DIY: BMW E39 Side Moulding Removal

Difficulty Level

Tools/Supplies Needed:

• trim tool

Procedure:

• it is a good practice to rinse your vehicle off to ensure there isn't dirt in the areas we are working with as we don't want to risk the chance of scratching the paint
• start with the fender, unclip the trim from the door side, then work the trim tool in behind the piece to the next clip
• do not pull it off just from the rear as it will bent the trim
• if you do bend the trim, the styles equipped with chrome will be permanently and visually damaged
• with longer trim pieces, I find it easier to lightly assist from the unclipped side and work the trim tool from the bottom side with the curved portion, slowly rocking the trim our of each of the clipped holes
• during this removal process the clips have rubber boots on each of the clips to seal the holes and hold the clips firmly into place to prevent rattling
• these boots may come out with the clips or may stay in the holes
• if they do stay in the holes, just worked them out around the edge and reinstall them back onto the clips
• if you happen wot break any of the clips or loose the rubber boots, they can be purchased from the dealer, online, or possibly a local auto parts supplier

Video tutorial on how to remove the moulding located on the doors and fender of a BMW E39. This possibly applies to other BMW models as well. Removing this trim is fairly straight forward, but we do want to take extra care as we can damage it. The trim is a plastic or rubber coated metal, therefore if you are not careful you can bend it which can be fairly hard to straighten afterwards. This does apply to all versions of this particular trim as it comes in this style that is non painted plastic with a chrome edge on the top side, just standard black plastic trim, body color matched trim, and finally similar to this style but with the chrome edge located on the bottom. This particular car I am working with here is a 1997 BMW 540i sedan.