Door panel disaster

[Multibeemer]

Thanks for all the reponses. At least I feel a little better about the fact that getting this panel off seems to sometimes be a pretty challenging undertaking. Removing door panels is one of my least favorite things to do on a car, because I'm always afraid of breaking the fragile clips, or messing up the holes in the panel that the clips attach to, but I've never actually broken a panel before. It's insane that removing a door panel can be this difficult and dangerous (to your wallet, anyway)

The thing that has me thrown for a loop is that the youtube video I was following was very explicit about NOT lifting upward on the panel. The guy even retracted his statement earlier in the video to lift upward, with an emphatic admonition that this is only to be done on the front panels, not on the rears, and then pointed to the clips to explain why. He also said to start from the rear to release the panel from the upper clips and move forward, which is what I did when I had my mishap. I suspect this job is a lot like the CV boot job - a small percentage of very fortunate X5 owners can release their axles from the outer connection, providing easy access to the outer boot, while the rest of us poor slobs have to remove the axle from the inner connection, which is five times more work. But I digress...

OK, I'll struggle with this wretched panel some more. I'll see if I can find a tool I can wedge in there. Hopefully I can find someone (like Fibernew, maybe) who can repair the 3" tear I put in the panel. But I have a lot of other car projects underway, so the X5 may be a 3-door vehicle for a little while.

[SlickGT1]

Originally Posted by civdiv99

Nice Slick, make the dude feel like everyone else just did it with their free hand whilst drinking a beer..................

I too forgot how I did it, but I had no issues that I can remember. Maybe it's the fact that I have a 2006 and the mounting is revised. Maybe its the fact that I knew from the start that you cannot lift up, as it would hit that shade. Watch with my luck, something will go wrong on the pass side, and I will not be able to take it off.

Thanks for the JINX there Civ. lol.

[Qsilver7]

If you have the shades on the rear door...would it help if you removed the shade for the rear triangular window first? And if the x5 in the video doesn't have the rear shades, and your X5 does...that may be the reason why you're having more difficulty.

If that shade is like the ones on the e38 & e39...it's not that difficult to remove from the door. There's a clip at the top that you access by slipping a thin screw driver between the shade and the frame of the door at the top (that is if removal is like that on the e38 & e39).

Perhaps that's making it difficult for the panel to come off.

[Multibeemer]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If you have the shades on the rear door...would it help if you removed the shade for the rear triangular window first? And if the x5 in the video doesn't have the rear shades, and your X5 does...that may be the reason why you're having more difficulty.

If that shade is like the ones on the e38 & e39...it's not that difficult to remove from the door. There's a clip at the top that you access by slipping a thin screw driver between the shade and the frame of the door at the top (that is if removal is like that on the e38 & e39).

Perhaps that's making it difficult for the panel to come off.

Good point about the shade. This had crossed my mind, but it didn't look like the shade interacts with the panel, but it wouldn't hurt to try removing it. Thanks.

[civdiv99]

It does, and it wouldn't.

I didn't since I was able to work the panel past it it, coupled with my concern that I would have 10 year old (at the time) plastic parts grenading into brittle shrapnel upon levering the thing. But if Quicksilver's method of removing the shade housing works, then at this point you'll probably be further ahead by doing so.

[jgordo415]

Hey, I'm a newbie to the forum but hve owned 2003 BMW for the last 4 years with the ups and downs. Long story short. My back window is stuck in down position I think it's the clips broken since not only two months ago it happens to my driver window but due to it occurring following getting rear ended I had insurance covered it. Now I'll have to pay out of pocket this go round. Anyways I think in models after 02 there is 4th screw. If u pop the handlebar piece open ( not door handle) u will see a 4th screw . I unsuccessfully tried to remove the door panel earlier this evening and the 4th screw was stripped or I just don't have to the right tool to remove it( I used ally wrench keys for the other 3). Well also I think I broke the white plastic door latch. Cause I've tried to reassemble it but no such luck. Wifey mad door will now not open and window is broke.. Well I'll be at the stealership this weekend after I scrapped up 4-5 hundred bucks to have the replace a clip that cost 2.95 and charge me 5 hrs of labor. Oh the life of owning a bimmer. But look for the 4th screw is my two cents in the full size door handle

[avonside]

Originally Posted by Multibeemer

Good point about the shade. This had crossed my mind, but it didn't look like the shade interacts with the panel, but it wouldn't hurt to try removing it. Thanks.

HI , I dont wish to teach anyone to suck eggs, but I guess you have removed the dividing black trim that sits on the door.It has a fixing screw under it, its a bit of a pig to get off, i had to make a little tool to remove the trim peice.There is a little hole at the top of the window and you have to push a small metal clip back that is inside the trim.I got a peice of 3mm rod filed a smooth round end and gently worked the clip till it sprung off.Hope Im not telling you something you"ve already done.
Good luck

[Bulk]

Axe, and if that doesn't work try a circular saw. Guaranteed success

[Multibeemer]

avonside,

Yes, I removed the trim piece (mine came off easily), and the torx screw behind it. Every other aspect of the panel removal went very smoothly, including pulling the plastic clips out of the holes in the door that they press into. The "only" problem I ran into was trying to pull the panel off along the top.

Bulk,

Axe, saw, blow torch, and dynamite are on my list of things to try next...

But for now, I have more pressing issues I need to address, including building a smoke machine to track down a possible vacuum leak in my daughter's E46, and finishing up a few things on my Porsche 968 track car conversion project.

[papasmurf]

You have to remove the little window's shade before removing the door panel. I bet that's your hang up.