Rear Door Panel Removal with Shades

gzig5 · 20th March 2011, 00:04

I searched here and the rest of the net and couldn't find my answer. My driver's side rear main door shade broke a couple months ago. It came out and wouldn't go back in. Everything I found for removal never mentioned the screw that tied the shade to the door panel on the end of the shade near the door hinge. I removed the two under the trim, got the one under the small shade as well as the one in the handle and popped all the plastic fasteners. The panel wouldn't come off on the front end and thats when I learned the hard way, by breaking the shade mount, that there was a screw from the panel into the shade on the end of the shade. I couldn't see it and have no idea how the heck to get at it. I need to do the vapor barrier on the other door and don't want to break that shade so I'm looking for some guidance, pictures, or a video that I missed on how to remove that panel and get that third screw out.

On another note, I found out what was wrong with the shade and was able to fix it, saving myself $190 for a new shade. I'll do a DIY on that separately after someone shows me how to remove the panel without breaking the shade.

Greg

n0thingface · 20th March 2011, 18:11

hi gzig5 there is only 4 screws to pull the rear door panels off.
1 under the little round cover in the door handle,
then remove the vertical sunshade (small flat screw driver through the vertical cut at the top of the sunshade to lift up the metal tab (#5) before you pull it up and away from lower tab (#6) ),
remove screw from the lower metal tab (#6) behind the sunshade,
there are 2 screws behind the wood trim panel slow pry off panel.
now remove screw at the back portion of the sunshade and then the screw at the front of the sunshade (# 12/13).
now for the fun part just slowly pry up the door from the lower edge to release the pins (#2) from around the door then you need to some how release the handle clip (#5) at this point the door should be lifted up and away slowly paying close attention to the front edge by the tweeter grill there is a spring style clip there.
thats all there is to pulling the panel off p.s. make sure to remove the window switch and the splash light if there, rolling the window down also helps.

gzig5 · 20th March 2011, 23:20

I believe I removed all the screws you mention.
This is the screw that I was talking about. It goes through the front end of the shade into a bracket on the front end of the door panel. I couldn't see it and could not figure out how to get to it from the front edge of the door. The only way I can see how this would be accessible would be to remove the trim around the front edge of the window frame. Because I couldn't see it and didn't know it existed, I broke the bracket that mounts the shade to the door as I pulled on the panel.

Here is the shade laying on the panel showing the bracket and screw.

Assembled. The area in the box is hidden behind the window frame trim.

I've not seen any instruction on how to get to this screw. My car is an 09/99 date so maybe they didn't do this on the later models. Anyone have any pearls of wisdom? If I have to pull off the window frame trim, what am I going to break next?

n0thingface · 21st March 2011, 03:30

the screws that you have circled in the 2nd and 3rd pic dont need to come out to pull off the door panel the sunshade stays with the panel as that screw doesnt connect to the door at all. the screw that goes through the hole in the 1st pic that is broken has an excess hole through the door panel after the wood trim is removed. but there is a spring style clip right above the sunshade that is most likely what you were stuck on.

Frye · 21st March 2011, 03:41

Fixed leaking rear door vapor barriers (pics)
Post 38

http://www.louv.tv/cars/m5/leakydoor/leakydoor.html

gzig5 · 21st March 2011, 05:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by n0thingface

the screws that you have circled in the 2nd and 3rd pic dont need to come out to pull off the door panel the sunshade stays with the panel as that screw doesnt connect to the door at all. the screw that goes through the hole in the 1st pic that is broken has an excess hole through the door panel after the wood trim is removed. but there is a spring style clip right above the sunshade that is most likely what you were stuck on.

The shade was screwed both to the door and to the panel. To the panel with three screws and to the door with two. The shade has mounting brackets on both ends and each bracket has a hole that secures to the door and one that goes into the panel with the additional screw on the end that I've pointed out. When the shade is secured to both parts you must release it completely from one of them in order to remove the panel and with that extra screw on the end, it's not easy.

Edit......You are correct. I was removing the wrong screws. I didn't realize those access holes were there. All better now.

Kevin The Clean 1 · 21st March 2011, 08:38

I'm glad that you guys brought this issue up. I was wondering too what all was involved with having this feature. The place that tints my windows will be servicing my M5 soon. They are a great professional shop that removes all the side windows & bakes on the window tint film. I'm assuming that since I have the sun shade option on my rear windows, this will create a tad bit more difficulty for them...

To remove the rear side windows, the two shades have to be removed right??

gzig5 · 21st March 2011, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frye

Fixed leaking rear door vapor barriers (pics)
Post 38

http://www.louv.tv/cars/m5/leakydoor/leakydoor.html

OK, I'm a retard.

I now see that there are two access holes in the panel to get to the two screws holding the shade to the door. Remove these two screws and the shade comes out with the panel and then you can deal with that screw on the front. Super.

GA E39 · 14th September 2012, 03:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by gzig5

On another note, I found out what was wrong with the shade and was able to fix it, saving myself $190 for a new shade. I'll do a DIY on that separately after someone shows me how to remove the panel without breaking the shade.

Greg

Did you ever get around to posting the fix? I removed my shades when I was re-sealing the vapor barriers because they won't retract, which is a major annoyance. I'd consider putting them back in if I can fix them easily.

Thanks.

n0thingface · 14th September 2012, 18:33

GA E39 which shade or shades will not retract? the quarter window or the large one in the door?