Update!! DIY for rear bumper. - BMW M3 (E46 M3) Message Board & Forum

I started trying to remove my rear bumper last night and took some pictures. I will post the pictures later but here is a list of the tools you will need to remove the rear bumper.

1/4, 3/8 ratchet and various extensions
small/large flathead screwdriver to pry plastic rivets and hangers off rear bumper
8mm, 10mm, 13mm sockets. Deep sockets may help

1. Remove the floor and m-mobility from the trunk.
2. Remove the left panel that covers the amplifier/cd/sirius radio.
No need to remove right panel because the right tray will give you access to the 3 nuts on the bumper shock.
3. Remove the left tray and right tray in trunk
4. Use a 13mm socket and extension to remove 3 nuts on each bumper shock. These nuts are located in the trunk. You may not see the third nut because you will need to pop off a black piece to see it. Just look close and it will be above the 2 13mm nuts on each side.
5. Now remove the nuts/bolts/black plastic rivets from the panels from the left and right wheel wells.
The left wheel well has one black rivet, 8mm nut, 8mm bolt/screw and 10 mm nut for the hanger. Remove all these items. Pop the hanger off the rear bumper. It just clips on bumper. You must remove the hanger because it will not allow you to remove the bumper because it hangs on a bolt attached to the wheel well.
The right rear is the same but has 2 black plastic rivets, 8mm bolt/screw, and 10mm nut for the hanger.
Be very careful and patient and you should have no problem with removing the panels in the wheel wheels. I did not need to remove the wheels to gain access. I just had a blanket ready and waiting for the bumper.
5. One you have the 6 nuts off the bumper shocks, panels removed from wheel wells, and the hangers for the bumper removed you are ready to remove the bumper.
6. I suggest you have two people to remove the bumper. One from each side. If you have PDC remove the bumper slowly and unplug the sensors before setting it on the blanket. I had no problems removing the connections to the PDC sensors. Just push connector together and wiggle loose.
7. Once the bumper is off you are ready for the next step. I did not do anything to the bumper but inspect and look for damage from my little rear ending. I had no damage to anything other than the plastic bumper.

I still need to figure out how to remove PDC sensors and install them on my new bumper. I think I have time to work on that. I need to get a newly painted imola read bumper from BMW. I am going to try and have it prepainted from BMW. I understand this can be done from my initial investigation.

Anyone know how to remove the PDC sensors from the old bumper?