To replace the front fender on your Civic it couldnt’ be easier. You will need to set up, remove the bolts along the hood, remove the mudguard as well as carry out a few other steps. You can carry out this tutorial of 14 chapters in 90 minutes. Bring your 10 mm socket and your adhesive tape and let’s get started!
90 minutes
14
3
$140
Lift the vehicle
Turn your engine off and set the parking brake.
Lift the front of your vehicle. Place the vehicle on the jack stands.
Set up
Now you need to remove the front bumper cover and the headlight assembly
Using a fork, remove the 2 rivets from the plastic trim on top of the fender.
You can now remove the plastic trim.
Using the fork, remove the rivet holding the windshield frame.
Shift the windshield frame seal by simply pulling on it.
You need to remove the plastic cover on the windshield frame.
Informations
One fender retaining bolt is difficult to access. To remove it, you should remove the windshield frame. However, we’ll show you an alternative method that avoids this tedious operation.
Put adhesive tape on the fender to protect it when you use the car trim removal tool to lift the windshield frame.
Remove the bolts along the hood
Remove the plastic cover from the windshield frame to access the fender retaining bolt.
Using a ratchet, an extender and a long 10 mm socket, remove the fender’s upper retaining bolt.
Remove the bolt using a magnetic extender.
Using a ratchet and a 10 mm socket, unscrew both fender retaining bolts located along the hood. Then unscrew the retaining bolt under the retainer.
Remove the mudguard
Using a ratchet and a phillips bit socket, remove the 3 screws that hold the mud flap.
Using a fork, remove the three mudguard retaining rivets. Then shift the mudguard.
Using a fork, remove the pin rivet holding the plastic trim along the fender.
Next, using a flat head screwdriver, remove the retaining rivet.
You can now remove the plastic trim.
Unscrew the screw behind the mudguard
Behind the mud flap, you can access the fender’s lower retaining bolt. Brush the lower retaining bolt and spray it with penetrating oil.
Using a 10 mm socket, unscrew the bolt holding the lower part of the fender. Then remove the bolt.
Unscrew the screw inside the door
Place adhesive tape between the fender and the door, to protect the door when removing and installing the fender.
Open the door. Next, using a 10mm wrench, unscrew the bolt holding the fender in the door opening.
Remove the fender
You can now remove the fender. To do this, lift it slightly and pull it towards you, jiggling it back and forth. Remove the bumper cover retainer.
Align the fender with the hood
Take the new fender. Then put the retainer back in place.
Put the new fender in position on the vehicle.
Start by reinstalling the two bolts holding the fender along the length of the hood, without tightening them too much in order to keep the necessary play to adjust the alignment of the fender with the hood.
The alignment of the fender with the door and the hood must be done with both the door and hood in closed position.
Carefully close the hood. Then, align the fender, keeping an even spacing along the entire length of the hood.
Screw back the bolts along the hood
Once in position, open the hood, then finish tightening the 2 bolts.
Put the retaining bolt back in place at the base of the windshield frame.
Remove the adhesive.
Replace the plastic cover. Put the rivet back in place.
Put the windshield frame seal back in place.
Put the upper plastic trim back in place. Then put the rivets back in place.
Screw the different bolts along the fender
Screw the retaining bolt back on under the retainer.
Align the fender with the door and, while maintaining alignment, screw the bolt in the door opening back.
Screw the lower fender retaining bolt back on.
Put the lower plastic trim back in place. Then put the 2 rivets back in place.
Put the mudguard back in
Put the mudguard back in place. Then put the 3 rivets back in place.
Replace the mud flap.
Screw back in the three screws holding the mud flap.
Finalise the reassembly
You can now put the headlight assembly and front bumper cover back in place.
Put the vehicle back on the ground
You can now rest your vehicle on the ground.
Operation complete.