Stuart Truman
Lifer
vanilla, Fitting a stereo?
What Am I Doing Wrong? ( Center Vents )
- Thread starter JetBlackZ
- Start date
wish me luck! Just about got the bmw radio out. One of the connection on top of the left vent clip has worn away that's why that side clip was much easier to mainpulate.The one true tool!
I've been struggling with finding a way to reliably unclip the vents. If I put a screwdriver/knife up in there I can feel the vent but I can't get the knife above it to pull down.
I did have success with an unbent paperclip but it still took 5-10 minutes.
Finally, I have cracked it with a hair grip (not mine, stolen from a lady walking past me in the street.) It's long enough, thin enough and firm enough when unbent. Just put a 5mm hook in the end with a pair of pliers and 60% of the time it works every time.
I've been struggling with finding a way to reliably unclip the vents. If I put a screwdriver/knife up in there I can feel the vent but I can't get the knife above it to pull down.
I did have success with an unbent paperclip but it still took 5-10 minutes.
Finally, I have cracked it with a hair grip (not mine, stolen from a lady walking past me in the street.) It's long enough, thin enough and firm enough when unbent. Just put a 5mm hook in the end with a pair of pliers and 60% of the time it works every time.
I followed various guides and had proper removal tools but could not get it to budge. Eventually I found a you tube thread of a chinese guy removing the vents from a Z4 with SatNav. It showed there are also 2 black plastic clips in the bottom right and left and when i put a screwdriver in and lifted these (you need 3 hands or 4 screwdrivers) then it finally moved. (Mine is 2004 with standard Business audio).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro8cU7HMiu0&t=113s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro8cU7HMiu0&t=113s
JackB1 said:Here is how I removed mine - it does take someone holding two screwdrivers that are pushing up the metal clips. Then you have your hands free to pull the vent assembly straight out towards you. I got a piece of string through, around the back and out again (string not shown), then pulled on the strings until it came out.
It is like everything else associated with removing in terior parts. unless you have done it before, you really don't know how the fastners work - you really risk breaking things due to the unknown!
Here are some pics -
Hope this helps!
ldman:
Best!
Jack
Appreciate this is a very old thread now however the photo of the screwdriver pushing up on the metal tabs is bloody misleading and in my opinion should be removed from the forum ...
The OP should have made it very very clear at the beginning of the post that the metal tabs require pulling down, not PUSHING UP.
By following this post I managed to lock the metal tabs upwards on my Zed and ended up having to wrench the centre vent unit out and causing the plastic edge of the centre vent unit to warp. Not a massive issue as the centre vent unit needs replacing anyway as one of the air flap dials is faulty ... I just don't want anyone else to end up in the same predicament I was ...
JackB1 said:Here is how I removed mine - it does take someone holding two screwdrivers that are pushing up the metal clips. Then you have your hands free to pull the vent assembly straight out towards you. I got a piece of string through, around the back and out again (string not shown), then pulled on the strings until it came out.
It is like everything else associated with removing in terior parts. unless you have done it before, you really don't know how the fastners work - you really risk breaking things due to the unknown!
Here are some pics -
Hope this helps!
Best!
Jack
Appreciate this is a very old thread now however the photo of the screwdriver pushing up on the metal tabs is bloody misleading and in my opinion should be removed from the forum ...
The OP should have made it very very clear at the beginning of the post that the metal tabs require pulling down, not PUSHING UP.
By following this post I managed to lock the metal tabs upwards on my Zed and ended up having to wrench the centre vent unit out and causing the plastic edge of the centre vent unit to warp. Not a massive issue as the centre vent unit needs replacing anyway as one of the air flap dials is faulty ... I just don't want anyone else to end up in the same predicament I was ...
I posted this video on youtube to try an help people out. It's not briliant (my first attempt at a help video) but should give people the idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKvm7ZlodN0&t=9s
WORD OF WARNING !!! - IF YOU ARE FORCING IT THE FASTENERS/CLIPS ARE NOT RELEASED.
When you get it right it just slides out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKvm7ZlodN0&t=9s
WORD OF WARNING !!! - IF YOU ARE FORCING IT THE FASTENERS/CLIPS ARE NOT RELEASED.
When you get it right it just slides out.
csquire4 said:
Yeah I did exactly the same ... I used a metal screwdriver to extract the centre vents out and chipped the aluminium dash edge ... hohum!
Didn't help at the time a) being a newbie and b) following the photo at the start of this thread!
Might make sense to create a separate thread for your video and post it in the E85 How to section? Also, if not too late, possibly show from a side view in your video the angle of the screwdriver and the angle of the vent slats to demonstrate how to get the tip of the screwdriver to reach the 2 metal tabs on the top of the vents.