Informational Thread: Door handle trim replacement (DIY, replace, How to)

[m3f_fiveightandten]

Do you have unslightly dry-cracked door handle trim? Want to replace it in 10 minutes or less?





Background

The demo car for this DIY is a sedan. Coupes and convertibles have the same mechanisim, but the access is more difficult. This procedure is *extremely* easy on sedans. I was putting this off for some time thinking I would have to remove the door cards and peel back the vapor barrier to get at this trim. Not so. BMW engineers Read on.


TIME REQUIRED: 10 minutes


PART NUMBERS:

Left front trim (all E36): 51218122441

Right front trim (all E36): 51218122442

Rear trim (sedan only, left or right): 51228119076


These pieces are $10-15 each.


TOOLS NEEDED:

-Small flathead screwdriver

-Paint can opener (acquire at your local hardware store), or similarly shaped tool. A large pick or right angle flathead screwdriver will get the job done as well.

-Painters tape or masking tape

-Flashlight


This is what a paint can opener looks like (you need it for the grabby edge on the end):




PROCEDURE:


Step 1:

Find the access plug in the door and mask off the paint around it with tape so you don't damage anything. This is a sedan. On coupes, there will be a large rubber flap covering this over instead. Just pull the flap up.




Step 2 (only required on sedans):

Using a small flathead screwdriver, pry the access plug out and remove it. This is best done by sliding the tip of the screwdriver into the recess, then slipping it inbetween the inner and outer portions of the plug and prying. You do NOT need to try and remove the entire plug. Only remove the inner portion, by placing the screwdriver as shown and prying.




Step 3:

Locate the release rod. Yes, that's right...they built a release mechanism into the door handle. With this rod in the rear position, the trim is locked into place. With the rod in the forward position, the trim pops right out. Ze Germans


The release rod will not be in plain view in a coupe. Again, the mechanism is the same, but you will have to search around by feel to find the release rod if you have a coupe. On sedans, it is right in plain sight, as pictured below.


See below, rod pulled out, locked position.




Step 4:

Using a screwdriver or your paint can opener, push the release rod forward. It will slide about 1/2" and click. The trim is now free to be removed.




Step 5:

Gently pull the trim down using your fingers and tilting it out from the top. If it's stuck, don't pry against your paint! Put some tape on the door handle as shown below and gently pry as shown to remove the trim.




Trim loose and ready to remove




Step 6:

Install the new trim in the opposite manner by seating the lower tabs in the door and pivoting it into place. Be sure to press the rubber surround onto the plastic frame fully so everything is flush and sits nicely.




Step 7:

Once the new trim is in place, hold it by pressing it into the door firmly while you use your paint can opener to pull the release rod back into the locked (rear) position. It will not click back into place, but you will notice that it will require a good amount of force, as they make this a pretty tight fit. Don't be afraid to push on the trim pretty hard to get it to seat deep enough so the release rod grabs the tabs. Again, it's a pretty tight fit.


Nice new trim




That's it. This is one of those things that's extremely easy, but you would never figure out how easy unless someone showed you. Hope that helps some people out.

[m3f_Gsxify]

Haha, this is great! Always loved your write-ups!

[m3f_Jrrrrrrr]

In my, ahem, experiments on junkyard cars, I find the door handle trim usually comes off unbroken with the 20 second caveman method. But I like how doing it the right way protects the paint.



Great DIY.

[m3f_M3only]

I did the same thing last winter. I tried the paint can tool thing, but after a while, I felt like I had a better chance to do damage the interior of the door. The fix: take the door panel off and use your finger to push it forward. Once I figured that out, it was cake. However, had the paint can tool worked, it probably would have been faster!

[m3f_cscat87]

Let me first state that this procedure is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult on Coupes. Its it "hard"? No. But you'll understand what I mean if you've never tried this before on your Coupe

[m3f_fiveightandten]

Haha, this is great! Always loved your write-ups!

Thanks, glad you liked it.

In my, ahem, experiments on junkyard cars, I find the door handle trim usually comes off unbroken with the 20 second caveman method. But I like how doing it the right way protects the paint.



Great DIY.

Haha. Yeah, I may go caveman on an junkyard or partout. But not near my paint. This is surprisingly easy.

I did the same thing last winter. I tried the paint can tool thing, but after a while, I felt like I had a better chance to do damage the interior of the door. The fix: take the door panel off and use your finger to push it forward. Once I figured that out, it was cake. However, had the paint can tool worked, it probably would have been faster!

I'm not sure how you could damage anything with the paint can opener doing this. The release lever is designed to be pushed back and forth. That's why it's there.



And it's a pretty straight shot from the access hole. IMO, you'd almost have to be trying to damage something in the door to break anything. But whatever works...as long as you got the job done, that's what counts.

[m3f_fiveightandten]

Let me first state that this procedure is SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult on Coupes. Its it "hard"? No. But you'll understand what I mean if you've never tried this before on your Coupe

I haven't tried it on a coupe, but I had been told it's the same procedure. What's different about the mechanism?

[m3f_cscat87]

I haven't tried it on a coupe, but I had been told it's the same procedure. What's different about the mechanism?

Same procedure, but you are doing it completely blind so you do not know where the release rod is. You have to feel around for a while until you find it, then feel around some more to pull it back. I changed them on my E32 7-series sedan years ago and it was very easy, then did it on my E36 Coupe just last year and it was a different story. This isn't news really, there is a writeup on BF about changing these on coupe vs sedan. Your writeup definitely covers HOW to do it, but may give false hope to Coupe owners

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

yup just did this on my coupe. the hole is in a different location and doesn't line up with the slider. Also the slider was different than your pictures and all the other pictures id seen (my car is a 99 so i don't know if thats why) but my slider was basically flat with a small lip around the one side. I used a pick to get the one side but it slipped off a few times. Ended up pulling door cards and scraping my arm up inside instead of my doors.

[m3f_fiveightandten]

Same procedure, but you are doing it completely blind so you do not know where the release rod is. You have to feel around for a while until you find it, then feel around some more to pull it back. I changed them on my E32 7-series sedan years ago and it was very easy, then did it on my E36 Coupe just last year and it was a different story. This isn't news really, there is a writeup on BF about changing these on coupe vs sedan. Your writeup definitely covers HOW to do it, but may give false hope to Coupe owners

yup just did this on my coupe. the hole is in a different location and doesn't line up with the slider. Also the slider was different than your pictures and all the other pictures id seen (my car is a 99 so i don't know if thats why) but my slider was basically flat with a small lip around the one side. I used a pick to get the one side but it slipped off a few times. Ended up pulling door cards and scraping my arm up inside instead of my doors.

Wow. Sucks for you guys


Thanks for the info. I didn't know they were so different. I'll definitely ammend the OP.

[m3f_englishtom1596q]

i should have really done some pictures while i was in there but it was hard enough to see myself, let alone getting a camera in there.


Also my drivers door one was rather seized so it took some persuading

[m3f_anarekist]

how do you "pull" the release rod back into place? there's enough space to grab it with fingers? im guessing it pops back into place if you nudge it with a flathead?

[m3f_cscat87]

how do you "pull" the release rod back into place? there's enough space to grab it with fingers? im guessing it pops back into place if you nudge it with a flathead?

I used a paint can opener as described in the original post, and bent the lip a little more on a vice so it was almost a 90 degree angle. Not enough room for fingers anywhere.

[m3f_drtwofish]

I just did this a few weekends back on my coupe, and it took forever to figure out the exact angle to hit the release bar. The problem with coupe doors is that there's a metal plate blocking access to the release, and you have to navigate blindly around that. IIRC I ended up needing a much steeper angle in than I expected. Once you get it you get it, and the other side is pretty quick, but it's a real bear the first time. No amount of part diagrams or pictures helps you figure out exactly where the darn thing is relative to the door hole!


Thanks very much for the DIY, though!

[m3f_fiveightandten]

how do you "pull" the release rod back into place? there's enough space to grab it with fingers? im guessing it pops back into place if you nudge it with a flathead?

See OP, quoted below. This step is the whole reason why you need a paint can opener. You need a tool to grab the release rod and pull it back into the locked position (see pictures in the OP).

Step 7:

Once the new trim is in place, hold it by pressing it into the door firmly while you use your paint can opener to pull the release rod back into the locked (rear) position. It will not click back into place, but you will notice that it will require a good amount of force, as they make this a pretty tight fit. Don't be afraid to push on the trim pretty hard to get it to seat deep enough so the release rod grabs the tabs. Again, it's a pretty tight fit.