Release pin from TPS connector

[8000RPM]

How do I release the pins from the front TPS connector (3-pin)? I don’t want to pull on wires without knowing where the release is located. I think the release is on the bottom side (furthest from the connector release) but it doesn’t seem to be working.

[heinzboehmer]

First remove the rubber dust boot. Then insert something in those rectangular slits above and below each pin. This depresses the metal tabs in the pins and releases them. Not the same connector but it gets the idea across:

[8000RPM]

Great, thanks! I didn’t realize there was a release on both sides.

[8000RPM]

That worked to release the pin. Thanks!

Does anyone know the part number for the pin? I’m browsing through realoem and have no idea which one? Internet searches are coming up blank too. The pictures I can find of BMW pins are different. These are distinctive because of the shape.

I think its somewhere on this page but not sure.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BL93-USA-09-2005-E46-BMW-M3&diagId=61_2156

[AWE46M3]

Hello Group — adding to this thread as I recently decided to take this on myself. My boot was in pretty rough shape, and sourcing the correct PN (12521732635 — shout out to Slideways) was only the beginning 😁

This pigtail is part of the main harness, so the plug connector itself cannot be replaced. As OP documented, the connectors have to be depinned in order to replace the boot.

I bought a spare SMG harness from a parts seller on Facebook Marketplace for cheap so I could practice depinning before turning a quick rubber boot replacement into a nightmare job.

I tried everything I could think of - the double-tweezer method from this thread, a bobby pin, and a random Amazon depinning key kit - but I couldn't get the pins to release. At that point, I was pretty happy with my decision to buy a spare harness to practice on.

After doing some research on the terminal, I was able to identify the exact model, which helped me source the correct depinning tool. Unlike normal depinning tools, which simply push down on the release tabs, this connector requires the pins to be squeezed in while simultaneously pressing the connector out.






Here is the depinning tool I purchased. D310PRO-01 did the trick for me. You simply insert the tool into the opening until you hear a click (the wings being depressed). At that point, you can engage the thumb press to push the terminal out of the connector.

One last thing worth noting - the opening at the bottom of the rubber boot is very narrow. I couldn’t get all 3 pins into the boot and just ended up trimming it a little to a more open point as the boot tapers out. That also made it possible for me to easily slide it over the flexible hose, which was impossible for me to do on my bench when I was testing with my donor kit.

Shout out to all of you guys who found a way around using this tool for the task at hand. If you want to save yourself a ton of hassle, get the right depinning tool and save yourself potentially hours of messing with this connector.

[liam821]

Most of the e46 connectors/pins are TE/AMP Micro Quadlok System (MQS), while the thicker wires are generally TE/AMP Junior Power Timer (JPT). I ended up getting a terminal removal tool from Amazon, and it's life-changing!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHYLL69L

[OldRanger]

I gotta try one of these tools. I paid a silly price for the Schwaben tool - foolishly thinking because it was for “European Car”, and from one of the typical merchants, that it would have what I needed.

Wrong.

I would rather re-wire the entire car than try to use anything in that kit again.

Remove connector pins - Nope. Fuse box pins - Nope.

[AWE46M3]

Most of the e46 connectors/pins are TE/AMP Micro Quadlok System (MQS), while the thicker wires are generally TE/AMP Junior Power Timer (JPT). I ended up getting a terminal removal tool from Amazon, and it's life-changing!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHYLL69L

Thanks for sharing, Liam! Adding to cart 🫡

[liam821]

I gotta try one of these tools. I paid a silly price for the Schwaben tool - foolishly thinking because it was for “European Car”, and from one of the typical merchants, that it would have what I needed.

Wrong.

I would rather re-wire the entire car than try to use anything in that kit again.

Remove connector pins - Nope. Fuse box pins - Nope.

Yeah, it can be such a nightmare. I had some cheap "universal depin tool" previously, which was absolutely infuriating. I've had no problem removing pins from the fuse box and pulling apart connectors with the tool I linked above.

[bigjae46]

Most of the e46 connectors/pins are TE/AMP Micro Quadlok System (MQS), while the thicker wires are generally TE/AMP Junior Power Timer (JPT). I ended up getting a terminal removal tool from Amazon, and it's life-changing!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHYLL69L

Arriving tomorrow...thanks for the share!