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Replacing the interior door handles
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- Newbie
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:48 am
Replacing the interior door handles
The interior of my Z4 2.5i 2003 is in pretty good condition, except for the inner door-handles, so I decided to replace them. After finding the part-numbers on realoem.com (51417016661/51417016662) I ordered them from BMW and they just came in. They look great but if I compare them with the ones currently in the car I notice something strange:
This is a picture of the current handle taken with flashlight:
And this is a picture of the new handles:
The colour looks pretty much the same, doesn't it? But if I compare the old and new side by side (picture taken without flashlight), there is quite a difference:
The old one looks much darker, and the new one appears to have the exact same colour as the doorgrip also shown in the picture.
I actually think the new one looks better and fits better with the rest of the interior, but I can't understand why there is a difference. Did I order the wrong part? Or maybe the previous owner ordered a wrong door-handle?
I'm hoping can replace the handle without having to remove the entire door-lining, does anybody have experience with this?
This is a picture of the current handle taken with flashlight:
And this is a picture of the new handles:
The colour looks pretty much the same, doesn't it? But if I compare the old and new side by side (picture taken without flashlight), there is quite a difference:
The old one looks much darker, and the new one appears to have the exact same colour as the doorgrip also shown in the picture.
I actually think the new one looks better and fits better with the rest of the interior, but I can't understand why there is a difference. Did I order the wrong part? Or maybe the previous owner ordered a wrong door-handle?
I'm hoping can replace the handle without having to remove the entire door-lining, does anybody have experience with this?
Last edited by Highstreet on Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- thanatu55
- Senior Member
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Replacing the interior door handles
I don't know if it's just me but I can't see any of your photos.
The handles are easy to remove. Flip out the circular cover and I think it's a torx screw, though I could be wrong. Remove the screw, pull the handle out and disconnect the white attachment.
Unless you mean the door pulls, in which case the silver face slides down and off, then remove all the screws.
The handles are easy to remove. Flip out the circular cover and I think it's a torx screw, though I could be wrong. Remove the screw, pull the handle out and disconnect the white attachment.
Unless you mean the door pulls, in which case the silver face slides down and off, then remove all the screws.
- Paulr
- Member
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- Location: Tunbridge Wells
Replacing the interior door handles
No pics either. Shame, I have the same slightly weather beaten looking door handles that need sprucing up as well!
If you try and take a cat apart the first thing you have is a non working cat.
- Smartbear
- Lifer
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- Location: a barn in Somerset
Replacing the interior door handles
My e85 had scratched interior handles so I used 3m vinyl wrap on them-was easy to do & still looked good when I sold it nearly 3 years later
Robe89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold
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- Lifer
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- Location: South west Buckinghamshire
Replacing the interior door handles
I can't see the photos either
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
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- Newbie
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Replacing the interior door handles
Sorry, my mistake, I've corrected the links...
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- Lifer
- Posts: 9537
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 9:09 am
- Location: South west Buckinghamshire
Replacing the interior door handles
That's better, the new one looks fine
BMW Z4 30i 2003 auto 107's Whippy Toledo Blue
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
Beige M sport seats, wood dash
Toyota MR2 NA 1995
Triumph GT6 1972 (project)
Land Rover Discovery 1994 TDI (Tow car)
Mini 1000 1981
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- Member
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- Location: Windsor
Replacing the interior door handles
How much were they op? Mine are shite and previous owner used a marker pen on them to colour them in. They are a pig to wrap.
MR-2 Turbo Rev2
Yep no Z yet. On the hunt.
Yep no Z yet. On the hunt.
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- Newbie
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- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:48 am
Replacing the interior door handles
I paid €27 a piece....
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- Newbie
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:48 am
Replacing the interior door handles
Well, that was not very difficult and I didn’t even scratch the leather.
Before: After:
Before: After:
- maxman
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:34 pm
- Location: Wrexham
Replacing the interior door handles
Do you want to sell the old ones ,if so I will buy them off you , I am after the black plastic ,so not botherd about the handle.
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- Lifer
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Replacing the interior door handles
I see what you mean, ive actually gone the other way round.
your new ones are whats known as 'chromeline' for the e85/e86
the ones you had originally were the basic grey colour which come on most 2.0 / 2.2 / 2.5i models, as that's what my new interior come with (as it was from a 2.0i) and I couldn't be arsed swapping handles.
your new ones are whats known as 'chromeline' for the e85/e86
the ones you had originally were the basic grey colour which come on most 2.0 / 2.2 / 2.5i models, as that's what my new interior come with (as it was from a 2.0i) and I couldn't be arsed swapping handles.
18 Z4s owned to date.
Current: 2.5i Titan silver
Daily driver: 480bhp M140i Shadow edition.
Current: 2.5i Titan silver
Daily driver: 480bhp M140i Shadow edition.
Replacing the interior door handles
Nice work. I need to do this on my car aswell.
I reckon it's rings that scratch the finish.
I reckon it's rings that scratch the finish.
- thanatu55
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:50 pm
Replacing the interior door handles
Interesting, mine came with the 'chromeline' ones (on a 2.0i), maybe because it's the sport model? Or possibly because it's the facelift model.jamie_z4 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:35 pmI see what you mean, ive actually gone the other way round.
your new ones are whats known as 'chromeline' for the e85/e86
the ones you had originally were the basic grey colour which come on most 2.0 / 2.2 / 2.5i models, as that's what my new interior come with (as it was from a 2.0i) and I couldn't be arsed swapping handles.
Either way I think the chromeline ones look better and I may just have been lucky.
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- Newbie
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Replacing the interior door handles
Sure, if you’re willing to pay for the shipping, you can get them for free. But I live in the Netherlands, we’ll have to check the shipment-cost.