Ok, so this isn't really a problem I have, rather one I had and have now fixed... Maybe it will help other owners (particularly those of you blessed in the height department):
I'm 6ft3 and I bought an '04 roadster with sports seats recently... I test drove one so I knew I fitted in it (it's an auto. There's no way I could get this car in a manual and have a chance of operating the clutch without crippling myself or sitting bolt upright with my head peering over the windscreen) but I have to have the seat angled right back, touching the rear bulkhead in order to get a decent driving position... This meant that the seatbelt guide was also pressing on the bulkhead and trapping the belt so it wouldnt operate smoothly (or at all sometimes). I noticed that the sports seats on the newer models had a slightly different, thinner, guide which looked like it wouldn't contact the bulkhead and the screw pattern appeared to be the same. In fact, it looks like this was specifically designed to fix the trapped belt problem, so I figured I'd give it a try.
< This only applies to sports seats... standard seats have a completely different belt guide and I haven't looked to see if the design was changed >
Removing the old guide is pretty easy. First of all, slide the belt out through the slot and loop it out the way on the other side of the seat. The outer piece of the guide that you can see attached to the seat is in two halves... (see parts 3 and 4 in this image: http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/MTU0MzAyX3A=.png ) these are clipped all around the edge, but they can be pried apart. Start at the top and work down gently. The front piece is the one screwed to the seat so you should be trying to lever the back piece off. Once this is off you'll see there is also a third piece inside that acts as the actual guide (part 5 in the above image), but it's just slotted in so you can ignore it. There are just three torx screws to undo and the guide is off. Keep the screws just in case, although my new guide came with three longer screws so if you manage to drop one down the drain, don't worry too much.
Mounting the new guide is even easier. It comes as a single unit, with a hinged piece that snaps closed once you put the belt in place (my guides were shipped with a piece of plastic inserted into the slot to stop it from snapping shut in transit). The screw holes will line up exactly with the ones in the seat and you just attatch it with the torx screws provided.
The part numbers for the new guides are (in black. Beige is also an option):
Right: 52 10 7 898 478
Left: 52 10 7 898 477
and they cost about £25 per side.
I'm sure there's only a small percentage of you out there who are 6ft3, running an older model Z4 and have sports seats, but it's a slow day in work so I thought I'd share...
I'm 6ft3 and I bought an '04 roadster with sports seats recently... I test drove one so I knew I fitted in it (it's an auto. There's no way I could get this car in a manual and have a chance of operating the clutch without crippling myself or sitting bolt upright with my head peering over the windscreen) but I have to have the seat angled right back, touching the rear bulkhead in order to get a decent driving position... This meant that the seatbelt guide was also pressing on the bulkhead and trapping the belt so it wouldnt operate smoothly (or at all sometimes). I noticed that the sports seats on the newer models had a slightly different, thinner, guide which looked like it wouldn't contact the bulkhead and the screw pattern appeared to be the same. In fact, it looks like this was specifically designed to fix the trapped belt problem, so I figured I'd give it a try.
< This only applies to sports seats... standard seats have a completely different belt guide and I haven't looked to see if the design was changed >
Removing the old guide is pretty easy. First of all, slide the belt out through the slot and loop it out the way on the other side of the seat. The outer piece of the guide that you can see attached to the seat is in two halves... (see parts 3 and 4 in this image: http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/MTU0MzAyX3A=.png ) these are clipped all around the edge, but they can be pried apart. Start at the top and work down gently. The front piece is the one screwed to the seat so you should be trying to lever the back piece off. Once this is off you'll see there is also a third piece inside that acts as the actual guide (part 5 in the above image), but it's just slotted in so you can ignore it. There are just three torx screws to undo and the guide is off. Keep the screws just in case, although my new guide came with three longer screws so if you manage to drop one down the drain, don't worry too much.
Mounting the new guide is even easier. It comes as a single unit, with a hinged piece that snaps closed once you put the belt in place (my guides were shipped with a piece of plastic inserted into the slot to stop it from snapping shut in transit). The screw holes will line up exactly with the ones in the seat and you just attatch it with the torx screws provided.
The part numbers for the new guides are (in black. Beige is also an option):
Right: 52 10 7 898 478
Left: 52 10 7 898 477
and they cost about £25 per side.
I'm sure there's only a small percentage of you out there who are 6ft3, running an older model Z4 and have sports seats, but it's a slow day in work so I thought I'd share...
