Front side strip ripped off!!

[thedynamix]

Hi all!

On the M4 today picking up a mate from Heathrow, the side-strip as pictured below flew off my damn car!!



It's never happened before and I had no idea it was loose or anything!?

The other one seems intact.

How much are these to replace and fit? Is it something a complete novice like myself could do, or would I need do go to a garage?

Thanks as always!

TD

[James burbidge]

If it was me I'd ring BMW tomorrow and get a prise and do it my self It looks like clips that hold it in place And some sticky tape of some kind. That may come on the part.

[harvey94]

Hi,

It's your A pillar that has came off, easy enough to replace but you have to remove your door rubber seals, don't be scared they just pull off, the reason is that there is also 5 or 6 screws that also hold the A pillar in place, when you remove your door seal you will more than likely see broken bits of plastic attached to the screws.

Your new A pillar will come with clips already attached so you need to remove the green clips in your picture , they just pull off using plyers , I can't tell from the picture if you have the gasket? But get a new one anyway as its not expensive and will stop wind noise .

The part if I remember correct is about £40 and about £3 for the gasket , this is from a main dealer!

Take your time fitting the new part, it just pushes on, then slowly! Tighten the side screws but do not over tighten or the plastic will break

[harvey94]

Took a closer look, you only have the top part of the gasket, this was changed, your new gasket goes all the way to the bottom of the A pillar.

This may help you.....

http://www.mini2.com/forum/first-gen...rim-panel.html

[minicore]

There have been 5 or 6 threads which I can remember where exactly the same thing has happened to someone! How fast were you going?

The replacement part and some new clips shouldn't be too expensive from BMW, then you should be able to fit it yourself. Alternatively they'll do it for you, but it'll probably cost you about another £60 for labour (unless you can catch one of the technicians in a good mood with a spare 5 minutes).

[The Nun]

You also need to check your wiper on that side does not over run the screen edge and hit the trim because either the wiper mechanism is worn or the arm has been off and not fitted in the correct place when refitting. The wiper hitting the trim will eventually cause it to come loose and drop off.

[thedynamix]

Thanks for your replies guys!

I'll swing by BMW next week and see what they say with regard to quotes for the part and labour. If their labour charge is excessive, is it something I could trust with any semi-trusted mechanic?

Cheers,

TD

[harvey94]

^^^^ do it yourself , its very very simple! , it just clips on and then screws in.

If you use a regular garage ( not mini ) then they might even do it for free! its a 5 min job .