E46 Coupe Interior Swap and Sound Deadening Guide

[BMWCurves]

So you've got an E46 coupe and you're thinking about swapping your interior for a different color, a better condition interior, or for that higher quality leather and better front seats of an M3 interior (my situation). Fantastic, now that you're committed to watching ~$1,000 walk off into the sunset and you've got your interior rolling up on the sunrise along with your wife's ire (or no one because you're a bachelor and that's how you roll), let's get down the business of swapping the interior. I'm going to break it down into sections for easier reading and installing in chunks.

EDIT: I ended up only putting sound deadening material in the doors because it turns out that the areas behind and below the rear seats are pretty well covered in sound deadening foam from the factory. I may eventually replace the stuff underneath the rear seat, but not right now. Supposedly the factory material under there as well as the covering over the rear shock mounts are what give BMWs that signature "crayon" smell, so it might be worth replacing it for that reason alone. Other places I might put sound deadening are in the trunk along the bottom and rear quarter panels.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (clickable links)


Trim (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497472#post497472)
Door cards and sound deadening (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497473#post497473)
Front seats (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497474#post497474)
Rear seats and rear "door" cards (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497475#post497475)


1 - TRIM

Trim is a little more complicated in coupes than sedans because it requires the removal door cards to do it. More on that in a minute.

Dash Trim:
What you'll need: Trim removal tools. You can pick up a trim removal tool set from of Amazon or at your local auto parts store. They're cheap ($5-20) and are very useful for things beyond trim. Something like this:

http://i.imgur.com/f7DGnSZ.jpg

There are three trim pieces on the dash, one in front of the passenger, one over the radio head unit, and one to the left of the driver over the light control module:

http://i.imgur.com/w0l1MGX.jpg

Trim over the light control module:

http://i.imgur.com/qvtkqEK.jpg

1. To remove, start with the piece in front of the passenger side. Slide a trim removal tool that is wide underneath the trim on the side nearest the passenger door and gently begin to leverage the trim away from the dash perpendicularly. The wide trim tool helps disperse some of the stress on the trim piece so that there's a lower likelihood of damaging something:

http://i.imgur.com/nLc9arJ.jpg

2. Once you've gotten the trim off, you might have lost a trim pin or the orange grommet that secures them into place. You can order more if anything goes wrong and their part numbers are 51458266808 and 51458266814, respectively.

3. Repeat the process for the radio and light control module trim pieces. Be patient and gentle, taking extra care to be pulling the trim away from the console perpendicularly. These trim pieces can be fragile and torque in the wrong direction can break the bracket that holds in the trim pin. It's not the end of the world if a bracket does break, but you'll have to epoxy the trim pin back into place or find some other method to secure it properly.

http://i.imgur.com/tCjIkhZ.jpg

4. Install the replacement trim pieces, making sure the passenger trim piece is last. Gently but firmly push the trim pieces back into place: again, perpendicularly to the dash so that there isn't any unnecessary torque on the trim piece. If your replacement trim doesn't have the trim pins, transfer them over from your car's original trim pieces.

Console Trim:
What you'll need: Medium philips head screwdriver

1. Remove the shifter boot. Simply push inward on one side until you can pull that side up and out.

http://i.imgur.com/v4fRArJ.jpg

2. Lift the boot up over the shift knob so it is out of the way.

http://i.imgur.com/Xmf0qd2.jpg

3. Remove two screws at the base of the console trim with a medium sized philips head screw driver.

http://i.imgur.com/hH3bS49.jpg

4. Lift the console trim up and back to free it from the console itself.

http://i.imgur.com/SkV0w4f.jpg

5. Locate each window switch. I'm working on the driver's side, pictured here. To release it from the console trim, push the two tabs away from the console's brackets and gently pull the assembly downward, pivoting where the assembly meets the trim on the far side (where my finger is in the picture).

http://i.imgur.com/JdgirOb.jpg

6. Reinstall the window switches into the new trim. Finish installing the trim following the above instructions in the reverse order.

Front Door Handle Trim:
See section 2, Door Cards and Sound Deadening Link (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497473#post497473)

Rear Passenger Armrest Trim:
See section 4, Rear Seats and Rear "Door" Cards" Link (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18663-E46-Coupe-Interior-Swap-and-Sound-Deadening-Guide&p=497475#post497475)

[BMWCurves]

2 - Door Cards and Sound Deadening

Installing new door cards are simple enough, but there are a fair number of steps depending on what level of swapping you're planning on doing. We'll be installing some sound deadening while we're in there as well. For the sake of this guide, all photos are of the driver's side door, but the directions are the same for the passenger side.

UPDATE: I have found that BavSound have a decent interior removal guide that is used for replacing E46 coupe speakers that some might find useful as a supplement to my guide. Download link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz-GSIfd87WaUWZ5dUs3SzJzcWc

What you'll need:

T20 screw driver or ratchet with an extension and T20 socket
Medium Philips head screw driver
Trim removal tools
An exacto knife or razor blade
A needle or something with a sharp point.
Door clips - 51418224768 (20x), 51418224781 (9). You actually don't need that many, but it's smart to have a few extra on hand
Sound deadening material. I used Noico branded products from Amazon: Foil & butyl (80 Mil, 36sqft) and adhesive foam (157 Mil, 37.5sqft).
Butyl tape.

Before we begin, it might be a good idea to disconnect the battery. I didn't because I like to live dangerously but it's something you should consider.

1. Open up the door. We're going to remove five (5) torx screws:

http://i.imgur.com/6bz2eX3.jpg

2. Locate the plastic "AIRBAG" cap on the door and pry it loose using one of your trim tools. It worked best for me to pry from the top/bottom rather than the sides:

Prying it loose
http://i.imgur.com/CnXqZbG.jpg

The "AIRBAG" cap
http://i.imgur.com/A4EOTpg.jpg

The T20 screw behind the "AIRBAG" cap
http://i.imgur.com/wnrrGS3.jpg

3. Remove the T20 screw.

4. Go to the door handle and locate the cap. Using a pin or something similar (I used the pin on a tracing compass), pry behind the cap, taking extra care not to damage the plastic (very easy to do):

Prying behind the cap
http://i.imgur.com/3vVAjMS.jpg

The T20 screw behind the cap
http://i.imgur.com/7Ler3u1.jpg

5. Remove the T20 screw.

6. Locate and remove the three T20 screws located in the armrest/door handle:

http://i.imgur.com/sLm2ANG.jpg

7. Set the screws aside and be sure to remember where each screw goes:

http://i.imgur.com/nIFw2EN.jpg

8. Begin removing the door car from the door. Starting near the top and the side furthest from the door hinge, use your trim removal tool to leverage some space and find where the door clips are located. Place your trim removal tool as close to the door clip and gently lever the door card away from the door. The trim clip should pop out of the door. Repeat the process, working your counterclockwise toward the door hinge:

Using the trim tool to locate the door clip
http://i.imgur.com/BcTOTsQ.jpg

Finding the door clip and positioning the trim tool as close as possible to it before apply leverage
http://i.imgur.com/coDKcnI.jpg

9. Once the door clips are all popped out, there are metal clips along the top of the door card securing it in place. Gently pull the door card away from the door and up to dislodge it from these clips:

http://i.imgur.com/ve7MEro.jpg

10. Don't yank the door card away from the door just yet. It is attached to the door by several wires and cables. First, remove the door handle cable by popping the white door cable assembly away from the door card:

http://i.imgur.com/LrE1dXD.jpg

11. Locate the tweeter speakers near the door card's handle. Disconnect the blue wiring. It should pull straight out with a little force.

http://i.imgur.com/aOhsR7T.jpg

12. Pop out the side mirror control switch in the armrest/door handle and disconnect the wiring harness. To do so, stick a finger through the back of the door card and push firmly on the switch to pop it out:

http://i.imgur.com/7T9WrFL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7qYEAuY.jpg

Disconnect the blue wiring harness
http://i.imgur.com/st68QoO.jpg

You can see why you should pop out the switch, rather than try and pry it out - you'll damage it. Previous owner's work :facepalm
http://i.imgur.com/SCMJRDq.jpg

13. Disconnect the wiring harness from the mid speaker down near the bottom of the door card near the door hinge:

http://i.imgur.com/xaZ0DDv.jpg

14. The door card is now separated from the door and can be set down. Be sure to lay down a towel or something to prevent scuffing the bottom of the door card:

The door card
http://i.imgur.com/Iy0WPdx.jpg

The door w/ loose wiring and vapor barrier
http://i.imgur.com/62FAPOe.jpg

15a. OPTIONAL: Swap the speakers between door cards. (Note: At the time of doing this swap, my car was 10.5 years old but had been owned for the previous nine years by a quiet couple that only drove the car 49k miles and probably only listened to music at a speaking volume. My M3 interior came from a 2006 M3 driven by a young guy. I know young guys. I'm one of them. We listen to our speakers loud. This breaks the speakers. This is why I transferred my speakers over. You may want to do the same depending on your situation. If you do not want to do this, skip down to step 16a) Locate the mid speaker. Using a Philips head screw driver, remove the three screws holding the speaker in place. Do the same for the door card you will be installing into your car.

The three screws
http://i.imgur.com/HLflgvo.jpg

Screws removed. Note that one screw is different. It goes in the top screw hole at about 11 o'clock.
http://i.imgur.com/lKawRbO.jpg

Speaker removed
http://i.imgur.com/3uwGAj2.jpg

Sound deadening material for the mid speaker. For whatever reason my driver's side door card was lacking this piece. I swapped it over from the M3 door card I was installing
http://i.imgur.com/H6qjiye.jpg

15b. Repeat step 15a for the door card you will be installing into your car. Swap speakers and reinstall them into their door cards (e.g. for me, my ZHP speakers installed into the M3 door card, and the M3 speakers into the ZHP door card). Note the orientation of the speaker with respect to the door card. The speaker can sometimes not seat properly, so install all three screws loosely before tightening them down:

Sound deadening inserted around the speaker and oriented for proper installation.
http://i.imgur.com/K5nKdrf.jpg

15c. Locate the tweeter speakers by the door handle. Remove the three T20 screws holding them in place:

Three T20 screws
http://i.imgur.com/pKkFO8X.jpg

Tweeter speakers removed
http://i.imgur.com/fdLR7OM.jpg

15d. Repeat step 15c for the door card you will be installing into your car. Swap speakers and reinstall them into their door cards (e.g. for me, my ZHP speakers installed into the M3 door card, and the M3 speakers into the ZHP door card).

16a. OPTIONAL: Swap arm rests / door handles between door cards. (Note: I wanted to keep my black cube trim from my ZHP but have the nicer leather from the M3 door card, hence why I am swapping door handles. Most people won't need this step. If you'd like to skip this, move on to step 17). Begin by removing the six (6) T20 screws holding the arm rest in place:

http://i.imgur.com/1KbHMUU.jpg

Screws removed. I try and keep the screws organized so I know where each one came from.
http://i.imgur.com/p8Fma15.jpg

16b. Remove the armrest from the door card. Gently pull the door handle out and up from the door card. It should come off with a few wiggles:

Pull out and up
http://i.imgur.com/sM6Aenr.jpg

M3 door card with the arm rest removed
http://i.imgur.com/hdOXTVE.jpg

M3 arm rest
http://i.imgur.com/yrrx1p6.jpg

16c. Separate the arm rest pad from the arm rest. (Note: this step can be done without removing the door card, but will be more difficult given limited space to move). This is a bit of a pain, and my least favorite part of the whole section. The pad is held in by six (6) fragile-ish pins and a clip. To remove the pad, begin by pulling up on the pad on the end nearest the handle. If you start at the other end, you will break the tab. You will need to apply a good bit of force. I used a combination of my fingers and trim tools to create space between the pad and the arm rest, and then tried to pull up and back so that both pins experience the stress of pulling equally. Even with this method, I snapped one of the center pins on one of the four arm rest pads I did, so be careful.

Pin and clip locations
http://i.imgur.com/yNaiiTz.jpg

Rear pins and rear tab
http://i.imgur.com/7jhsI89.jpg

Creating space with my fingers
http://i.imgur.com/BSLyUZJ.jpg

16d. Once you've got the first set of pins free, continue until you've separated the pad's pins from the middle and then the rear. I found the middle pins to be the toughest to get free. The last pins are pretty easy to remove, just apply even force and wiggle back and forth:

http://i.imgur.com/O6Dyffa.jpg

16e. Once you have all the pins removed, slide the arm rest pad toward the arm rest's handle to release it from the arm rest:

Rear pins and rear clip of arm rest pad
http://i.imgur.com/3ZXgVNW.jpg

Arm rest pad separated from the arm rest
http://i.imgur.com/LYnD6tK.jpg

Arm rest without the pad
http://i.imgur.com/7LYvDoi.jpg

16f. Repeat steps 16a through 16e for the other door card's arm rest. Install the pads into the correct arm rests (e.g. M3 pad into the ZHP arm rest and vice versa) by simply sliding in the rear tab of the pad into the arm rest first, then gently squeezing the pins down into place:

http://i.imgur.com/a4bjIRz.jpg

16h. Reinstall the arm rests into the correct door cards (e.g. ZHP arm rest w/ M3 pad installed into the M3 door) by sliding them into place and reinstalling the screws. Now, you do have a choice. You can use the screws that were original to the door card, or swap them over so they match the arm rest they came from. I swapped them over because that way the fit the plastic grooves they had already cut. Up to you:

Sliding the arm rest into the correct door card. Pictured: M3 pad / ZHP arm rest being attached to the M3 door card
http://i.imgur.com/wXINdQN.jpg

17. Install new door clips (see diagram below for specific locations). A lot of rattles occur because of old door clips that are no longer flush with the door and the door card. (Note: I opted to use door clips with foam and rubber washers [51418224768 and 51418224781, respectively]. I figured the foam would act as an added dampener to minimize any vibrations that might develop. However, it turns out that the supposed rubber washers are just foam as well, so the only discernible difference between the two parts is the color of the clip). I installed three 51418224781 clips (gray) along the vertical positions closest to the door hinge:

Door clip install locations by part number
http://i.imgur.com/9L6cQHc.jpg

51418224781, gray trim clips that are supposed to have rubber washers, but they are foam
http://i.imgur.com/bCCsjSr.jpg

51418224768, white trim clips with foam washers
http://i.imgur.com/BOj7dry.jpg

Yellow clips that came from the factory that were in the same location as where the 51418224781 clips are going.
http://i.imgur.com/hMHHitZ.jpg

Comparison between the 51418224781 clips and the factory yellow clips. Note the lack of the foam washers on the yellow clips, and the odd notch at the bottom. I can't figure out why those notches are there.
http://i.imgur.com/EadDIcf.jpg

Clip that was on the door card in my ZHP when I took it off. What happens when the door clips aren't properly installed. Probably what caused some of my door rattle. Also a good reason to keep extras on hand
http://i.imgur.com/1l7pTuk.jpg

18. Sound deadening. I got the idea from Trevor's (Rovert) thread on sound deadening (link: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?18307-Is-it-too-loud-**Sound-Deadening-Project**). I purchased similar products to Dynamat made by Noico sold on Amazon: Foil & butyl (80 Mil, 36sqft, purchase link (https://www.amazon.com/Noico-deadening-automotive-Insulation-dampening/dp/B00URUIKAK/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1468310264&sr=1-1&keywords=noico+80+mil+36+sqft)) and adhesive foam (157 Mil, 37.5sqft, purchase link (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00URUIKAK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)):

Foil and butyl adhesive mat. I received a package of several sheets this size
http://i.imgur.com/T7KK2uM.jpg

Adhesive foam
http://i.imgur.com/cBbEjoK.jpg

19. Cut up the foil mat using an exactly knife/razor blade into rough 2x2 and 3x3 squares along with some rectangles. I used about 3/5 of a sheet per door and door card

Cutting up the mat. The grid pattern of the foil helps with cutting in a straight line
http://i.imgur.com/1y4D0nh.jpg

Handful of foil mat squares/rectangles
http://i.imgur.com/NxzGRHW.jpg

20. Next, you'll pull back the vapor barrier from the door at the outermost and bottom corner. Be gentle but firm (no sudden or ripping motions) and do your best not to rip the barrier itself.

Pull out from this corner
http://i.imgur.com/6GGbpd7.jpg

21. Once you have the vapor barrier pulled about 2/3 of the way off up the side and 2/3 of the way along the bottom, you might consider cleaning off the surface inside the door so that the sound deadening material has a good clean surface to adhere to. Mine was relatively dust free so I just skipped it:

Closer view of the door with the barrier pulled back
http://i.imgur.com/ZmUR804.jpg

22. Begin placing the butyl mat squares inside the door on the large flat surfaces. The goal is to minimize the vibrations of those flat parts of the sheet metal (smaller, bent portions of the door have more rigidity so are less prone to producing discernible road noise). To make sure the squares are stuck firmly to the door, use a roller, tennis ball, your trim tools, or your hand to massage the mat into place. I spaced my pieces about 1" apart from one another. Although you won't have a good line of sight, you can reach about much the length of the door so be sure to place mats beyond where you can see. Some spots are more difficult to get to, like the cross member that makes it tough to slide the butyl mat behind it. Take your time, and you'll figure out ways to get good at it. Be sure to use different sized mats so that they capture different vibrational frequencies of the door metal:

Finished installing the butyl mats
http://i.imgur.com/5dqEJeD.jpg

23. Cut 4-5" wide sections of the foam mat and install them over the butyl mats inside the door. This can be tricky as that aforementioned cross member gets in the way, but if you remove part of the foam mat's plastic backing first (the stuff that covers the foam's adhesive), slide the mat into position, and then remove the rest of the backing, it'll make it a lot easier:

Foam mat installed over the butyl mat squares
http://i.imgur.com/r5zepOq.jpg

24. Reseal the vapor barrier. The material goop used to seal the vapor barrier from the factory was still relatively sticky on my car, but if your goop is no longer adhering to the vapor barrier or you're feeling like a perfectionist, you can apply new butyl tape around the door and seal the vapor barrier to that butyl tape. In hind sight I should have gone this route just to be sure, but hopefully mine will be okay.

25. Install some sound deadening to the door card in the same fashion you did the door: butyl mat squares in larger flat spots of the door card followed by foam mat on top of the butyl mat squares. I did not install any over the area that sits in front of the side airbag. I figured it's best not to put any additional material there that might interfere with its function (or lack thereof if it has Takata-like propellant):

Sound material installed. You could probably be more intricate and fill more spaces, but I thought this was sufficient.
http://i.imgur.com/pFP27b8.jpg

25a. Reinstall the door card. Start by reconnecting the door handle cable and speaker wiring harnesses. Feed the mirror switch harness through the door handle, connect the mirror switch, and then gently shove the switch into place. If you haven't disconnected your battery because you believe yourself to be a modern-day Chuck Yeager, go ahead and turn the ignition on and test that the speakers work properly.

25b. Slide the door card over the door lock indicator nub thing and gently push the door card into the metal door clips along the top of the door. Once the door card is secure there, begin popping the door clips into the door. Start at the top on each side and work your way around to the bottom. Carefully inspect that the door clips are aimed correctly into the proper hole in the door. You may have to stick your finger in there and guide it into place. There is one along the bottom that will definitely need to be guided or else it will miss the hole and be crunched and break against the door when you try popping it into place. Take your time and be patient. For clips that you have difficulty pressing into place but you think are properly aligned, go ahead and hold the door in one hand (near the bottom so you don't flex the metal) and use your fist to give it a good shove/hit. It should pop into place.

25c. Inspect that the door card is securely in place. Bask in the glory of your hard work!

A note on sound deadening in the door: You could go with thicker material, but it'd be hard to fit anything that's much thicker behind that cross member. I also don't think the majority of the road noise our coupes have are generated by the doors, so it's unlikely that a lot of the existing road noise will be eliminated. That said, my doors sound slightly chunkier with a more solid "thud" when I close the door. It is also tangibly quieter in the cabin at highway speeds, but nothing major. Overall, I believe the sound deadening is worth the time and effort. More will be added in the rear of the car, which may help.

[BMWCurves]

3 - Front Seats

Note: I had already swapped out my factory seats for the M3 seats back in February and didn't take any photos at the time, so I don't have any personal pictures of the seats removed for this portion of the guide. I have shamelessly stolen some pictures from the internet to supplement my own pics. I apologize for the lower quality of the guide in this section.

Images stolen from:

E46Fanatics: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=657042)
Bimmerfest: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=421655

What you'll need:

Socket wrench with 10mm and 16mm hex socket.
Torque wrench good for 50+ Nm of torque and can fit the 16mm socket
Small flathead screwdriver
Large towel(s)
Your brawny muscles to remove and install the heavy seats


1. Move the front seat back and locate the black caps covering the front 16mm bolts securing the seat to the floor. They look like this:

http://i.imgur.com/bYrwXHV.jpg

2. Remove the dust cap by using a screw driver or your trim tools and wedging it underneath the cap, lifting up:

Cap on
http://i.imgur.com/T9pRYpI.jpg

Cap removed
http://i.imgur.com/dPW86SI.jpg

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other bolt.

4. Move the seat forward and locate the two rear 16mm bolts securing the seat to the floor:

Most inboard bolt
http://i.imgur.com/dzhC132.jpg

Most outboard bolt
http://i.imgur.com/poUHrLw.jpg

5. Remove the bolts.

6. Move the seat backwards a bit so it is relatively centered on the rails and raise it up a bit:

http://i.imgur.com/62x2PEv.jpg

7. Go to the trunk and disconnect the battery. If you don't, when you disconnect the seat from the wiring harness, you will trigger an airbag warning light that you will have to get cleared. If you do not know how to disconnect the battery, follow this handy guide:

http://www.bmw330ci.net/maintenance/battery.php

8. Now that the battery is disconnected, tilt the seat back and look underneath the seat to locate the wiring harness:

http://i.imgur.com/8gav6n5.jpg

9. Release the harness by sliding a screw driver between the yellow portion of the connector and the black portion, and leveraging them apart:

http://i.imgur.com/Tg8kOlX.png
http://i.imgur.com/YgSO0dM.png
http://i.imgur.com/oElF90x.png

10. Once the seat is disconnected, lay down some towels along the door sill so that you don't scratch it while attempting to remove the seat:

http://i.imgur.com/GBtwEJI.jpg

11. Fold the seat back forward so that the seat is more collapsed (like you are letting someone into the back seat, but not letting the seat bottom pull up) and then lift the seat up and roll it out of the door towards you. Be careful to minimize the amount of door sill the seats touch, they can scratch!

http://i.imgur.com/OYQmQSQ.jpg

12. Your seat is out. Woo! This is a great time to vacuum under there and get out all that 10+ year old dust and dirt. To install your new seats, follow this guide in reverse order. Torque all four (4) bolts down to 45 Nm + 1/4 turn. I found it best to loosely screw in all four bolts first before bolting them down to spec.

Seat out
http://i.imgur.com/BlGqX4Z.jpg

New (to me) M3 seat in
http://i.imgur.com/6Wpsrn2.jpg

[BMWCurves]

4 - Rear Seats and Rear "Door" Cards

What you'll need:

Socket wrench with T20 and T30 sockets and an extension and/or similar screw driver.
Trim removal tools
A long, skinny screw driver
A nail punch or something similar

Optional:

Sound deadening material (perhaps same stuff as from the door section)
New door clips w/ foam washers. 51418224768 or 51418224781, six (6) per door "card"

Note: Before you start, now is a great time to clean/treat your new interior before you install it. I just rubbed mine down with a damp cloth and then some polish and leather treatment stuff I had laying around.

1. Move the front seats forward on the rails and then release them so they are raised up and forward like you're letting someone into the back seats. This will give you additional space to work in.

2. Remove the rear seat bottom. Place your hands between the carpet and the seat bottom roughly as indicated and simply lift up to disengage the seat bottom from the two seat clips holding it in place.

Rough clip locations
http://i.imgur.com/FqIc9K5.jpg

Feeling between the carpet and the seat for the clips
http://i.imgur.com/C33qn5a.jpg

3. Once the seat bottom is disengaged from the clips, the seat bottom can be slid out. It is fit in there tightly so gently but firmly work the seat back and forth until you can angle it out of one of the doors.

Move the seatbelt buckles out of the way as you remove the seat bottom
http://i.imgur.com/q811tZf.jpg

Seat bottom hoop (red) that holds the seat in place to the rear side bolster (blue)
http://i.imgur.com/8wTw9Hy.jpg

Seatback removed. Clip locations marked
http://i.imgur.com/BiZslxZ.jpg

Factory sound deadening
http://i.imgur.com/EOtfLoE.jpg

4. Remove headrests. Simply pull the headrest straight up to remove it:

http://i.imgur.com/tXTUPtV.jpg

5. Place towels down over the seat bottom clips. This will prevent them from damaging the leather in the rear seat backs when you fold them down:

http://i.imgur.com/Kfv0W0R.jpg

6. Fold down the rear seats. Go to the trunk and release the seat backs. Go back inside the car and gently pull the seat backs down and rest them against the towels:

Rear seat back release handles located in the trunk
http://i.imgur.com/JEEkM8d.jpg

Seats folded down on top of the towels
http://i.imgur.com/VEclsIq.jpg

7. Locate the T30 screw at the base of the seat backs located between the seats. Remove it:

http://i.imgur.com/IYU50U7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/rjqKsnt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fs51o90.jpg

8. Flip up the metal collar holding the seats into the bracket. I first gently hammered the bracket with a rubber hammer to get it loose and then pried it free with a trim tool:

http://i.imgur.com/iUp0PCj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/I2CWhQb.jpg

9. Remove the rear seat backs. Start with the smaller rear right seat back. Wiggle the seat out of the bracket by pulling it up and back toward the trunk and then sliding it inboard to release the seat's pin from the side bolster holding it in place:

Seatback free from the center bracket
http://i.imgur.com/Z8zMxgv.jpg

Seatback free. Slide it inboard to pull it free from the side bolster
http://i.imgur.com/wpTQul6.jpg

Seatback pin that inserts into side bolster
http://i.imgur.com/nSolHuZ.jpg

Seatbacks removed
http://i.imgur.com/c0zSvSj.jpg

Center seat bracket disassembled
http://i.imgur.com/wBO7R8f.jpg

10a. Remove the plastic cover of the side bolster, located above the rear side bolster near the rear window opening mechanism. Locate the top pin holding the cover in place. It is an expanding rivet with a pin in the middle that pushes out arms to hold it (Note: I am not sure of the correct procedure for this part. I am just listing what I did to remove the pin.) Place a nail punch on the center pin, angling the point slightly towards the rear of the car. Gently apply pressure until the pin pops through.

The securing pin for the bolster cover
http://i.imgur.com/OV1jItV.jpg

The pin up close
http://i.imgur.com/uo6mz4t.jpg

Align the nail punch or similar tool angled toward the rear of the car (pictured incorrectly here with the punch's tip angled toward the front of the car)
http://i.imgur.com/6ajAbSD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/8SSp44i.jpg

10b. The cover is now somewhat free. Slide it up and away from the side bolster. You can free part of the cover from the window mechanism by disconnecting two tabs located on the inside of the cover near the window mechanism:

Lift the cover up
http://i.imgur.com/d3toVmy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eJQU1Lz.jpg

Release the two tabs indicated to release most of the cover to provide better access in future steps
http://i.imgur.com/atGgIkq.jpg

The cover is now free. Note the expanding rivet (arrow). Now is a good time to locate the pin you pushed out that hopefully didn't fall down into some crack somewhere (it did on one side for me). If you lose it, the part number is 52207001301.
http://i.imgur.com/uWBQeOn.jpg

11a. Remove the side bolsters. This step is a little tricky.

[BMWCurves]

post reserved for next section 3

[Cadeez]

*Post reserved for my comments* :roundel

William, this DIY is :rockon! School must be out so you have some extra time on your hands. If you don't write DIY's professionally, I suggest switching careers. Couple questions... You're swapping seats and door panels for an M3 set, right? Can I ask why then are you removing the dash and console trim? Are you replacing your dash and console as well?? I mean, I suppose I could just wait for the next installment, but I'm impatient. Also, any reason you're not just swapping out the seats and leaving the door panels? From the pics they look identical, yours look to be in great shape, but maybe I'm missing something.

[Dual]

Amazing. Thanks! Can't wait to see the rest.

[BMWCurves]

*Post reserved for my comments* :roundel

William, this DIY is :rockon! School must be out so you have some extra time on your hands. If you don't write DIY's professionally, I suggest switching careers. Couple questions... You're swapping seats and door panels for an M3 set, right? Can I ask why then are you removing the dash and console trim? Are you replacing your dash and console as well?? I mean, I suppose I could just wait for the next installment, but I'm impatient. Also, any reason you're not just swapping out the seats and leaving the door panels? From the pics they look identical, yours look to be in great shape, but maybe I'm missing something.

First, thanks! I've gained so much from the online BMW community, primarily here at ZHPMafia that I thought it was a good idea to give back. I couldn't find any complete guides that still had photos of interior swaps for coupes, so I thought I'd do my own since I'm in the process of doing it. I've always found the most detailed and in depth DIYs are the most helpful, so I try and bring that same level of quality to my own guides. I can't be the only coupe owner that is running into this type of project, so why not pass on what I've learned?

Second, nope, not out of school. I'm relatively employed (winding down my hours as I'm headed back to school), so I just do this stuff on the weekends or on days I have some spare free time.

You are correct, I am swapping a complete E46 M3 black leather interior, minus the center arm rest and the center console trim (couldn't get them from the guy who sold me the interior). Originally I was just after the front seats (they're a lot comfier than the non-M seats, IMO), but found I like the higher quality leather of the M3 interior, so I decided to go ahead and do the full swap of all the interior components. The leather from the M3 is in very good shape all around, so I don't feel bad swapping it in there, just I want to retain my black cube trim. I included the three dash trim pieces in my guide because others might not know how to do it, but I personally am leaving my black cube trim in place in my car. I'm not a fan of the titanium trim that comes with the M3 interior, but would love to get my hands on a clean set of silver cube trim for a coupe.


Amazing. Thanks! Can't wait to see the rest.

Thanks! Yeah, I've only done the front seats and front door cards so far. I'm hoping to knock out the rear seats tomorrow (I have the day off). We'll see how it goes.

[Cadeez]

I'm a very detail orientated guy myself, so to see that level of detail in a DIY is really nice. And really what a DIY should be, that's the entire point. There's nothing worse than thinking you've nailed down a great DIY for your project, only to watch the YouTube video and have it brush over half of the important stuff. Or give basic lame instructions like "remove the armrest and door panel" without actually showing you how and/or what's involved step by step. I don't have a coupe nor do I plan to swap an interior anytime soon (unless you find me that NB I've been hunting for), but I'm sure this thread will be put to good use by other members.

Looking forward to seeing it all finished, I'll keep my eyes peeled for the next installment

[anandoc]

This is an awesome DIY. Keep up the great work!!

[BMWCurves]

This is an awesome DIY. Keep up the great work!!

Thanks!

I added the front seats section, but that section is a little wanting in the photo department because I didn't have any photos when I did the seats back in February. Last section is the rear seats and rear "door" cards.

[danewilson77]

Nice contribution Curves. Thank you.

S7 Edge, out

[BMWCurves]

Note to self: finish this DIY guide.

[WOLFN8TR]

Impressive DIY.

[BMWCurves]

Impressive DIY.

Thank you! I hope it's helpful to others. I sourced a lot of different info from different places while doing my swap, so I figured why not make a complete guide in one place.

[ZHPizza]

Damn, dude. This is some next level DIY documentation.

Did you put this together one night in DC after you had a few drinks and were flipping through pictures of your car, quietly weeping?

[BMWCurves]

Damn, dude. This is some next level DIY documentation.

Thanks, fam! It needs some work finishing up, but I thought it'd be helpful to us coupe folks. I still need to figure out the proper way to remove that plastic cover over the rear seat side bolster things underneath the seatbelt.


Did you put this together one night in DC after you had a few drinks and were flipping through pictures of your car, quietly weeping?

I'm beginning to get the sense you think I may imbibe often. That may or may not be true, but my silent weeping is the least shameful aspect of my unconfirmed benders.

[ZHPizza]

Thanks, fam! It needs some work finishing up, but I thought it'd be helpful to us coupe folks. I still need to figure out the proper way to remove that plastic cover over the rear seat side bolster things underneath the seatbelt.

This one?

http://i.imgur.com/OV1jItV.jpg

You got the proper method. I just tore out my interior yesterday and figured this out along the way.

[BMWCurves]

Yessir. I lost the pin deep into the recesses of the car on that side so I had to buy a replacement pin/plug/doodad afterwards. I don't know if I actually installed it now that I think about it...

[BMWCurves]

Also, if you see any improved methods along the way, let me know. I'm no genius, but I'd like to have an effective guide.

[ZHPizza]

Yessir. I lost the pin deep into the recesses of the car on that side so I had to buy a replacement pin/plug/doodad afterwards. I don't know if I actually installed it now that I think about it...

That's strange -- it seemed like there was a catch built in so that the pin wouldn't pop all the way through. I'll have a look at it tonight and verify, but I don't see any other way to remove those without pushing the pin.

Edit: Yeah, it should catch when you push it through.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170522/7e56da69620074d8fa3dab3301379288.jpg


Also, if you see any improved methods along the way, let me know. I'm no genius, but I'd like to have an effective guide.

I went through the seat/panel removal blind yesterday and everything that I learned looks to be covered in here with multiple pictures and arrows. I'd say it's super effective.

[sna77]

Just want to say thank you... Picked up a ZHP vert a few months ago, and I used this guide to remove the door panels and rear seats. The picture with all of the different clips in the door was super valuable. Thanks!

[sna77]

@BMWCurves

Any idea if this foam piece is replaceable? Mine disintegrated and the part doesn't appear on realoem.com as far as I can tell...

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BW53-USA-09_2002_E46_BMW_330Ci&diagId=51_3729


37621

[BMWCurves]

Not as far as I know - mine was in decent shape and I haven't ever seen any threads about it. I'd honestly just buy some foam and some 3M tape and cut to size if need be.