Chrome interior Parts.

Guinness

Finally got the BMW
Nov 29, 2006
4,422
1
Newcastle
Well after all the posts that keep being made about the chrome interior parts and peoplea asking what they look like I thought I would post some pictures of the chome parts to help answer these.

Chrome Gear Surround and Seat Sport Gear Knob
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Chrome Vent Covers
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as these are quite hard to fit thought I would post what Edbulter's guide on how to do it, sains he seems to be repeating himself saying it a lot in threads.
Edbutler
Right... Firstly id mask off the vent indents on the dash just uncase you slip!

Take your radio and centre Tray out.

Remove two Torx T-20 screws from the left and right of the fascia and 2 i think from above (use a torch!)

IF you have climate, youll need to remove two from underneath either side of that. Either use a small screwdriver/wrench or take out your ash tray so you can get enough room to put your driver in.

Take the fascia out. Unplug the Rear demster and airbag light.

Now with the whole lot out, theres now space to get your hand into the centre vents. Use your fingers or be careful with a screwdriver to pop the vents out by pushing them toward the rear of the car. When theyre out you can use a screwdriver to gently unlip the surrounds.

When youve done, make sure the vents are straight and the small lip on the chrome surround lines up with the one on the dash and simply push in untill it clicks, guiding it in correctly with your hand behind the dash. If you come accross resistance at this point, the vent is not quite aligned with the rubber pipe so try giveing it a wiggle!

Then re-assemble your dash.

Another way is also to put cable ties into the grill and pull out the front then attach the chrome surrounds and put them back in. This can be complicated but saves time and effort.

TT pedals
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Chears again to ED for guide and other members for answering my questions when I was putting fitting these. Hope this answers some questions people might have.
 
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Nath.

The Gentlemans Express
Jan 1, 2006
8,620
16
EASTLEIGH, HAMPSHIRE
middle vents can be removed by looping cable ties through and pulling them out without any disassembly of the dash or facia or removing the head unit

nice dead pedal BTW
 
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Guinness

Finally got the BMW
Nov 29, 2006
4,422
1
Newcastle
chears nath theres a post about the dead pedal in the main area if you want any more info on that, and I removed mine with the cable ties just thought I would post the more complicated version that seems to work for more people as they are fiddly, but well pointed out. Will ammend
 

peirson

Guest
where did u get th TT pedals, i no iv asked wen we'v been at wrk but iv ttl 4got
 

davart

Guest
I have fitted the chrome vent surrounds to my car. They're annoying to fit but once you've done it you think, ahh, that's not so bad!

I've purchased the chrome surround for the gear gaitor. How much force did you have to apply to remove the old plastic trims? The front part slides off to the side, but I can't get it to budge. Is there a knack to removing it?
 

CHR15B

Active Member
May 5, 2005
2,567
9
Scotland
The gear gaitor is a doddle to remove.

Feel "through" the leather at the side closest to the dash, there are two clips. If you pull them up and then slide the gaitor and base forward it will lift off.
 

davart

Guest
No, I've managed to remove the gaitor from the centre console. It's removing the front and rear plastic parts which are to be replaced by the chrome trim that's proving to be a pain.

I think there is another thread which details a few tips. Thanks for the input!
 

davart

Guest
You're right. The plastic bits are off along with the leather gaitor as a single unit. I'll take a coupla pics tomorrow and post with annotations, then it will be clear.
 

AndrewJB

Friend to SEAT UK & Cupra Racing
Aug 16, 2007
11,211
484
Maranello
just bought the chrome vent surrounds and i easily fitted the two side ones but the middle ones are causing me a bit of a problem,so i got onto the stealer and theve got a special tool to remove them with so i borrowed that off the stealer but still carnt get the gits to come off.any body got any ideas coz i dont fancy taking the radio area apart.
 

davart

Guest
Would be a good idea to take a pic of the tools that you borrowed from the dealer. When I fitted the chrome rings to my car, I went to my local dealer and they told me no such tool existed. It would help others to fashion a similar tool.

Anyway back to your question. What I did was to tape cardboard on to the dash around the centre vents, then use a small screwdriver to lever the old plastic surrounds inwards. They will break, but that doesn't matter. Once they 'crack', you can remove the surround quite easily.

Once the plastic surround is off, you will be left with the vents themselves - a complete unit housing the 'slats'. You will see 4 tabs at the 10, 2, 4 and 8 o'clock positions. These need to be inside the hole cut out of the dashboard before you attempt to extract the vent unit. Trying to pull the unit out before ensuring the tabs are free will at best break the tabs or at worst mar the dashboard.

Once the unit is out, assemble the chrome ring onto the vent body using the locating tab as a guide, then slide the complete unit back into the dash ensuring that it mates with the duct behind.

Turn the blowers on full afterwards to make sure the air is coming through properly.

Do a search for posts by me and you should find another description of how to fit the vents.
 
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AndrewJB

Friend to SEAT UK & Cupra Racing
Aug 16, 2007
11,211
484
Maranello
just thought id follow up on here now i finally got them fitted by a young lad at lc charles seat crewe ,he had made his own little toole basically a piece of thick wire that hooked through the vent and just yanked them out n fitted the new ones!
the tool does exist that its got in the instructions but its useless n makes a mess of the dash!
 
Nov 6, 2007
893
0
Newark
I got some of these on order and should be here on monday. But I don't understand what everyone one mean with this pulling out of the air vents? do you mean you pull of the whole air bit where you direct the air?
 

st10587

i only brake for cake!!!!
Oct 4, 2007
3,669
0
Hindhead
I got some of these on order and should be here on monday. But I don't understand what everyone one mean with this pulling out of the air vents? do you mean you pull of the whole air bit where you direct the air?

yeah its the bit you see when you look at the vent (has the knob to switch the vent off in it).

there easy to do when you figure out how, ive had them in my 1.2 then stole them out of that for the FR!!
 

bobmcgod

Active Member
Jan 22, 2007
323
0
I found that this was much easier for the...

...center vents turn the diffuser around backwards. So the vent part you normally see you cant and the back of it is facing out into the cabin, pull on this and the entire diffuse unit comes out in one piece with little fuss.
 
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