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Thread: DIY: Rear Door Panel Removal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    burkittsville, maryland
    Posts
    551
    My Cars
    135is, 335i, 1999 328is

    DIY: Rear Door Panel Removal

    There is a great DIY video on YouTube for the E46 front door window regulator replacement, and some of it generally applies to the E9x: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Q2tfHqcdI&list=HL1327511897&feature=mh_l olz"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Q2tfHqcdI&list=HL1327511897&feature=mh_l olz[/ame]



    Here is specifically how to remove the rear door panel on the e90. This is for a 2007 335i, results may vary for other years/models. Don't judge me for my dirty interior - this is mid-winter and I've got kids. As soon as the weather breaks I've got an entire day of interior detailing planned.

    You will need the following tools:

    - small plastic tool, e.g. firm kitchen spatula - it's best if it has a flat end and a wide (or thick) end
    - door panel removal tool (if you don't have this, you'll have to improvise with the plastic tool)
    - T20 Torx driver
    - small-nose pliers
    - flashlight



    Use the flat end of the plastic tool to pry the rear part of the trim panel straight out, then work your way forward (there are three clips). Don't bend the trim too much while you pry - the idea is to pop it straight out. Once the first one starts to give, you should be able to get the rest by hand.





    Where the door-pull comes down and meets the arm rest, you will see a flat tab (under the trim panel you just removed). Use the thick end of the plastic tool to pry this gently and you will begin to see the leather/plastic cover of the door-pull popping off. Work your way up and pry it off carefully - it should come off pretty easily.



    There are three #20 Torx screws - remove those.




    All that remains at this point are the door clips. There are 8 pointed-style clips around the bottom portion of the door. There are 6 slots on the top panel that accommodate the spade-style sill clips - four black clips under the main window, and two silver clips under the backlight window. The sill clips remain on the sill as you pop the panel out.



    If you have one, use a panel-removal tool like this:




    Start in the lower left corner. Jam the panel-removal tool between the panel and the door frame, and the first of the clips should pop out of the door frame. Work your way around. It's best to get on the floor so you can see where the clips are located - this helps determine where to position the tool. After a couple are popped you should be able to do the rest by hand. Just be careful not to force anything - you don't want to tear a clip off.



    Once the 8 bottom clips are all popped, move to the sill. Make sure your pliers are handy - once you release the panel you won't want to leave it dangling by the wires to go get your tools. Pry the panel straight out toward you - not up - to pop the panel off the clips. The door lock rod will drop down and dangle freely. Now you must remove a) the door handle cable, b) the wiring from the window switch and c) the wiring from the speaker. You can remove the cable from either the handle end or the catch end - I recommend popping it off the catch since then it will remain attached to the door panel and therefore be out of the way.



    You'll need some needle-nose pliers to gently pry the electrical connector down and out of the window switch. There is a single wiring harness clip that you'll have to pull out, then a single tie-down tab near the speaker. Once the harness is free, pull the electrical connector out of the speaker connection. The panel is now off.

    If your purpose for pulling the door panel is to fix the window regulator, there is a decent chance the problem is a kinked or snagged cable rather than a window regulator. I recommend pulling the window switch out of the door panel and hooking it back up to the wiring harness temporarily - this allows you to operate the window without having to walk over to the driver's door. A small plastic tool pushed under the front and rear of the switch bezel should be enough to pop it out.

    Before you start taking the moisture barrier off, pop the door lock wiring clip out - it's right near the door lock/catch. You'll immediately see why this must be done in order to get the barrier off. Removing the moisture barrier intact is tricky, because it tears very easily. I notice that the DIY video for the E46 conveniently edited that step out, but at the beginning you can see the guy having trouble right away. The goop they glue the barrier down with is thick and strong, and the barrier is very delicate - bad combination for a clean removal. I used a regular, sharp wood chisel and it glided right through the stuff like butter - came off like a champ.

    That's it. Panel is off, moisture barrier is off, and you have access to all the little bits.


    Reverse the steps to reassemble the door. The tricky part of getting the panel back on is getting the sill clips to lock the top of the panel into the sill. Use your flashlight to make sure they're lined up and just pound on the panel - it should go.

    Good luck!
    Last edited by mystreba; 09-10-2013 at 10:48 AM.
    Got it, thanks...
    - Search the forum first
    - Check REALOEM for part numbers

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