I have spent hours looking at videos & the DIY timing belt change thread and know for sure all the required accessible fasteners are removed.

The cover does not want to come off in the forward direction. It's like there are some fasteners between the head lights and the center grill on both sides about in center of the cover.

Any help in understanding how this comes off would be greatly appreciated.

Frustrated in Portland.

 

It it's like the D2's you need to slip the front wheel well liners out from behind where they fit in the front cover. You can get it started with your fingers and use the shaft of a screw driver to slip the rest of it out. There are only 2 bolts that hold the whole cover to the bumper shocks. When you do get it loose, pull it forward a few inches but not all the way, there is an electrical connection on the drivers side that is for the fog lights and head light washer jets.

pic host

 

Yes, I have the inner fender skirts out, and lower engine cover as well. The feels like it is attached at the bumper shocks, but I cannot find any access there. The D2 bolts come up from the bottom, on my D3 there is no access to that area.

 

See if this helps..

 

Seems I remember there being two screws that have a plastic adjustment type piece on them, to adjust the fit of the cover near the headlamps. Look down to where the bumper impact bar is, next to each headllamp housing and loosen them a bit. Don't need to be removed, just loosened. Hard to explain without showing you with pictures but hope you get what I'm talking about.
It's been a while since I've done one so I could be wrong, and if I am, I apologize. Believe they are Torx head.

 

Kool, thanks for the tip. I will look for them. I'm about 24 hours away from making a date at the dealer. They are offering 15% off labor this month. I want to know what is going on with this. Yes I've seen his video a number if times. He takes out all the obvious screws, etc. No joy between the pictures of screws and the front bumper cover on the lawn.
Ken