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      11-27-2020, 01:29 PM   #1
bernpromos
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How to Remove Headunit Vent - Reducing Rattle

Hey all,
I've got an exceptionally annoying rattle coming from the headunit near the sunroof. I've narrowed it down to this piece of plastic, as when I put my fingers on it the noise stops.

Anyone know the best way to get this off, and possibly to address the rattle?

My plan was to remove, apply a tiny bit of gorilla glue, and replace, hoping that will hold it in place. Certainly open to other suggestions or recommendations as well.

Thanks in advance.

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      11-28-2020, 10:22 AM   #2
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I would Probably just bring it into bmw as a warranty problem. Don't mess with it if you have a warranty.
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      11-28-2020, 01:04 PM   #3
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Yeah. Dealer visit. Those are the hands free mics if I'm not mistaken. No gluing :-)
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      11-28-2020, 03:58 PM   #4
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If my dealer would actually address these problems I would be happy. I was told that it's plastic on plastic and nothing they can do. Hopefully someone has fixed this in their own.
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      11-28-2020, 04:26 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkWithAnM View Post
If my dealer would actually address these problems I would be happy. I was told that it's plastic on plastic and nothing they can do. Hopefully someone has fixed this in their own.
nothing they can do? find a new dealer. they just wrap everything in felt tape.
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      11-28-2020, 04:37 PM   #6
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I have a rattle up there that comes and goes. Someone on here found it and fixed it but it was the headliner adhesive not that plastic vent. If I apply pressure to the passenger edge of the plastic head unit thing it goes away. It’s like it comes unstuck and sticks and it sounds like a rattle. It seems to be more noticeable in the summer months when it’s hot. I have not noticed it in a while now that it is cold.

I also do not trust the dealer to properly address it so I just turn the music up and suck it up for now it’s not enough of a nuisance for me yet.
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      11-29-2020, 09:58 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2020X3MCDG View Post
I have a rattle up there that comes and goes. Someone on here found it and fixed it but it was the headliner adhesive not that plastic vent. If I apply pressure to the passenger edge of the plastic head unit thing it goes away. It’s like it comes unstuck and sticks and it sounds like a rattle. It seems to be more noticeable in the summer months when it’s hot. I have not noticed it in a while now that it is cold.

I also do not trust the dealer to properly address it so I just turn the music up and suck it up for now it’s not enough of a nuisance for me yet.
It's definitely the vent, because even when I just touch it (not apply pressure) the issue goes away.

I just need to know how to remove this piece.

Thanks all!
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      11-30-2020, 10:28 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bernpromos View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2020X3MCDG View Post
I have a rattle up there that comes and goes. Someone on here found it and fixed it but it was the headliner adhesive not that plastic vent. If I apply pressure to the passenger edge of the plastic head unit thing it goes away. It’s like it comes unstuck and sticks and it sounds like a rattle. It seems to be more noticeable in the summer months when it’s hot. I have not noticed it in a while now that it is cold.

I also do not trust the dealer to properly address it so I just turn the music up and suck it up for now it’s not enough of a nuisance for me yet.
It's definitely the vent, because even when I just touch it (not apply pressure) the issue goes away.

I just need to know how to remove this piece.

Thanks all!
Bring it to the dealer....if you remove it and break something you have to pay for that replacement part. And that plastic trim will not be cheap.

Worst case, they fail to fix it and you have to take it apart afterwards.

I don't get why people do work themselves that's under warranty...unless you're heavily modified.
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      11-30-2020, 01:27 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sittingmongoose View Post
Bring it to the dealer....if you remove it and break something you have to pay for that replacement part. And that plastic trim will not be cheap.

Worst case, they fail to fix it and you have to take it apart afterwards.

I don't get why people do work themselves that's under warranty...unless you're heavily modified.
1) Inconvenience
2) Dealers often cause damage (scratches) that were not there before.

For anything requiring real work (like mechanical/electric) I agree, but for small stuff like this I would rather fix myself rather than risk damage at the dealer.
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      11-30-2020, 01:28 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spta97 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by sittingmongoose View Post
Bring it to the dealer....if you remove it and break something you have to pay for that replacement part. And that plastic trim will not be cheap.

Worst case, they fail to fix it and you have to take it apart afterwards.

I don't get why people do work themselves that's under warranty...unless you're heavily modified.
1) Inconvenience
2) Dealers often cause damage (scratches) that were not there before.

For anything requiring real work (like mechanical/electric) I agree, but for small stuff like this I would rather fix myself rather than risk damage at the dealer.
If a dealer damages something they replace it...
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      11-30-2020, 07:51 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sittingmongoose View Post
If a dealer damages something they replace it...
It’s hard to prove with scratches though.

For me, I enjoy working on the car and it’s a hassle to take it in for minor stuff.

My break in resulted in swirl scratches on my grills that I only saw when detailing.

I would prefer to avoid that.
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      12-04-2020, 09:45 AM   #12
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Snap a pic before they do the work, or if the dealer is that untrustworthy, maybe a new dealer is in order?

I'm happy to fix stuff on my own, but not if I can get it done under warranty.
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      12-07-2020, 01:30 PM   #13
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Same issue here. If someone could advise on how to remove the entire fixture from the roof it will be easier to dissect and fix. That console is on tight and I'm always fearful of breaking a tab by truing to pry it off.
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      12-08-2020, 09:43 PM   #14
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I looked through the BMW guides for F97/F98 and this is what it shows.. actual doesn't match the pictures, but I guess the process is the same.
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      12-08-2020, 09:56 PM   #15
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It was driving me crazy today, so I just went out and tried. See attached, it just pops out. I used one of those plastic pryers to hook it. The outer two clips come off very easily, but center 4 clips are a bit harder. Just pull evenly and keep the plastic straight so it doesn't snap. Now on to filling the gap with felt or something along the edges.

Pry tool example:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/20x-Lot-B...Safe/824402845
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      12-09-2020, 12:13 AM   #16
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I’ve been dealing with this for 3-4 service appointments. My rattle stops when pushing on that vent, but it actually came from tabs unglueing underneath the roof. They attempted the repair as above 2 times. After heat/cold weather cycle it came again. They stripped the headliner, shoved a bunch of adhesive and it finally stopped. They are replacing my headliner (after a month backorder) for this “seeing this a few times now” factory defect.
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      12-09-2020, 07:10 AM   #17
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I had the same issue from the same piece and the dealer just put some felt tape and it resolved it. Unfortunately I do not have the details of where they put it.

This was at my break in service where they also changed the oil and put the swirl marks on my grill so I decided I will minimize trips to the dealer.

This appears to have happened to several people on the board.

For the tape, you can get some Tesa from Amazon:

Tesa Black Fuzzy Fleece Interior... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OECD7W...p_mob_ap_share
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      12-09-2020, 08:55 AM   #18
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I'll just drive around with that piece out to see if that was my issue. If so, i'll post up what fixes it.
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      12-10-2020, 07:51 AM   #19
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I messed with this area early in ownership and seemed to have fixed my issue. It was more a seal/glue problem with headliner behind panels. See discussion here:

Locking Gas Cap? Rattle rear view mirror console area?
https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1720906
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      12-10-2020, 01:46 PM   #20
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Quote:
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I'll just drive around with that piece out to see if that was my issue. If so, i'll post up what fixes it.
After I took it out and reinstalled it hasn't rattled anymore - odd.
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