Hi there. The cowl on my 06 Pathfinder has faded. I wanted to remove it and paint it flat black. Can someone show me the steps on removing it.
Thanks

If you are speaking of the wiper cowl... This is easy. remove the 2 wipers, small cap comes off shows a nut, once the nut is off and it is not very tight, just push down on arm than pull up it comes off, due to it is a tappered fit. pop the hood open, look at cowl and see the seal that seals hood to cowl this seal has clips that hold it to the body, feel for the clip, I use a angled needle nose pliars.. gently lift up there are 2 more clips on outer cowl to the body very visible, remove and lift cowl off and pull towards front of engine, gently remove wiper washer hose.. OFF it is, just make sure you prep cowl by cleaning and degreasing.. when you reinstall wiper arms just gently put them back where you want them in relation to the windshield and DO NOT overtighten nuts, just snug till tight.

KEVSTER wrote:If you are speaking of the wiper cowl... This is easy. remove the 2 wipers, small cap comes off shows a nut, once the nut is off and it is not very tight, just push down on arm than pull up it comes off, due to it is a tappered fit. pop the hood open, look at cowl and see the seal that seals hood to cowl this seal has clips that hold it to the body, feel for the clip, I use a angled needle nose pliars.. gently lift up there are 2 more clips on outer cowl to the body very visible, remove and lift cowl off and pull towards front of engine, gently remove wiper washer hose.. OFF it is, just make sure you prep cowl by cleaning and degreasing.. when you reinstall wiper arms just gently put them back where you want them in relation to the windshield and DO NOT overtighten nuts, just snug till tight.

Thanks a lot KEVSTER. This will be my project this weekend. I am really getting sick looking at this faded wiper cowl.

been too lazy to repaint mines. good luck

rodg wrote:Hi there. The cowl on my 06 Pathfinder has faded. I wanted to remove it and paint it flat black. Can someone show me the steps on removing it.
Thanks

Are you sure it's faded? Mine looks faded but I scratched it and it turned out to be residue from wax or something.

You can buy a new cowl fairly cheap.. on line. painting plastic requires proper preping or paint will come off. Dupli Color has the right stuff to paint plastics. check them out. http://www.courtesyparts.com/66816m-cov ... 62964.html 65.00 NEW ONE.

I've also had luck bringing it back to life by using back to black from mothers or similar product...

satin black paint should bond to it fine. just make sure it's automotive paint.

drmayer wrote:I've also had luck bringing it back to life by using back to black from mothers or similar product...

I second (and highly recommend) Mothers Back to Black. I can't imagine that painting that plastic piece will hold up to the sun or the elements, you'll probably be sorry. Back to Black restored my piece to near original, and I've used it to restore the running boards, roof rack, mud flaps, bumper trim...just about every plastic or rubber piece on the outside of the truck.

It's like $7 a bottle and I'm barely through half a bottle. Give it a shot.

LittleStevie wrote:

drmayer wrote:I've also had luck bringing it back to life by using back to black from mothers or similar product...

I second (and highly recommend) Mothers Back to Black. I can't imagine that painting that plastic piece will hold up to the sun or the elements, you'll probably be sorry. Back to Black restored my piece to near original, and I've used it to restore the running boards, roof rack, mud flaps, bumper trim...just about every plastic or rubber piece on the outside of the truck.

It's like $7 a bottle and I'm barely through half a bottle. Give it a shot.

I'll give this Mother's Back to Black a try. Hey, thanks for all your response.

I use Armor All Wipes for the cowl, and bumper trim. It restores the shine back to those pieces to original.

http://www.autobarn.com.au/AB_images/pr ... 629482.jpg

back to black is the ticket, use to use it on my 93 stealth (plastic was horrible for getting that faded look - just like our cowl's and racks and running boards. I'm just to lazy to use it now (it doesn't last forever unfortunately)

It does last longer than Armor All though...about a couple of months instead of a couple of weeks.