First Bimmer X5

[Helihover]

Hi guys. New to the forum here and have quite a few questions

I bought my first BMW about 2 weeks ago and absolutely love it. It's a 2001 x5 4.4.

I have a few minor items to address and a lot of mods to complete!

Sunday after doing some interior detailing I decided I would check the oil and what not. Pulled my lever and snap! I read so much yesterday about this notorious problem with no answer to my question. My cable snapped at the lever (you can see it). So I was hoping I could just pull the kick panel off and access. I feel like a complete moron because I can not remove that cover. I'm pretty good around cars, but this is my first BMW and don't want to break anything. Is this something someone can explain to do or do I need a Bently manual?

Thanks guys. I'm sure there will be more questions soon, but one thing at a time.