Difference between door trim clip part numbers
 

I got my front windows tinted right after I got my X5 a few weeks ago. Ever since then my driver's door has rsttled and the trim is obviously loose. I didn't worry about it much as I thought a few clips might not be alligned right and I had to take it off anyway to replace the door handle carrier anyway.
Well I replaced the door handle carrier today and found out they had lost or broke about half the clips for the driver's door. I looked up the part number on realOEM so I could order the right clips to replace them.
I found two part numbers:
51418224768: Door Panel Clip with Seal Ring Natural
and
51418224781: Door Panel Clip With Seal Ring Gray

Are these the exact same thing, but just diffetent colored or is there a functional /quality diffefence in the two? I'm not sure how many of which I'm missing as half the clips are just gone and more are broken.

I wondered this also when I did my rear door vapor barrier re-seal. I ordered both sets of clips but cannot see a major real difference. I'll just order the gray ones only next time.

according to realoem there are 6 of one style, yet only 2 of the other. I'm thinking they are different heights, therefore one of the clips may not fully seat in the wrong hole adn vice versa where the other would be too loose in the other hole.

For my 2001, I bought these:
51-41-8-224-768 door panel clip with foam washer
51-41-1-973-500 door panel clip

I did not pay attention to color, but the first one has a foam washer/gasket glued on, and the other does not. They seem interchangeable, although the foam washer one ends up with a snugger fit, and is probably worth the extra ten cents each, or whatever it is. Now that I know, I will just buy those ones if I ever need more.

In general, these things cost next to nothing, and you will be needing probably 10+ per door. And you will probably have all 4 door panels off before too long. Better to have a few left over than to need to put the panel back on with cracked or brittle old clips.

There are two differences between the grey and white versions.
-the white has a cut-out in the round foot. This allows it to be rotated into place, such a hole with a smaller diameter.
-the grey without the cut out can only be retained by a slot in the panel.

The 4 spaces between the 'legs' are identical on the grey one, whereas the white has two spaces opposite one another that are shorter, which probably makes it a bit stiffer and so a tighter fit.

They are both the same length,diameter, and fit in the same diameter/slot.

As an aside some earlier models had a pale green version, to fit a fractionally thicker panel that had the cut out in the foot like the white, and the spaces like the grey!

So now you know...:yawn:

If you have lost a lot of both white and gray clips, is there a way to tell which clips go where when replacing them? Does it matter if you use all white or all gray clips?

I've had my '01 for almost 4 years now, which means the door panels have been off about a dozen times by now due to door handle carriers, regulator clips, window clips, and even a door lock actuator failure.

I've bought multiples of the (about 3) different types of clips, trying to figure out what really matters. The post by chrisn7 seems logical, no disagreement there, but I did not look so closely.

I've used all different types and I can't say that there is any real difference.

But here's an important tip that does matter. Of course you'll replace the missing ones, and probably even the ones missing a leg or two. Yes do that. But ALSO, if re-using any clips, inspect them carefully - sometimes they may appear to be fully intact, but when you squeeze them, you'll see that they are cracked and don't have the spring force and structural strength that new ones do.

And regarding the multiple choices, I use the ones with the neoprene washer, not caring as to color. But that matters a lot less than being sure to replace cracked ones.