Originally Posted by mark scheurer

Just finished the job with an OEM part from the stealer. The part fit this time. Some tips that weren't mentioned but are important when doing this job:

You can't do the job with the window down. The window has to be all the way up. May seem obvious to some but not to others who are mechanically inept -- such as myself.

Getting the door on after finishing is a complete PITA! There are numerous fasteners on top and bottom that are difficult to line up, the puddle light wire has to be pushed through the bottom, and the cable to the inner door handle is hard to re-attach.

All-in-all I'm glad I did this, gave me a bit of confidence, and after looking at the terrible quality of the old carrier which had corroded and snapped, made me wonder about BMW -- why build such a great car and in seemingly random places put crap components that will give your brand a terrible name? I know a lot of people who, when faced with a broken door handle after not-too-many years, will simply dump the car thinking its junk and that's a shame.