[jmaurio]

There are two screws and grommets that hold the rear bumper fascia to the car. Mine are rusting very badly. I went to the dealer to see if I can get replacements and he told me there are special nuts that go with them. Has anyone removed these screws before? Are the nuts "captive" - that is can I just replace the screw without the nuts falling out? Thanks!

 

[jrecords]

Are you talking about the screws that fit under the rear hatch? Based on this diagram, it looks like the grommet/nut is not attached to the screw:
https://www.repairprocedures.com/se...302770_7527628_8286964_8287036_8_2395455.html

I just rebuilt a Volt and there wasn't a single part for it that wasn't available through GM, so I'd guess a dealer carries or could source the screw if you can find the part number. Looking at the parts diagrams, I'd guess the part number for the screw is: 11609465. I'm not 100% sure on that though. If it isn't that part number, I'm not sure which it would be. Let us know how your project works out.

The part I'm talking about is #4 on the parts diagram below:

 

[jmaurio]

Thanks for the reply jrecords. The screw is item 1 in the repair procedures manual link you sent. Apparently (according to the parts person at the dealer) the screw goes into a square shaped nut in the bumper fascia guide. I have the replacement screws but I don't want to back out the screws and have the nuts fall out if they aren't held in place somehow. The repair procedures manual link seems to indicate that you don't have to hold onto any kind of nut when taking out the screw. Do you have any experience removing the bumper fascia?

 

[Steverino]

It would seem that if the screw is used to hold the bumper on, there would be no way to reinstall the bumper if you had to also hold a nut in the area that would be inaccessible.

The removal instructions say nothing about a nut for that screw, nor do the illustrations show one. So it would seem a receiving nut would be molded in to the fascia.

 

[Raymondjram]

With over 45 years working on GM vehicles, I believe Severino's statement that the nuts are molded in, because GM has to simplify the assembly (and future service repairs) as much as possible to save time. Many times I find the bolt is molded in instead. Screws have the hole molded in the material and need no nuts (only bolts have nuts). Modern cars now use pop in attachments points (as found on internal door panels) that really speed up assembly. I found seven such points on the chrome bar trim (from headlight to headlight) across the face of my 2009 Chevy Equinox, and sometimes they can break off if removed with too much force (I have seen several Equinox on our roads without that trim).

There are rust preventers that chemically react with the metal surfaces and prevent rust from forming. Use that or coat the bolts with paint so the metal will not rust again.

 

[jrecords]

Sorry JMuario, I think I misunderstood your original post. I'm with the previous 2 posters... I'd bet the nut or hole is fixed in place. Although I have no direct experience with this piece, I've found that many of the screws/bolts on the front-end of the car utilize a fixed nut or screw hole type clip that do not fall out of the sub-frame/body when the related screw/bolt is removed. Let us know what you figure out when/if you try to replace the screws.