Loose trim

[prowlerflyer]

While opening the right side rear door for my son today I noticed the black rain gutter/trim was loose. Unfortunately when I lifted on it a bit a piece of white plastic popped out. It’s grooved on one side and appears to have glue one the other flat side. What's the deal with these gutters and should I just replace the whole trim? The shadowing black paint is starting to let the chrome under show through in spots anyway. How easy is it to swap these? Thanks for the help.

Steve

[static667]

I'm not sure what you mean by gutter. Could we get a pic up?

[prowlerflyer]

I mean the rain channel. I'll try and get a pic up tomorrow.

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[prowlerflyer]

Here is the loose trim piece. The silver area in one of the pics is where one of the plastic mounting pieces attached. Looks just like the adhesive has given up the ghost. Does anyone have the part #'s needed to replace this and the how to. I looked at the online BMW manual and it was no help. Thanks

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[danewilson77]

Link should be here...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=51_3227&hg=51&fg=12

Or here....

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=51_3309&hg=51&fg=12

My help is limited by my Thunderbolt at the moment however.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[prowlerflyer]

Thanks Dane, but I couldn't identify which is the trim piece part # in either of those and nothing is ZHP specific. Don't we have specific "Shadowline" trim? I also looked at the BMW TIS online instructions, http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/04/44/57 and they don't seem really intuitive. I've heard others say this trim is really easy to replace...

[danewilson77]

You just need the shadowline piece back in the hofmeister link. Correct?

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[danewilson77]

You need pc 13.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=51_3267&hg=51&fg=20

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/51132695281/ES77806/

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[ClimRox]

Resurrection...

I think I may have the same problem as described in post #1, and shown in post #4. My most rearward clip may be broken, as I can't get the shadowline trim to reattach to the body of the car. Is this the clip I need, or does it require a new trim piece? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Search/SiteSearch/51138204858/

For what it's worth, I don't see where the pieces have been glued before, they simply won't snap back together.

[bshovers]

The shadowline trim prys out pretty easily. Clips will be broke in the process most likely. 15 are required for both sides. I'm planning to put on some shadowline trim I got from a part out car. I have a quick question to about the shadowline trim. There seems to be a rubber weather strip on the inside of it. I can't find the part number for that. I think it may or may not come already attached when you buy a brand new piece of shadowline trim. Can anyone confirm if it comes already attached? Im thinking I may have wasted money by buyng used shadowline trim. I can try and post a pic for refrence in a little bit.

[ClimRox]

Resurrection...

I think I may have the same problem as described in post #1, and shown in post #4. My most rearward clip may be broken, as I can't get the shadowline trim to reattach to the body of the car. Is this the clip I need, or does it require a new trim piece? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Search/SiteSearch/51138204858/


Would anyone care to confirm this is the correct clip for the most rearward section of the trim (I think called the Hofmeister kink)?


The shadowline trim prys out pretty easily. Clips will be broke in the process most likely. 15 are required for both sides. I'm planning to put on some shadowline trim I got from a part out car. I have a quick question to about the shadowline trim. There seems to be a rubber weather strip on the inside of it. I can't find the part number for that. I think it may or may not come already attached when you buy a brand new piece of shadowline trim. Can anyone confirm if it comes already attached? Im thinking I may have wasted money by buyng used shadowline trim. I can try and post a pic for refrence in a little bit.

I have a feeling if you need a new piece of weatherstrip it would require a new trim piece. The reason I say so is because when I bought new roof trim pieces, they came with new weatherstrip...no separate part numbers. Although, if your current weatherstrip is still good, I guess you could reuse it.

[JB3]

Following this. My passenger side needs repair.

[NickZHP]

Here are the part numbers for the shadowline trim: 51132695282 (Right), 51132695281 (Left).


Resurrection...

I think I may have the same problem as described in post #1, and shown in post #4. My most rearward clip may be broken, as I can't get the shadowline trim to reattach to the body of the car. Is this the clip I need, or does it require a new trim piece? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Search/SiteSearch/51138204858/

For what it's worth, I don't see where the pieces have been glued before, they simply won't snap back together.

http://i.imgur.com/UlFAaKO.jpg?1

If the clips at the end of the trim (pictured above) fall off the trim, you will probably need to buy a whole new trim piece. This is a huge PITA and I've had both sides of my trim break. If you still have the clip and can glue it on exactly like it was before you might be able to fix the trim but after many many attempts I never got it to work. I ended up buying a whole new trim piece for my passenger side. When the driver side broke, after many unsuccessful attempts of gluing, I put the clip back onto where it was attached to the car and put a small strip of double sided 3M tape onto the clip. I then pushed the trim back onto the clip and to my surprise, it's been fixed ever since. If you don't have the clip anymore then there is nothing you can do...


The shadowline trim prys out pretty easily. Clips will be broke in the process most likely. 15 are required for both sides. I'm planning to put on some shadowline trim I got from a part out car. I have a quick question to about the shadowline trim. There seems to be a rubber weather strip on the inside of it. I can't find the part number for that. I think it may or may not come already attached when you buy a brand new piece of shadowline trim. Can anyone confirm if it comes already attached? Im thinking I may have wasted money by buyng used shadowline trim. I can try and post a pic for refrence in a little bit.

The weather strip comes attached to the trim piece.

[ClimRox]

^ Yeah, the clip that you show in your picture is broken on mine. I had some extra 3M tape, and so tonight went ahead and stacked 6 or so thin pieces to the top and bottom of the broken clip so as to make it sit where it would have it it still clipped in. It seems to be holding for now (although I don't like that I had to do this). $200 for a new trim piece will be tough to deal with though, considering it is all because of 1 clip.

[Karl Lazlo]

I clicked on this thread thinking it was about a different subject matter. Please excuse me.

[NickZHP]

Resurrection...

I think I may have the same problem as described in post #1, and shown in post #4. My most rearward clip may be broken, as I can't get the shadowline trim to reattach to the body of the car. Is this the clip I need, or does it require a new trim piece? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Search/SiteSearch/51138204858/

For what it's worth, I don't see where the pieces have been glued before, they simply won't snap back together.


The shadowline trim prys out pretty easily. Clips will be broke in the process most likely. 15 are required for both sides. I'm planning to put on some shadowline trim I got from a part out car. I have a quick question to about the shadowline trim. There seems to be a rubber weather strip on the inside of it. I can't find the part number for that. I think it may or may not come already attached when you buy a brand new piece of shadowline trim. Can anyone confirm if it comes already attached? Im thinking I may have wasted money by buyng used shadowline trim. I can try and post a pic for refrence in a little bit.


^ Yeah, the clip that you show in your picture is broken on mine. I had some extra 3M tape, and so tonight went ahead and stacked 6 or so thin pieces to the top and bottom of the broken clip so as to make it sit where it would have it it still clipped in. It seems to be holding for now (although I don't like that I had to do this). $200 for a new trim piece will be tough to deal with though, considering it is all because of 1 clip.

My double sided tape is a little thick but after I slid the clip back onto where it was on the car I just used one piece on the surface of the clip that was glued to the trim and this held it together and has for months now. I have to close the door a little harder but other than that its not too bad. The price tag on these gloss black trim pieces are ridiculous! Its actually more around $300 when you account for the expensive shipping. When my passanger side was too broken to fix and kept damaging my paint every time it was opened, I gave up and bought one. The cheapest place was FCP Euro because they do free shipping over $49 so I believe at the time I got one for "only" $217. Here's the link https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-window-trim-right-e46-51132695282 but I'm not sure if they will ship this item anymore because before I figured out the tape fix I tried to order one for my driver side and it came damaged so they refunded me and said they won't ship them anymore because they keep getting damaged in the shipping process.

[rkneeshaw]

Same issue! I've struggled with the passenger side trim off and on for the last few years. My drivers side has never been a problem.

The issue is my trim keeps creeping forward, puts pressure on the clips at the rear and causes them to break off.

This is the proper location for the trim to start. If its shifted farther forward than this then you're going to have problems:
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/rkneeshaw/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/temporary_8_2.jpg (http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/rkneeshaw/media/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/temporary_8_2.jpg.html)

These are the two clips that keep breaking. I put a nice load of superglue on them and stuck them back in place:
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/rkneeshaw/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/temporary_7_2.jpg (http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/rkneeshaw/media/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/temporary_7_2.jpg.html)

I also applied superglue to each of these, hoping to keep this thing from shifting forward:
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/rkneeshaw/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/7807b440-6f61-44d5-84f5-28ebb700668b.jpg (http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/rkneeshaw/media/2003%20BMW%20330i%20ZHP/7807b440-6f61-44d5-84f5-28ebb700668b.jpg.html)

If it breaks loose again I guess I'm going to light the whole thing on fire. :mad

I'm surprised the new trim piece with new clips is only $200, I thought it was like $1500 or something ridiculous.

[rkneeshaw]

Damnit, my trim broke loose again. Something is seriously pulling the trim forward, and it happens fast. I shifted it back in place again, and probably after opening and closing the passenger side doors maybe 3 times, it needs to be adjusted again.

This is so frustrating.

The only thing I can think of is that the rubber seals around the doors are sticky enough that when the front passenger door closes it somehow grabs the trim and pulls it forward.

I tried putting some dry lube on the rubber seals around the door, but that doesnt seem to have helped any, but, disclaimer, I haven't re-glued the trim in place yet... Maybe I could use some wax on the underside of the shadowline trim, maybe that will help slick it up enough... just thinking out loud here

[Vas]

My trim move forward and over time the complete trim broke in half where it is joined at the back.

$200 for a new trim plus shipping. Sucks but I have to do it.

Did you guys pay for shipping or order from a local dealer? ECS is saying it is $83 for it to ship me 1 trim.

[cakM3]

Did you guys pay for shipping or order from a local dealer? ECS is saying it is $83 for it to ship me 1 trim.

When my passenger's side trim was replaced I sourced my new part from the dealer.

[3ZHP]

I've been fighting with that trim on my drivers side rear for a few years. I'll have to try the 3M tape. Never had any luck with glue.


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[Vas]

When my passenger's side trim was replaced I sourced my new part from the dealer.

Do you remember the cost?

I am trying to find the cheapest place to buy the trim and not get screwed over in shipping.

[rkneeshaw]

Nothing I've done has fixed this. I even superglued the snot out of all the white clips where they attach to this trim, and the trim peice STILL breaks loose and shifts forward, and then in turn rips loose the rear clips.

I'm pretty much at my wits end. There is no fix.

[Dathaeus]

I had this problem, and I looked up and couldn't find any way to just replace the clips if they are broken, and the trims cost like $450 each, LMAO SMH, so I just glued them on... I cant see the trims dulling or cracking before I move onto my next car so saving myself $1000. Oh and there is a cheaper matte/type version, just my version was the glossy black thing.

[John in VA]

Oh and there is a cheaper matte/type version, just my version was the glossy black thing.
ZHP = glossy trim; Sport = matte shadowline.

[Scott ZHP]

I've used silicone sealant/adhesive to "glue" mine back on. I think the pressure of the door closing is what's breaking the bond. I cleaned both surfaces with acetone and then closed the door and marked where the trim sits with the door closed using a wax pencil. Open the door, glue the snot out of it, then align it with your mark. I used a bunch of painters tape to hold it tightly in place and carefully closed the door. Been about 3 years and its still holding.

[ELCID86]

I used 3m heavy duty double sided tape. It's held for several months. Glue didn't work well at all.

Wedge some cardboard or something soft in there and close the door on it to give it a chance to "catch"/cure.

[az3579]

3M double sided tape worked for me. Last applied a piece a few years ago.

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[rkneeshaw]

How/where are you applying the double sided tape? This is the red 1" wide 3M double sided tape stuff?

[ELCID86]

Pretty sure I put it on the clip(s) and cut it down to size. Use the heavy duty stuff.