Mystery part?

[Gebbly]

My Z4M has needed a new battery for a little while and after an inactive winter it was completely flat. I have just replaced the battery. A fairly simple procedure. Just had to reset the window limits.

However whilst removing the old battery I noticed a large piece of plastic sticking out from behind the carpet that backs on to the driving compartment rattling around loose. It was completely loose so I slid it out to have a look. Does anyone know what this is (its about 22 inches from end to end)? [Edit: I should say she is an E86 so nothing to do with a retracting roof.]

 

[mmm-five]

Isn't it part of the frame that the battery cover clips into, as it looks a similar shape to the battery cover (#21 in the diagram below)...

 

[Gebbly]

Hmm, it does look a similar shape. But the battery cover has 3 connection points, lower front, right and top. This piece wasnt in a position that the battery cover could connect to it. It was just slid behind the carpet that forms the back wall of the boot. As though someone didnt know where it went so just slid it behind there. Very odd.

 

[mmm-five]

Sorry, I don’t mean where you screw the cover down, but the rear frame which locates the battery cover before you screw it down.

The slots in the frame would line up to the tongues on the battery cover (if they’re still there of course), and that frame would have originally been attached to the rear bulkhead.

I can’t find a diagram for the rear bulkhead, or a photo of a Z4MC with the battery cover removed, so this rough illustration will have to suffice.

 

[mmm-five]

Found a photo…


The orientation of your’s on the cardboard is different, but if you flip it over you’ll see those slots, and the rest of the bracket is hidden in my photo because it’s behind the bulkhead carpet.

 

[Gebbly]

Ah I understand what your saying now. It definitely looks the correct shape to fit there. It doesn't have any screw holes in it to fix it to the panel work. Perhaps it has broken off some other larger piece of plastic over time. I'll have another look and see if there is any sign of it being snapped off of a larger section of panelling behind the battery cover.

 

[mmm-five]

Found some more pictures of my battery box, which might make the frame a bit more visible...

 

[Gebbly]

I see thanks. Is the plastic part attached to the surrounding area in some way or just slotted in loose?

 

[mmm-five]

I see thanks. Is the plastic part attached to the surrounding area in some way or just slotted in loose?

It should be affixed to the carpet/bulkhead somehow...but I've never disassembled mine any further to see exactly how - it may be simple plastic trim fixings or even screwed in.

 

[basejjaka2]

I noticed a large piece of plastic sticking out from behind the carpet that backs on to the driving compartment rattling around loose. It was completely loose so I slid it out to have a look. https://eldfall-chronicles.com/sl/products/plisasta-igraca-koni-chan

That definitely sounds like the trim bracket mentioned above. It is quite common for those to shift or come loose if the battery has been accessed before. Glad to hear the window limit reset was the only other minor hurdle you had to deal with!