A great write up from Binjammin from Bimmerforums E34 board. Thanks very much for that.


So I did this on my car a few weeks ago, and wanted to do a DIY on it, but didn't have the camera handy at the time. Redfive had a broken door handle, and between the driver's door I saved from my parted out e32, and the e34 parts car, we had enough handles laying around to do both cars. We did the red car this weekend, and finally took the pics to do a DIY writeup. For those formerly afraid of taking apart a door handle, fear no longer.

Step one, have a really sick turbocharged 535 with a broken door handle. I suppose any normal e34 will suffice, but really, what's the point?
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0942.jpg
Door unmolested by my grubby hands. That's not gonna last.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0943.jpg
Pull the black plastic plug out.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0944.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0944.jpg
Once that's out, use the screwdriver to push the metal tab in, towards the front of the door.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0945.jpg
Once the tab is pushed, you can remove the door handle trim. The tab is the only thing holding it on, once pushed you can just pull the trim off.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0946.jpg
Once you have the handle off, you can see the torx screw and retaining nut that hold the handle in place to the door.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0947.jpg
Remove them.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0948.jpg
Next have Redfive remove the door panel while you take pictures. He brags about having had to remove them so many more times than I have, so I made him do it. It's hard work taking pics. Plus he's better at taking door panels off than I am, so he's got that going for him too, which is nice.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0950.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0951.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0952.jpg
Once the door panel is removed, remove the foam sound dampening thing.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0953.jpg
At this point you should chastise whomever it was that didn't tell you to remember to put the window up first.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0954.jpg
Remove the door lock actuator, two bolts, an electrical connector on the back, and the hook it hooks into.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0955.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0956.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0961.jpg
Now, if you look inside the rear of the door, you can see the window track. If you pull the bottom felt rubber part out (don't pull the whole thing, just enough to find the bolt) you will find a torx bolt. Remove it. The top of the track is slotted, so once the bolt is out you can just tug the thing and it will come out.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0958.jpg
This is the slotted end.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0960.jpg
This next part is fun. You can see two rods in this pic, one of them is clipped into a white plastic clip. You need to rotate the clip towards the outside of the door, you may be able to do it with your fingers, you may need a flathead screwdriver, I guess it depends on whether or not you're a total Nancy. I think I needed a screwdriver.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0962.jpg
Next remove all electrical connectors.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0963.jpg
Here you can see why Redfive's door wouldn't lock. It's because it was broken. You can tell this by the broken off piece in my hand.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0964.jpg
Part two.

Make sure when you're doing this that you leave the key in the cylinder at all times. I suppose I could phrase this like "If you pull the key out of the cylinder you risk losing small parts like lock tumblers or springs that will be impossible to put back together without pulling another cylinder to compare it to, or going to a locksmith." But what I going to tell you is: If you pull the key out of the cylinder you WILL LOSE small parts like lock tumblers or springs that will be impossible to put back together without pulling another cylinder to compare it to, or going to a locksmith."

Trust me. They go flying. I spent an hour trying to get them back together. It's fun, if you're Rain Man or something, otherwise you'll tear your hair out. Leave the key in the cylinder, trust me.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0965.jpg
Now I make Redfive take pics again, so if you notice a jump in quality, thank him. I take pics about as well as I paint anything.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0966.jpg
Remove this plate. One bolt and it comes off.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0967.jpg
Bolt and plate removed.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0968.jpg
Next remove this spring clip. It may not look like a spring, but just wait until you pry it off. Put a finger over the top of it when you pry it off, or you'll find out why I'm calling it a spring clip.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0969.jpg
With the spring clip off, you can pull the cover it holds in place, and the sensor/switch thing that resides under it.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0970.jpg
Drive this roll pin out. You won't be able to drive it all the way out, so get a pair of pliers to pull it the rest of the way out.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0971.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0972.jpg
Wiggle wiggle, and this piece comes off.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0973.jpg
Once off, the piece underneath if comes off the same way. Quick little wiggle and pulls right off.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0974.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0975.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0976.jpg
Once that's all off, you'll have the post from the lock cylinder sticking out. GENTLY nudge it a little little bit, you don't want to push it all the way out yet, as there is a little ball that will fall out and get lost if you're not careful. I lost the ball on mine, I didn't even know I was supposed to have one until we did this one.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0977.jpg
Flip it over so you can see while you're pushing the cylinder out, and you'll be able to see the ball.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0979.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0980.jpg
Little ball. You can glob a bit of grease on it to keep it from flying away while you work on it. Strongly recommended. Once you do that, you can pop out the lock cylinder.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/DSCN0978.jpg
Heh, you can totally see my awesome scar in this pic.

Installation really is the reverse of disassembly, there's not too much to get wrong here, so I didn't bother to take pics of it going back together. If you want, you can look at the pics again in reverse order.


direct link
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=918646