how to secure the door panel clips ?
 

Hello,
Long time ago I changed my lock actuator for the Driver Side Door, and I was never able to properly put back the door together, it is still loose as none of the plastic tabs (clips) are secure.Door panel Clips and tried to replace the missing ones
but it is not clear how I am supposed to make it work, do I Slide it From Top to bottom ? or do I push it in and force them?
and which one type of I clips do I need to buy

the Diagram for the Real OEM is too messy, cant tell what clips I should buy and where is each one ?
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=51_3820
according to the REALOEM there are two types of clips ?


No. Description Supp. Qty From Up To Part Number Price Notes
22 Clip with washer, natur WEIß X 51418224768 $0.69
23 Clip with seal ring GRAU 6 51418224781 $0.69

for the 23 ones it says 6 of them needed for but for the 22 it doesnt say how many I need. what does X mean for quantity ?

but I am supposed to just first mount them on the metal frame and then Push the Door in them to force them in or do I need to put them on the Door panel first and then Slide it to the Metal Frame?


I have seen plenty of videos ppl take off the Doors but yet I have not seen one that puts it back together, maybe nobody puts back together correctly and once you open it it will be loose forever??

The grey clips are on the front edge where the door frame has thicker double sheeting. All other clips are the white ones.

When removing first pry out the edges. Then slide the card upwards removing it from the window edge connectors and big center clip at the handle. The center clip usually stays on door side when card is removed. Remove it and install it back on door card. (If the clip doesn't stay on door card but tries to drop, you may secure it with small piece of tape.) Inspect the edge clips on door card and renew if damaged or missing. All those clips should be on door card before installation. When installing slide the top part in groove clips and then push/tap the center and edge clips in. You may need to guide the clips so they are going in the holes on door as the clips have some play on door card.

where is Front Edge ? like if we are sitting on driver seat, where would be front ?
do you know how many are supposed to be the white ones? and how many gray ones? (I think Real oem says 6 of the Gray ones...but it says X for the white ones...what is X ?)

where could I buy them in bulk at affordable price?

A picture might help. Thanks to cn90...

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67404

Pretty sure there should be three white clips at the left side of the above image (ignore the fact that this image shows grey ones!). I also think the RealOEM count of six white clips covers both front door cards.

So three white and eight grey clips per door card.

The location of the large black clip is circled in blue.

Not for nothing, but every time I remove an E53 door panel, one or more of the plastic brackets - upper, lower, middle, that hold the clips separates from the door card...it usually doesn't break.

I have become quite skilled at gluing them back in place with RTV or gasket maker. I carefully clamp them and let them cure overnight.

I've removed the panel so many times and with the confusion that followed. I started using Velcro to hold the push clips into place.
Now I just tear the door off the panel when I need to get back there...reinstalling carries much less confusion.

Thank you very much do you have the link to the discussion of this image too ?

22 Clip with washer, natur WEIß X 51418224768 $0.69
23 Clip with seal ring GRAU 6 51418224781 $0.69

Grau I think means gray in German and Weiss means white
So realoem says 6 gray and X white. Not sure why it would say X is that common for real oem to just say X ?

I wonder if there is a real difference between them are they interchangeable?

I already tried to explain those grey and white clips. On door structure the front (hinge side) part has thicker double sheeting. The grey clips have deeper groove and foam to grip thicker material. The white clips are for normal single sheeting. White clips would not stick on the thicker double sheeting. Grey ones could be used instead of white ones on the thinner single sheeting but the door card would be slightly loose.

I'm not so sure. I pulled both front door cards off today to check the window carrier on the right and test a left side junkyard DLA.

First, the DLAs: do these not work with the door cards off/window switch disconnected? I disconnected the dead one in the left front door and connected the spare, but I got no motion from it with the doors closed and pressing the lock button on the remote. Now that I have the right card off, that one which was working fine no longer works. Guessing something wants to see all the wiring connected? Kinda baffled. Maybe the junkyard one works tho I would not hold my breath...

Second, the door card clips. The REAR of the doors (closest to the latch) has four double-thick holes, made so by a piece of black plastic held on by three white clips (NOT the same as the door card clips, because BMW). The rest of the holes for the clips are single-thickness, just sheet metal. However the ones at the FRONT (hinge end) are dimpled and recessed a little. Pics are not the best, sorry.

To me it makes more sense for the gray clips to go on the rear of the door cards if indeed the gray ones are supposed to be longer (they are not, and these are OE parts from FCP, not amazon crap) but other than the color they look the same as the white ones. The pic of the left door card shows where I think the gray ones are supposed to go.

Both cards had clip holders that came unglued, so I used the black JB Weld gasket maker as someone mentioned here somewhere. I only have the one clamp so the three that came off I clamped for about 45min each. I'll put it all back together tomorrow. Hope the door locks work again...

I gave up on my door panel clips
 

When I traded for my X5, the driver's side door card was loose, so I inspected it and found a mismash of grey, white, and various domestic "Christmas Tree" push-in fasteners holding it on, but not well. I pushed in whatever ones would grab hold, and ordered some more of each type (even the Xmas Tree types), so I could better nail it down.

As time passed, the door card eventually pulled loose again, and I finally used the clips/fasteners I'd bought, but as soon as I pulled the door shut from the inside, many would pull out.

More time passed, and I was pulling the door shut again, when all came loose, and a formerly-glued in stand-off dropped to the ground. I put it on my desk, and just pushed in the fasteners again. I fully intended to fix the door card problem someday, but only when the door's innards needed repair. I've lost that piece, since.

Forward in time to four months ago: the door card pulled loose just before I drove to a DR's appointment, and didn't have time or patience to mess with the lousy fasteners again...I used black Gorilla tape I had in the door pocket, to quick-fix the loose card, and it worked so well that I have left it in place for all this time, and pulling the door handle no longer pulls the card loose.

I hate the door card design, and wonder why BMW didn't secure the inside-door-pull/armrest to solid metal (like most mfg's do), instead of attaching it to the card? I considered (and still am) using some black "10 x 1-Inch Phillips Trim Screws with Washer" around the perimeter for a secure connection. All my old trucks used trim screws, so did my Chevelle, and others, and I never had a bit of trouble with door cards (offhand, I can't tell you what my current vehicles use on theirs...I've not had any pull loose, ever).

I wish there was blue or grey Gorilla tape to use (for a color match, haha), because I really don't want to install the trim screws, just in case I pass my X5 forward to a purist afficionado, someday (I try not to make an irreversible mod to any of my "project cars" (except for the full roll cage in the Chevelle). And my X5 is only driven by me, so a little duct tape doesn't offend me.

The large centre black clip (BMW # 51418156532 ) connects the door handle (force) to the steel-work - if this clip is missing then pulling the door handle can easily pull the door card off.

This large black clips seems to often end up missing, as folk (folk = mechanics in a hurry!) don't take the time to understand how it is fitted and what it's purpose is - it just get discarded. :rolleyes:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/photos/51418156532

I have no idea if that clip is still there
 

That's probably missing on mine; after looking at RealOEM when I first tried getting the card to snap in, I saw that clip and assumed it was more cheap plastic and wasn't going to grab, though I repeatedly applied a lot of force where I thought it might be. Is it plastic or steel (like it should be)?

The first time I had the problem with it, I asked the previous owner if he had problems with it; he was evasive about it, so I assume he did, and maybe knew the problem. He was also evasive when I tried to get the original Business radio, CD changer, MID, and dash trim parts he said he'd give me, but never did.

I'll order that part before I have to take the card off, so maybe I'll finally be able to shut the door with confidence that it won't pull off the card.

The clip itself is (very dense and solid) plastic - it sits in a steel insert on the door card (see blue circle in door card images on page 1 of this thread) and locks onto a steel clip on the door side.

https://assets.ecstuning.com/product...1466_x800.webp

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/07147130674/

I've seen other posts (on this site) where owners have struggled with how this clip works. It stays on the door side (clip) when the door card is removed (as you lift the door card up). You can see it left in place on the door in this image (from UncleBob) - circled as "B".

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...parts-door.jpg

You then release the black clip from the door side (squeeze the steel tangs togther to release the clip) and re-fit it to the door card, before re-fitting the door card to the door. Pushing on the door handle will re-lock the door card to the door via this black clip.

I don't have much experience with other door cards other than my Volvo 240 (RIP, Mrs Klankenborg) which used metal clips and three torx bolts hidden under the door pull. Never had any issue with anything breaking or the card coming off.

These flimsy clips are cost-reduction bs that have no place on any BMW.

I just spent an hour searching for the correct placement of the clips white vs gray and the consensus seems to be "it doesn't matter". But the one (ONE!) video showing the panel coming off that I believe had them in the right place (because the vapor barrier was still intact), which is as described above: the grays go on the leading (hinge) edge and the whites in the rest of them.

Update: right-side panel went on perfectly with the grays in the front and all broken ones replaced. Also DLA won't work if the window controller box is unplugged. One of my junkyard DLAs works in boht directions! The other is totally dead.