Z4-forum.com

once the vent is out how does the radio remove?

the radio is fastened with 4 screws

Taz x wrote:the radio is fastened with 4 screws

Two more than everybody else then

Great thread many thanks if it haddent been for this thread would not have been able to install a Brodit phone mount

Just managed to get mine off in 15 mins which I was pretty pleased with for first attempt!

Putting it all back together though - can someone advise if the bottom of the radio should be flush with the dash or if it sticks out by a few mm?

I can't get the radio to slide back any further and the sides where the screws hold it in bring it flush to the dash, but it overhangs slightly at the bottom - can't remember if it did this before I took it apart or not!!

There seems to be a notch at the bottom so not sure if I'm not lining this up correctly or if it's as far back as it will go!

Cov_Lee wrote:Just managed to get mine off in 15 mins which I was pretty pleased with for first attempt!

Putting it all back together though - can someone advise if the bottom of the radio should be flush with the dash or if it sticks out by a few mm?

I can't get the radio to slide back any further and the sides where the screws hold it in bring it flush to the dash, but it overhangs slightly at the bottom - can't remember if it did this before I took it apart or not!!

There seems to be a notch at the bottom so not sure if I'm not lining this up correctly or if it's as far back as it will go!

have a look here but I think it is flush with the dash

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic ... 60#p440160

This link shows the clips and how they work.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpo ... stcount=16

Glad I discovered this forum & this thread!
Installed my Dension Gateway BT Lite this weekend. Taking the glove box out made routing the cables much easier.
I ended up getting the trim removal tools from the dealer as it felt like I was going to break the vents using screwdrivers & knives.
Even with the tools, it still needed a lot of force to pop the vents out.
Thanks, Scott.

I'm trying to take out the vents and have managed to get the clip on the left hand side and surely enough that side the vents are giving way but the right hand side i'm having trouble. I cannot see a clip on the right hand side and cannot find it with the screw driver either. It seems to be broken or missing and the vents are not giving way on the right...

haha just got it now, by sitting on top of the handbrake, gives me a nice central view of the vents.

vanilla, Fitting a stereo?

yep - in the process. wish me luck! Just about got the bmw radio out. One of the connection on top of the left vent clip has worn away that's why that side clip was much easier to mainpulate.

The one true tool!

I've been struggling with finding a way to reliably unclip the vents. If I put a screwdriver/knife up in there I can feel the vent but I can't get the knife above it to pull down.

I did have success with an unbent paperclip but it still took 5-10 minutes.

Finally, I have cracked it with a hair grip (not mine, stolen from a lady walking past me in the street.) It's long enough, thin enough and firm enough when unbent. Just put a 5mm hook in the end with a pair of pliers and 60% of the time it works every time.

I followed various guides and had proper removal tools but could not get it to budge. Eventually I found a you tube thread of a chinese guy removing the vents from a Z4 with SatNav. It showed there are also 2 black plastic clips in the bottom right and left and when i put a screwdriver in and lifted these (you need 3 hands or 4 screwdrivers) then it finally moved. (Mine is 2004 with standard Business audio).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro8cU7HMiu0&t=113s

JackB1 wrote:Here is how I removed mine - it does take someone holding two screwdrivers that are pushing up the metal clips. Then you have your hands free to pull the vent assembly straight out towards you. I got a piece of string through, around the back and out again (string not shown), then pulled on the strings until it came out.

It is like everything else associated with removing in terior parts. unless you have done it before, you really don't know how the fastners work - you really risk breaking things due to the unknown!

Here are some pics -





Hope this helps!

Best!
Jack

Appreciate this is a very old thread now however the photo of the screwdriver pushing up on the metal tabs is bloody misleading and in my opinion should be removed from the forum ...

The OP should have made it very very clear at the beginning of the post that the metal tabs require pulling down, not PUSHING UP.

By following this post I managed to lock the metal tabs upwards on my Zed and ended up having to wrench the centre vent unit out and causing the plastic edge of the centre vent unit to warp. Not a massive issue as the centre vent unit needs replacing anyway as one of the air flap dials is faulty ... I just don't want anyone else to end up in the same predicament I was ...