wrap duct tape, electrical tape, or something similar over the tip of the screwdriver’s flat head. The wrapping pads the tip, preventing direct contact and reducing the chances of damaging the paint job.
Furthermore, if you use a padded screwdriver, apply firm but gentle force on the tool when you pry the BMW badge off the latter’s mount. Putting too much pressure on the screwdriver can defeat the purpose of wrapping material around the screwdriver’s tip.
The BMW badge has two pegs at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. The pegs fit snugly into holes on the body panel’s surface, ensuring the emblem stays in place.
Check the hood and the trunk lid. The exterior body panels should have two holes that can fit the BMW emblem plugs. These holes have grommets, small reinforcement rings that prevent the plugs from damaging the holes during insertion and withdrawal.
Removing the BMW Badge
Whatever tool you have at your disposal, removing the BMW emblem follows the same process. Slip the trim panel removal tool (or screwdriver) under the badge. Once you get the tool under the BMW badge, put gentle yet firm pressure around the part’s center. Do this until both BMW emblem pegs exit their holes simultaneously.
Sometimes, the BMW emblem refuses to budge. Instead of forcing the issue (which can damage the emblem and the paint job), redirect the pressure to the area around the emblem’s pegs.
The BMW roundel looks stiffer than it actually is. Thus, you should be able to remove it with relatively little pressure. If you apply too much pressure, you might scratch or gouge the paint or metal.
Using a plastic trim panel removal tool or a padded screwdriver only reduces the risk of damaging the paint. It doesn’t eliminate the possibility.
After pulling the BMW badge from its mounting holes, it’s time to extract the grommets from those holes. The old grommets have usually worn out from years of constant contact with the pegs. If you reuse them, the new BMW emblem plugs might come loose.
Once you’ve replaced the grommets, plug in the new BMW emblem. Check if it fits properly.
Replacing the BMW emblem on your vehicle is a DIY project almost anyone can do. However, problems can pop up during the job, making things more difficult for you.
Here are the common issues you might run into during BMW emblem replacement:
Unfortunately, the pegs can become brittle enough to break off from the BMW emblem. In the worst-case scenario, the pegs break while still inside the grommet. You’ll have to remove the stuck pegs during the BMW emblem replacement. Either you pick the pegs out or push them through their holes.
The grommets that keep the BMW badge in position can also break. Without the grommets, the BMW emblem plugs won’t fit snugly in their holes. The badge can break its plugs or fall off.
Before you can install a new BMW emblem, you’ll have to remove and replace the grommets.
The size of the BMW emblems isn’t the same between models and model years. Depending on the design language at the time, the emblems might increase or decrease in size.
Furthermore, the various BMW badges on your car often don’t share the same size. The size differences prevent you from swapping the trunk badge, hood badge, steering wheel badge, and the BMW emblems on the wheels.
Always look for BMW emblems designed for your car’s particular model and model year. Also, ensure the BMW emblem replacement is intended for installation in the previous badge’s location.
The original BMW logo first appeared in 1917. In that year, the Bavarian-based aircraft engine manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH transformed into the Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG.
BMW took the circular shape and black ring from the older company’s logo. It also added the instantly recognizable blue-and-white circle.
Contrary to what you might have heard, the BMW logo’s blue-and-white pattern doesn’t evoke the image of a propeller. Instead, it stands for the flag of the German state of Bavaria. The colors are inverted because local trademark laws prohibit the use of state symbols on commercial logos.
The idea that the BMW logo represents a propeller comes from the second edition of the BMW Flugmotoren-Nachrichten magazine. Published in November 1929, the magazine cover set the BMW emblem against a spinning propeller. The depiction became so popular that BMW reused it a lot over the years.
While you can drive with a damaged or missing BMW emblem, your car won’t look the same. Since it’s easy to replace the old part, it won’t hurt to install a new BMW badge as soon as possible.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.