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Subject: Rear passenger speaker grill replacement Author: DavidC (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 12933 posts Posted on: 2004-01-25 02:44:45

A passenger recently kicked her foot through the speaker grill in the rear driver's-side door. The speaker was fine but the plastic grill split down the middle. This isn't covered under warranty, of course, so I ordered a replacement grill (around $20, as I recall). The TIS layed out a lengthy set of directions for removing the door panel, but there is a short cut.

The grill is held in place by four plastic studs. The ends of these appear to have been melted during assembly at the factory so that they can't work their way loose. The short cut is to simply cut out the grill facia with a pair of sturdy pliers, exposing the studs. At this point, you can see how the studs pass through mounting holes in the door panel. Just cut each of the studs and pull out the pieces, then remove the remainder of the grill. The new grill can then be snapped into place. The studs are more than tight enough to hold the grill in place by friction alone, without having to deform the ends of the studs like they did at the factory.

I hope this helps someone avoid a costly dealer repair.

David Cecil
Lexington, KY
Titanium silver '01 750iL, 92k miles
Oxford green '97 740iL, 184k miles
Alpine white '92 750iL, 95k miles (for sale)
Charcoal gray '86 735i, 101k miles (for sale)

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