Replacing the interior door handles

H

Highstreet

Member
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:

rnlnTbk.jpg

And this is a picture of the new handles:

E9t6RQY.jpg

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:

5BimQl4.jpg

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?
 
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.
 
No pics either. Shame, I have the same slightly weather beaten looking door handles that need sprucing up as well!
 
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 :)
E7D4C934-DA07-4CCC-88CD-42354BACA7F4.jpeg445BD699-2D9E-4B05-9630-4FEFF5C05BC2.jpeg
Rob
 
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.
 
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.
 
Nice work. I need to do this on my car aswell.
I reckon it's rings that scratch the finish.
 
jamie_z4 said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.

Either way I think the chromeline ones look better and I may just have been lucky.
 
maxman said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
I think it’s a facelift change. My 3.0Si had chrome line, and I got some grab handle covers from a forum member with a pre-facelift Z and they are darker / more matter. Never changed them as they didnt match the door handles, still got them in the garage actually.
 
jamie_z4 said:
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.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that was exactly the info I was looking for! I compared the part numbers of the old and new ones and they are exactly the same. So I suppose you can only order the chromeline-version and not the basic gray version.
 
Highstreet said:
maxman said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that.I assumed you that you lived in the UK.
 
Bing said:
I think it’s a facelift change. My 3.0Si had chrome line, and I got some grab handle covers from a forum member with a pre-facelift Z and they are darker / more matter. Never changed them as they didnt match the door handles, still got them in the garage actually.
Click to expand...

I thought this too but the interior I got mine from was from a 2008 car.

I think if you specced chrome line interior pack you got chrome door handles, door pulls and if it was and SE then chrome steering wheel trims. (like thatnau55s)
 
jamie_z4 said:
Bing said:
I think it’s a facelift change. My 3.0Si had chrome line, and I got some grab handle covers from a forum member with a pre-facelift Z and they are darker / more matter. Never changed them as they didnt match the door handles, still got them in the garage actually.
Click to expand...

I thought this too but the interior I got mine from was from a 2008 car.

I think if you specced chrome line interior pack you got chrome door handles, door pulls and if it was and SE then chrome steering wheel trims. (like thatnau55s)
Click to expand...

Ah, ok. I didn’t realise it was an option. That makes sense. The silver trim in the M is different again, brighter I think.
 
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