Door Handle Rubbers

Brian H · Post by **Brian H** » Wed 03 Feb, 2010 20:06

I ticked another small job off the never ending list, I got round to replacing the perished door handle rubbers.

I bought a set of Fleabay for a few quid (the set delivered was for a 4 door E36 but the front door handles are the same)

I removed the door card, details here

Once the door card was removed I released the plastic door handle cover.

With the cover removed the door will look like this.

The rubber gasket was replaced, the door fully cleaned underneath the cover and the door handle reinstalled (reversal of removal).

It now looks like new

Now onto the next job!

Jonttt · Post by **Jonttt** » Wed 03 Feb, 2010 20:15

Nice write up Ardchyle, its the small details ......

You do realise how many people who will be examining theirs now don't you

Rob Tan · Post by **Rob Tan** » Wed 03 Feb, 2010 20:55

Nice job.

Tanman (son) replaced the rubbers on the door handles on ours in December. Some noddy had had the doorhandles off, did not know how to put them back on, and used masses of black silicon to hold them in place, so we had quite a clean up job. If they had known that there's a rubber/plastic grommet in the side of the door that you take out, then poke in a screw driver and release the latch, then maybe it would have been the simple one off-on operational it should have been.

These simple touches really do make a big difference. Attention to detail. Nice one.

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Thu 04 Feb, 2010 07:43

Funny coincidence - I just dealt with it this week and thought that there was no references on this site as the weather was more forgiving for rubber in the UK.

You can get a pair of gaskets for 3 quid on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E36- ... 518cbb2910

And as Rob Tan pointed out you don't need to remove the door cards - it should take only a couple of minutes:
http://www.bmw4life.com/doorHandle.htm

Titan · Post by **Titan** » Thu 04 Feb, 2010 08:22

Nice write up guys n gals

Guess who's going out to check his door handle rubbers...

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Thu 04 Feb, 2010 11:33

I did mine last year, a job worth doing... I'd also recommend replacing the aerial/boot lock rubbers if they're beginning to perish!

DC · Post by DC » Thu 04 Feb, 2010 14:34

I was wondering what do about my door handle gaskets and how difficult they would be to replace.
I must admit that visions of silicone sealant where entering my thoughts!

Great write up and information gathering by all concerned and I've ordered new ones off ebay

Brian H · Post by **Brian H** » Thu 04 Feb, 2010 19:09

Thanks for the comments, I did not realise that this could be done through the small inspection grommit.

Luckily I was killing two birds with one stone as I was also changing the window sliders at the same time.

DC · Post by DC » Thu 11 Feb, 2010 14:34

Just fitted mine today, dead easy job thanks to the info in this thread, I had a horror of the metal slider dropping down inside the door but it seems to be firmly held in place.
For anyone doing this, the two grommets at first glance look the same but are in fact for left and right doors. It's best I think to fit the grommets very carefully to the handle first then using a bent wire coat hanger or similar, the slider should pull back easily to lock the handles in position.

zedder3 · Post by **zedder3** » Sun 14 Feb, 2010 14:44

What a great thread! The degraded rubber on mine had been bugging me for ages. Now I will get this sorted asap.

Is the aerial base one a similarly easy job?

Titan · Post by **Titan** » Sun 14 Feb, 2010 15:06

zedder3 wrote:What a great thread! The degraded rubber on mine had been bugging me for ages. Now I will get this sorted asap.

Is the aerial base one a similarly easy job?

Yes - look here clicky

zedder3 · Post by **zedder3** » Mon 15 Feb, 2010 10:49

Thanks Titan. I will have a go at this. Already ordered the handle rubbers, need to find the part for the aerial base now.

All these little changes make so much difference to the overall appearance of the car

Frank.A · Post by **Frank.A** » Mon 15 Feb, 2010 14:16

The aerial grommet that fits through the wing is Pt. No. 65218411562 and the price £1.55 as of today,I've just ordered one.

zedder3 · Post by **zedder3** » Mon 15 Feb, 2010 15:58

Thank you Frank

mid life crisis · Post by **mid life crisis** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 17:17

Does anybody know the BM part number for the door handle gasket ? I`ve just been up to the local dealer & they`ve supplied me with something that doesn`t look like the right bit
Cheers Gary

VikingSven · Post by **VikingSven** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 18:35

You can't buy it from BMW, it comes as part of the door handle itself, which is >£100.

Titan · Post by **Titan** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 18:45

mid life crisis wrote:Does anybody know the BM part number for the door handle gasket ?

VikingSven wrote:You can't buy it from BMW, it comes as part of the door handle itself, which is >£100.

Had a quick look on OEM adn couldn't see the individual rubbers.
These however appear still to be available:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E32- ... 2234wt_938

Frank.A · Post by **Frank.A** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 19:21

The rubber gasket are supplied by BMW with the handle outers.These cost around £7 each in black and £10 each in chrome.

mid life crisis · Post by **mid life crisis** » Sat 20 Nov, 2010 21:48

Thanks guys, i`ll give fleabay a try

DC · Post by DC » Sun 21 Nov, 2010 09:16

Got mine from the same place as Bon Bon, looks as though you can still get just 2.
Nice easy and worthwhile job.

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sat 05 Nov, 2011 21:32

I hate to badmouth reliable ebay vendors - but the material of the gasket I mentioned in the post above - lies somewhere between crap and mediocre.
It started cracking after just over a year and now they are disintegrating.
I am now going for the OEM part - and bite the bullet, as to get the grommets you need the covers as well.
PNs: 51218400195 & 51218400196

DC · Post by DC » Sun 06 Nov, 2011 06:54

Sorry to hear that BonBon, I got a set at the same time as you and from the same source, ebay 350253426960.
Mine are still perfect after 18 months, maybe you were supplied with bad ones or perhaps they are only OK in a cooler climate?
They are still for sale at around a fiver and as they are so quick and easy to fit, maybe it's more cost effective (though annoying) to replace every year or so.
Dave.

BonBon · Post by **BonBon** » Sun 06 Nov, 2011 10:38

It's a close call. The sun here (I park outside) must have caused some fast deterioration