Changing interior trim pieces - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

CM5GO · 19th December 2001, 18:42

I am changing my interior trim pieces from wood to aluminum.

Has anyone performed this themselves?

Do you have any tips on what to do and what not to do to make the job as easy as possible?

I am hoping to be able to do it without having to pay the stealer to do it.

-Thanks in advance for any help or tips

AMP · 19th December 2001, 19:06

Pretty easy...but...

All of the horizontal trim will pop out with the proper application of force - all of the pieces are held in with compression fittings. They don't clip... just squeeze. A good tool is a hook (think of an L-shaped awl) - that will allow you to get behind the trim and pull. Otherwise a flat screwdriver and some padding works well.

As for the center console (around the shifter) I'm not sure what's involved there, but I think that it involves removing the climate controls, cupholders, tray next to lighter, and covered storage box. If I remember correctly the procedure is outlined in the TIS. let me see if I can find it for you...

-Andrew

CM5GO · 19th December 2001, 20:45

Whats the TIS? It would be great if you could find any documented instruction. Thanks for your help.

AMP · 19th December 2001, 21:47

Hmmm... I think that Gustav needs to change one of the smile descriptors. The icon replaced the word p_o_p.

TIS is the service manual for the E39... the same thing that the service tech uses to figure out how to take your car apart.

I've found all of the instructions. PM me with an email address and I'll send you a pdf file.

CM5GO · 20th December 2001, 06:53

O.K. Ive got all of the wood out of the car except for the ebrake handle. All of the other pieces came out with a couple screws and a little muscle.

I cant figure out how to get the darn blastit ebrake handle off!

Does anyone have any detail to this removal?
Has anyone done it before?
Please help if you can. Im getting very frustrated and its my LAST piece.

18790775 · 20th December 2001, 16:10

This is a stupid question but is the wood trip real wood???
i know that in like all acuras, the wood is fake, at least in the mdx

another question, why would you want to take the wood trim out? are you going for a more sporty look?? i think that the wood looks amazing in pics!!
i have also heard that the aluminum trim is known to peel

Alex

edit: I AM A MEMBER YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CM5GO · 20th December 2001, 16:17

Alex,

I have decided to change the trim because I have the two tone red & Black interior. I think the wood has a very funny contrast with the red. It almost clashes. If my interior were all black I would leave the wood.

I also want the aluminum because it brightens up the interior quite a bit. The wood is very dark.

The only piece of the aluminum trim that was known to peel was the aluminum shift knob. BMW has replaced that with a all leather shift knob to alleviate that issue.

Steve Beswick · 20th December 2001, 18:23

CM5GO,

I changed my wood e-brake handle to the AC Schnitzer aluminum one and we had to cut the old one off ! If you slit the end closest to the back (the black part) with an exacto knife, it should slip forward. Don't know what it'd look like if I wanted to put it back on, though.

MAH · 20th December 2001, 18:33

Where did you gt the new aluminum pieces? I also want to change the wood, even though I have all black interior. I like the contrast of the aluminum, but I do not like the $ that BMW wants for their fake aluminum pieces.

Mark

steveB · 20th December 2001, 18:49

mark, how much does bmw charge for the aluminum trim. i also want to replace my wood trim? also, as you probably know, as a cca member you can get at least 10% off bmw parts.

steve

MAH · 20th December 2001, 19:02

Quote:

Originally posted by steveB
mark, how much does bmw charge for the aluminum trim. i also want to replace my wood trim? also, as you probably know, as a cca member you can get at least 10% off bmw parts.

steve

Steve,

BMW wants $1200 for the pieces. Way too much for fake aluminum. Any ideas on who else might make the real thing?

Mark