E46 Annoyances/Fixes

[Numark318i]

Since i got the 330 i have been slowly fixing or try to resolve any issues that i have had with the car. So i figured i could start a thread where any E46 owner can post and share info/fixes for small anoyances.


first one for me was the sqeaking from the rear. really no explanation for the sound except it creaks a little when you hit a bump. I narrowed it down to the rear seats. Turns out the fold down seats rub up against the rear deck plastic shroud..causing an annoying sqeak.

Solution: I purchased some Super D weather stripping(he kind you use on an exterior door in your house) and taped it up onto the rear plastic shroud. Fixed the annoying creak.


Next on my list is my rattling Harmon Kardon Subs. Gonna take it apart and see what i can do.

anyone else?

[Naif]

thanks dude ,, that noise have drivong me nuts

i'll try ur way tomorrow

[doughboyea]

Man... I could've made a long ass list for this thread. Here's a few little things that where annoying while I had it:

1. Mysterious sunroof opening
2. Creek in front suspension when turning at low speeds
3. Buzzing from the rear speakers
4. Leaky door seals
5. Brake dust (I guess this really isn't limited to the E46)
6. Interior humidity... rear windows dripping wet on inside... dry on outside
7. Corresponding smell from above humidity
8. Shiny leather seats
9. OBC being WAY off when it comes to range (found that one out the hard way)
10. RUST! (door sills)
11. ....etc, etc, etc

And sorry, I didn't fix any of them... but they were all really annoying.

Dough

[stunna]

any luck on that sub replacement? It leaves a little to be desired

[Numark318i]

Originally Posted by stunna

any luck on that sub replacement? It leaves a little to be desired

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/262483/2

so i read this. havent actually tried it yet. gonna go get the screw and see if it works.

[Numark318i]

Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk, I take no respnonsibility for damages incurred. Also, removing the airbag should only be done by a professional mechanic. K thnx.


so my passenger door stopped working from the outside and it was a annoying to say the least. The i narrowed the problem down to a cable being broken that leads from my swivel door handle to the lock actuator(the locking mechanism).

so i decided i could fix it..since im handy and all...heh.

so i began by removing the door panel. You are going to need a Torx head driver to remove the 5 screws holding the door on. I believe it was a T-15.

There are 3 screws on the underside of the arm rest, one screw behind the AIRBAG logo next to the airbag and one screw behind the door handle from teh inside. If you get under there with a carpet knife blade it should come right out.


While taking out the screws i the three that were in the arm rest. I replaced those with new screws from a dealer.

Pry here.
Once you remove all the screws get a flat head screw driver with a towel wrapped around it and pry behind the door panel off. There are a couple clips hold it on which are evenly distibuted around the panel. Once you pry them all off you can lift the door panel off of the door lock knob(thing that goes up and down when you lock the door).

If you have the Harmon Kardon setup then you have to remove the tweeter and mid speaker connectors. Also the inside door handles mecahnism.

To remove the speaker connecters squeeze both sides of the plugs and gentle pull out. For the Door handle pull mechanism cable just pull out on the cable and it should pop right out.


Now that your door panel is off make sure you put it FLAT on the ground leather side up away from any harm. I made the mistake of leaning it against the side of the car. The wind picked up and boom..my panel was flat on teh ground, with a scuff from the concrete.

Now comes the bad part...removing the airbag. I do not recommend anyone to do this. do it at your own risk. It is in no way my fault if anything goes wrong.

That aside you can take off the assembly by loosing the three bolts that hold it to the door. They are have loktite so keep that in mind. I believe its a 10mm sized bolt. once you remove that you can unplug it from the harness by squeezing the two tabs and gently prying back the plug. Once again, this should only be done by a professional, and I take no responsibility if anything goes wrong.

now that the air bag is off you can pull back the sound barrier foam and you can see the inside of your door. So once you get that off i recommend you take a 10 minute break, cause if you dont you might get annoyed and say things you didnt think you would say.

So the way the door handle mechanism works is that a cable it attached the the inside of your handle mechanism which pulls up on the door lock actuator at the other end of the cable. it is hard to describe but once you get in there you will know what im talking about.



Now what happens is that the cable is attached the assembly via a groove in the cable that fits nicely into the the door handle mechanism. This plastic breaks and although the cable is still atached to the assembly and lock it has no leverage because it moves freely when you pull up on the handle. (the metal cable is enclosed within a plastic shroud/covering, and this covering provides leverage for the cable to pull up on the locking mechnism at the other end.)


So you must replace this cable.


when you purchase this part, shown below as part 14 you get the entire door handle mechanism and the cable..but i was not able to remove my exterior door handle, which is why i just replaced the cable.


it is part number 51217111930. ~$60
make sure you specify which side you need, because the drivers side will be a different part number.


To remove the cable from the mechanism you will need to have you window rolled up and you put your hands in the door and unhook the cable. You have to lift it up and out to get it to come out, but after you buy the new part you can play with it and come up with your own technique to remove it. Once you get that side out you remove the other end from the locking mechanism. This also takes some patience. Just take your time in figuring out how it is hooked into the lock. It is a simple design.

Once both side are disconnected you can carefully remove the plastic which holds the cable into place from moving around and knocking while you drive. I broke my plastic clip and replaced it with zip ties..but what ever works for you.


cable attached via plastic grove but not hooked into place

Now you just have to reattach your new cable. I recommend attaching the cables shroud to the mechanism before you try and hook the cable into its place. Once you do that you have to hook the end of the cable into the hole in the mechanism. This part took me 30 minutes.. but when i got the cable into its place i was the happiest man alive. well almost.
the cable attached.

Once you do that you connect the other end of the cable to the locking mechanism, attach the cable to the door with the plastic clip you removed and you are done. Now try everything before you put the door back together. But keep in mind if you close the door with no inside panel its going to be hard to open it from the inside.

also you can push the doors lcok with a screw driver as if you where closing the door. this way you can try it all out without closing the door incase somethign isnt working.

also make sure you roll the window up and down a few times. Just to make sure nothing is in the way. And once you know the new calbe works try to clase the door a couple of times, and listen for any rattleing. You would want to fix that while the door panel is off.

Put the air bag back in, connect the speakers to the door, connect the door handle mechanism(for the inside) to the door panel and put it all back together.



this is my first semi DIY. Keep in mind its a guide and some things may be different on your car. I woulda loved to get more pics but i dont want to take my door panel off again, and its not possible to get my camera into the area where the door handle assembly is.