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Subject: Door handle seal removal and replacement Author: DavidC (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 11909 posts Posted on: 2007-01-19 17:53:27

The rubber gaskets on our cars all seem to become cracked and worn-out. Mine are no exception, so I decided to replace them, and it's actually very easy to do. Though I've read several descriptions of the procedure, the only photos I could find online were on a Japanese site that Shogun posted for us a while back.


Signs of the old, cracked gasket are clearly visible around the edge of all four door handles.


The 4 new gaskets, $25 (+$7 s&h) on ebay (see ebay seller great.bmw.deals). This is quite a bit less expensive than buying from a BMW dealer, where you have to buy the metal handle with the gasket. I believe Shogun also sells the gaskets in Japan, too.


Take a small, flat-blade screwdriver and pry open the inner cover on the side of the door.


Then remove the outer ring.


Here you can see the end of the metal clip inside the door that holds the handle in place. Stick the tip of your screwdriver in there and push toward the front of the car (approximately 1" is all it takes).



The door handle can now be pulled away from the door. The rubber gasket just peels off of the back of the handle.


The old gasket (top) and the new gasket (below).

Reverse the steps to install the new rubber seals. A small L-shaped hex wrench or a box-end wrench work well to pull the metal clip back into place inside the door.

David Cecil

'97 740iL, 155k miles
'92 750iL, 90k miles
'86 735i, 101k miles

Visit e38.org for everything technical about your BMW

• Door handle seal removal and replacement (pic) (url) - DavidC 2007-01-19 17:53:27 (11053 views)
  • I went crazy and painted the door handles while I was at it. (pic) - DavidC 2007-01-20 02:06:50 (944 views)
  • Very helpful, David. One question. - Oaktown735 2007-01-19 20:04:30 (499 views)
    • A coathanger won't work. I used an allen wrench in a vice grip. (pic) - DavidC 2007-01-20 01:48:21 (744 views)
    • coathanger is not strong enough, 13 mm wrench (pic) (url) - shogun 2007-01-19 22:15:10 (801 views)
      • Re: coathanger is not strong enough, 13 mm wrench - shadetree/pete 2007-01-21 14:37:39 (480 views)
      • I like the box-end wrench solution. Very slick. - Oaktown735 2007-01-20 17:45:19 (458 views)
      • I used a welding rod - Shayne 2007-01-19 22:56:12 (423 views)
        • I used $1 screwdriver tip bent 90 degrees. still have it!! (nt) - Paparon 2007-01-19 23:16:03 (482 views)