My Turn for Door Carrier

[jnclem]

Drivers door handle quit working today. It feels disconnected, and sits out just a bit from where it should. The interior handle still works fine. So it sounds like I need to do the door carrier replacement.

My main question is about the success or failure of using a FEBI part rather than a BMW part. BMW looks to be about $130 to $140, FEBI about $45. But, I don't want a weak carrier or to have to complicate matters with a part that doesn't fit well.

What is the consensus here? And can you guys recommend a good online source for the parts? The nearest dealer is over 4 hours away, so that's not really an option.

Thanks.

[jnclem]

Well, after A LOT of reading, I decided to try an aftermarket carrier. It got nearly 90% good reviews, and I'm not seeing anything that would indicate that the BMW parts are reliable at all in this case. So, I decided to try it. I t will be here fast through Amazon Prime, so I figured, what the heck.

[Crowz]

Let us know how it does.

[Draztik]

I got one from Amazon for the rear passenger door and have had zero problems in about a year so far

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[g300d]

The Febi is made in Germany.

However, they can have fitment issues where one of the screws (the only screw actually, the one you access through the side of the door) does not line up.

Everytime this happened to me it was one of the notches on the carrier near where the key tumbler enters. A bit of widening with a dremel fixes it.

When they do fit, they often feel less smooth in action than an OE carrier.

I've gone through 3 Febi's in various positions on the car. OE is better and lasts longer (but not by much!).

[itsbrokeagain]

I went OE on mine. Didn't want to chance fitment issues upon install..

[jnclem]

Oh well. I changed my mind and bought a BMW part from BMWtopeka.com (or something like that). $111.00 with free 3 day Fed ex ground. Hope to see it by the end of next week. Since this is my first time doing this, I decided that I didn't need more complications. Next time I may try an aftermarket.

I really appreciate the opinions, and the great write-ups on this site.

[g300d]

If thats a dealer I think you get a discount if you are a BMWCCA member.

And if IIRC those OE parts have a warranty too.

The write ups here made it possible for me to DIY. I hope they still have the pics though with the photobucket debacle.

[jnclem]

Originally Posted by g300d

If thats a dealer I think you get a discount if you are a BMWCCA member.

And if IIRC those OE parts have a warranty too.

The write ups here made it possible for me to DIY. I hope they still have the pics though with the photobucket debacle.

I've read through several. Great information. A lot of the pictures are gone, but there are some very good YouTube videos these days. Plenty to get going with.

I'm not a member, don't even know what BMWCCA is, but I'll check into it.

Thanks

[pb2624]

I went with a Febi from FCP Euro to get warranty as my kids can be a little rough with things. Installed as it should with no issues and the quality looked on par with the OEM I removed. Would buy again.