Basic question on interior trim and carpet removal

[TriumphZ3]

Very basic, but I always like to ask first then break things later; the fact that my airbag warning light is coming on after repairing the seat bushes points to something I didn't ask about.
I need to remove the seats in the 1998 Z3 to repair the airbag / seatbelt tensioner system and while they're out I might have a go at firstly removing the passenger side carpet to dry it out, it's wringing, and look at replacing the footwell speakers. I've studied the carpets and can work out roughly where they're secured under trims but there seems to be no, or very well hidden, clues as to how the trims come off. I don't want to pull when I should unscrew and break bits off. Any good walk-throughs, or can anyone give me an idiot's guide to removing carpets and footwell / side / rear trims as required?

 

[Pond]

Firstly, the carpets are in just two pieces, width ways. So the rear piece goes right across passenger and driver floor and across the trans tunnel. The front 'half' does the same but also goes under the lower dash console and (from what I can see) under the heater matrix. Realistically you need to cut the front half of the carpet to remove it. I cut mine as close to the heater matrix as I could get so the join can be hidden later. Stupid idea of BMW's.

To get all carpets out, you will have to remove pretty much all interior trim pieces. Another great idea by Ze Germans. Mostly screws but with plastic buttons over to hide them. Centre dash console is the hardest as some of the screws are well hidden behind the radio opening.

If I were in your position, I would just pull as much of the front and rear carpets back to dry them out. Once the seats are out it is fairly easy. It will take a while but beats cutting carpets IMO. I removed all my carpets and hung them up. They still took weeks to dry as the foam doesn't give it's water up easily.

 

[TriumphZ3]

Thanks Pond; I may then end up removing the carpet at the doorsill trim side and just rolling it up over the transmission tunnel in order to dry as much as I can. There was an absolute pool under it when I was doing the seat bushes. I've dried as much as I can but it holds a lot of water. I just need to work out how to remove the side sill trims and the footwell trims with the speakers in, and will stick to that.

 

[Pond]

Cill trims are clipped on. Go gently as the clips can break quite easily. Footwell speaker trims are screwed on.
A set of trim removal tools are useful for the cills (although I haven't found them much use for anything else).

I lifted both sections up as far as possible and stuck a piece of timber under to keep them upright. Then put a hairdryer where the seat would be and left it running for an hour at a time. It still took weeks, especially as I did mine in the Winter.

 

[Duncodin]

I lifted the center console and cut the carpet down the middle font to rear so that I could remove just one side. Put on the pavement and walked on it to squeeze some of the water out. Middle of summer so hung it over the fence. Took couple of days to dry.

 

[TriumphZ3]

Took the passenger seat out today and it's just a lake under the carpet, even after using a dozen old towels last time to dry it out. The car hasn't been out in rain for months so this is old water. Looks like more drying required.

 

[Pond]

Took the passenger seat out today and it's just a lake under the carpet, even after using a dozen old towels last time to dry it out. The car hasn't been out in rain for months so this is old water. Looks like more drying required.

Don't you just love a BMW convertible in the UK?

Until I started buying BMW convertibles, I can honestly say in the last 38 years I have never even considered water being on the inside of a vehicle.....only the outside.

The only one that didn't have water inside ( F33 440i vert which cost me nearly £30k) had gallons of water inside the rear wings.