Best Approach and Nuances When Removing Door Panels

Gregs3point0

Gregs3point0

Member
Messages
26
Reaction score
10
Location
Evergreen, CO
I am about to begin the process of "refreshing" the electric Windows (ie removing old grease and lubricating the gears and channels) and fixing my driver's side door locking mechanism. In order to do this I need to remove the door panels and I just don't want to screw this one up! I bought some replacement door panel clips just in case i need to replace them, yet I need your advice on what NOT to do as well as what TO DO in order to do this job right!!

Any an all suggestions are welcome, as well as any suggestions on the door lock and electric window motors!

Thanks in advance. Greg
 
55F9EE48-E83D-4536-9723-8C5C7F3556EE.jpeg
67294D3E-03DD-45B6-B586-8AF5A4830B85.jpeg
56C4E282-653D-4B05-92A3-F806C6DA21C1.jpeg
D9B8DAAB-584B-4F79-9313-AB3CD3D2D962.jpeg
24D83504-63BF-4485-90D8-1AB2B14E894A.jpeg
2A3062F6-0E5D-4F86-9BE4-E672313930CC.jpeg
3ADCCE39-828B-43CF-B523-8A2178AC6F94.jpeg
76D7A820-5C3E-4447-9AD6-1810839E8955.jpeg
8AECD4F8-A77C-4C86-875B-099E2F2125C0.jpeg
D650AAC3-F688-4399-A20A-6C15B6C81A6F.jpeg
5B8753B5-4B01-4D22-B973-32C4D3909FE9.jpeg


Pretty easy just be gentle removing items
 
Chris' photos provide a great tutorial on where all the hidden fasteners are. Two more things from my experience:

- The ashtray and vent window knob don't need to come off - the door panel will slide out from below them.

- Lining up your philips screwdriver to catch the two, large, self-tapping screws that hold the armrest can be a bit of a pain. Easiest to do lying down / looking up, with a light in one hand and your screwdriver in the other. Replacing these screws can be tough as well - hard to get them at the right angle so they catch their receptacles.
 
A comment on clips from my experience. (I replaced the backing in my door cards with a wood material that was not as flexible as the pressboard BMW used originally, which may explain some of this.) If your car has the original clips, try to salvage as many of them as possible. They are far superior to the generic replacements being sold by BMW today. Note, if you have the original clips, you may find they slip into a tubular piece in the door. This combination of the clip and tubular piece was intended to keep moisture from getting at the back of the door cards. Newer clip designs use an integrated cover that is supposed to serve the same purpose. The newer clips will not install into the old tubes.

And of course, don't forget the importance of your vapor barrier. It doesn't need to be fancy (I used a shower curtain), but it needs to be there.
 
2 metal putty knives slid under on either side of each clip then simultaneously leveraged up will give you a decent chance of separating the card without breaking the now very fragile old clips.
 
HB Chris said:
View attachment 107213View attachment 107214View attachment 107215View attachment 107216View attachment 107217View attachment 107218View attachment 107219View attachment 107220View attachment 107221View attachment 107222View attachment 107223

Pretty easy just be gentle removing items
Click to expand...
Thank you Chris for these great photos! A picture tells a thousand words!!! Is that pry bar a special item so you don't break the clips? Where does someone get a hold of one of these contraptions?
 
jmackro said:
Chris' photos provide a great tutorial on where all the hidden fasteners are. Two more things from my experience:

- The ashtray and vent window knob don't need to come off - the door panel will slide out from below them.

- Lining up your philips screwdriver to catch the two, large, self-tapping screws that hold the armrest can be a bit of a pain. Easiest to do lying down / looking up, with a light in one hand and your screwdriver in the other. Replacing these screws can be tough as well - hard to get them at the right angle so they catch their receptacles.
Click to expand...
Thanks Jay!
 
Gregs3point0 said:
Thank you Chris for these great photos! A picture tells a thousand words!!! Is that pry bar a special item so you don't break the clips? Where does someone get a hold of one of these contraptions?
Click to expand...
Yes, made for panel clips, probably at Autozone and such but I like Steve’s suggestion better.
 
Since you will be in there, consider bolstering up the sound deadening material in there, maybe a little x-mat or equivalent.

I think the door lock will require you to remove the panel with the wood trim, at least it would get you more exposure.

You may find all those little plastic/rubber bushings that hold connecting bars from door lever to lock etc gone or toast, I found replacements at Lowe's believe it or not.

Keep track of disassembly order, reassembly order it is not totally intuitive.

Do not touch any of the window adjustments unless you need too. Some of us have spent hours on window alignment.
 
Behind the door card is the thin plastic water barrier, if that is or gets compromised it can be replaced with spray adhesive on the door & 3mil plastic trimmed inside the door panel clips.
 
adawil2002 said:
Behind the door card is the thin plastic water barrier, if that is or gets compromised it can be replaced with spray adhesive on the door & 3mil plastic trimmed inside the door panel clips.
Click to expand...
Alvaro Prada, (alprada70 here on the forum) makes the moisture barrier panels for E3 and E9 doors as well as a variety of other reproduction parts for our cars...

www.oilsdesigngroup.com
 
Great to know some more parts can be bought for E9 resto... Thanks
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
Alvaro Prada, (alprada70 here on the forum) makes the moisture barrier panels for E3 and E9 doors as well as a variety of other reproduction parts for our cars...

www.oilsdesigngroup.com
Click to expand...

Yes, this looks like a nice product. If I hadn't already done mine, I probably would have tried his product (and I like the idea of supporting a vendor who is making specialty parts for our cars).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top