Installed my M5 center console

[Espen]

It looks like this..:

I ordered the one for cars with black leather interior.. Still i think mine is looking a bit bright? its allmost grey I would say.

pic:
http://www.pyrabel.net/eksternt/upload/upload/shiftersurrounding.jpg

I thought it should look like this:

http://www.pyrabel.net/eksternt/upload/upload/shifter_black.jpg

just for reference, this is the part called " DEPOSITING BOX BOTTOM PANEL "
Part #: 51162237026

[Alexlind123]

Take a better picture.

[shuriken]

Looks a nice piece of kit. The colour is just that the exposure is out by about 1 - 1.5 stops. Looks black to me judging by the rest of the black trim.

[InfernoM3]

how much was it and where'd u order from?

[Jay 535i]

I just got the exact same part for my car and kinda have the exact same complaint. The photo of what you thought it would look like is also the photo that prompted me to order the part.

I think it may be down to the material. The part you and I both got is kind of a soft-touch matte material unlike anything else in the car. The second photo you posted looks more glossy and a closer match for what's in the car.

I don't know if the two parts are in fact different or if it's just down to the photo, but I'm also a bit disappointed with the way the part doesn't exactly match its surroundings.

Let me know if you find out more.

[HDhandyman]

Looks pretty smooth to me. Why don't you just clean out your interior and sit on it for a couple of days. Try to let go of the pro photo that you ordered it from. I mean a burger from McD's doesn't look anything like it does in the photos when you order, but they still taste pretty damn good.

Cheers

[Jay 535i]

It's not a pro photo. I think it's reasonable to wonder if we've somehow ordered the wrong part.

I think you're right to suggest we 'sit on it', but if it turns out there is indeed another part that more closely matches that second photo, I would like to know about it.

[shuriken]

it's hard to see what you mean, although if i didn't see the item I'd understand better, if that makes sense? I just took your image and adjusted it so that blacks look black (took the shadow area of trim) so that all else falls into line tone and colour wise, and it looks black to me. From your pic it is the same as the surrounding interior trim. So is your trim a grey too? Your photo does not convey the colour difference.

[Jay 535i]

I think I can clear this up. BOTH parts are black, no doubt about it. But the part Espen and I both received is kind of a soft-touch matte plastic that diffuses light differently that the other parts of the interior. So it's just as black, but seems less so because of the material's texture. It's difficult to describe the material, but it's not what I expected and it doesn't match anything. It feels like a more modern material that we find in our cars. It's the kind of touchy-feely plastic you find on all kinds of things these days, from razor handles to screwdrivers to the HVAC buttons on new premium cars. But it's unlike any material used in an E34, AFAIK. It kind of has the same feel as a rad hose -- rubbery. The second pic made both Espen and I think it would be more leathery.

In the second pic, the console part seems to have the same smooth, glossy quality of the leather on the seats. But the part that Espen and I have looks more like weathered leather.

I can vouch for the fidelity of Espen's photo. It's not down to lighting or camera settings. His pic shows very accurately what the part looks like. But I can't say if the second photo looks different that the first because of a different part or not.

The difference could be just down to the photos, though I doubt it. It would be good to know for certain. I'll post some pics of my own when I get around to it.

Off topic: Espen, I presume that wire in your pic goes to the aux input of your stereo and lets you plug in an MP3 player. I thought about doing that myself exactly as you have. Can you share the details?

[shuriken]

Seems to be an anti slip type material?
Could do with that on my consol, mobile phone flies all over the place!:D
Wonder if they do one for automatics?

[HDhandyman]

Well, I think you definately deserve to be happy with what you purchased. If it's not what you thought it was, then you deserve to have something that will make you happy.

Personaly, I hate it when the center console blends in with the rest of the interior---looks so "stock" to me. For my money, I'd like something that says "I'm a stick shift". If that means some high tech new composite material, so be it. That's just me though.

Surely you guys can call and say "this doesn't seem right to me"?---Hope you get what you want.

[Espen]

Thanks for all the answers.

First, it is not the picture that is lying, the picture is of bad quality, i know, but the colors are looking just the same. I wouldnt have made a thread about this if it just were my camera that didnt take good pictures.

The material really is somesort of plastic, and have no leather feeling whatsoever. Like Jay said, it feels like the material of newer car, like real cheap plastic, doesnt fit my e34 with full leather at all.

I bought it at my dealer for an insane prise.. calulated in USD it equals about 170$ Im going back there today and gonna ask if i can get it replaced with one of the right color.. Im afraid i have to pay the same price for the new one, as this was special ordered from Germany, and I bet they wont take it back.

Im gonna ask for the one that was made for cars with the buffalo leather

"FOR VEHICLES WITH
LEATHER TRIM BUFFALO
18 DEPOSITING BOX BOTTOM PANEL ANTHRAZIT 1 09/1990 51162234920 $142.85
"

It says Anthrazit, what color is that, would i get a black one if ordering that?

[shuriken]

Anthracite isn't black, it's a dark grey (light black?). If you need black then schwartz would be what you need. I hope you get some success from your dealer, be a bit hard nosed. If it's not the right colour, well, it's not the right
colour. Which ever way they say it it's still incorrect. Good luck. $170!! even converting that to UK £'s thats steep. Does look nice though.

[Espen]

Well they double checked the partnumber with what i ordered and what i got, they really couldnt help me.. I have the part "schwartz" for cars with black leather.. And if Jay got the same color issue, maybe its just that bmw cant reproduce it with the old color?

[Espen]

Off topic: Espen, I presume that wire in your pic goes to the aux input of your stereo and lets you plug in an MP3 player. I thought about doing that myself exactly as you have. Can you share the details?

Didnt see that comment first time i read through your posts.

Yes you are correct in your assumption, the cable is a standard minijack cable 1.5m long. Goes from behind the cd player, and down behind the heater panel, and out under the "depositing box bottom panel" (from now on called "dbbp" if you pull up your dbbp and pull out the sound dampening material beneath that again you will se the harness to the hazard light button, just pull your minijack cable down the same way were the hazardbutton harness goes..

[Incantation]

why did you put m5 console in a 525?

[VentoGT]

I never realized that the M5 had a different console around the shifter...I guess that is why some of the non-M cars have a flat piece of wood or whatever instead of the sculpted panel...kinda neat.

[Jay 535i]

why did you put m5 console in a 525?

Cuz it looks cooler than the flat peice of plastic that was there before.

Espen, please let me know if you have any success with the dealer on getting another part, or if you discover that what you got is all there is.

[Espen]

why did you put m5 console in a 525?

Because it have a better looks, and its practical, now i can have my cellphone,sunglasses or mp3 player lying there without falling out when i drive with a heavy pedal. ;)

Im not a M5 "wannabe" or something, I have no M bagdes, or anything like that.. I just like that panel.. Why do people put M5 rims on their non M5 e34? -they look good.

E34 M5 = a nice luxurious sportscar, so mosts M5 parts/options makes the e34 look more sporty and luxurious.

Honestly, It shouldnt be nessescary for me to explain my choose of interior trim.

[Espen]

Cuz it looks cooler than the flat peice of plastic that was there before.

Espen, please let me know if you have any success with the dealer on getting another part, or if you discover that what you got is all there is.

Ok, I will.

But i dont think I will have any luck with it. I tried to get them to take it back today, they double checked the partnumber and I have the blackest part there is.. The others are for other styles of interior.. They didnt have any pictures of them, so it might be that the one for the cloth interior is blacker, and more leather looking...

My old console was really nice leather looking and black, my car had cloth interior.

[Espen]

Was at the dealer again today.

we looked at the part# stamped under the panel. It was
51-62-2237-705 (dealer checked this partnumber, he couldt find it in his database, neither can I find it at REALOEM)

And the part i ordered was 51-62-2237-026

http://www.bilforumet.net/images/icons/icon2.gifJay, could you look for what partnumber you have on your panel?

Dealer said that my part didnt look that dark and black because it was real leather, i brought my old panel wich was darkblack, so that he could take a look, he concluded that this was a syntetic leather (fake) and therefor looked darker.

He suggested i should order part
51-62-2237-023 (for cars with Anthrazit cloth interior) this panel should be in dark syntetic (fake) leather. And so I did.

Well I`ll just have to wait for it.. Had to be ordered from the fabric in Germany.

[Jay 535i]

Was at the dealer again today.

we looked at the part# stamped under the panel. It was
51-62-2237-705 (dealer checked this partnumber, he couldt find it in his database, neither can I find it at REALOEM)

And the part i ordered was 51-62-2237-026

http://www.bilforumet.net/images/icons/icon2.gifJay, could you look for what partnumber you have on your panel?

Dealer said that my part didnt look that dark and black because it was real leather, i brought my old panel wich was darkblack, so that he could take a look, he concluded that this was a syntetic leather (fake) and therefor looked darker.

He suggested i should order part
51-62-2237-023 (for cars with Anthrazit cloth interior) this panel should be in dark syntetic (fake) leather. And so I did.

Well I`ll just have to wait for it.. Had to be ordered from the fabric in Germany.

I'll check that part number later and get back to you.

So you've already ordered the part? Is the part we got actually leather? Funny.

Make sure when your new one arrives you let me know if it answers our questions :)

[Espen]

Off course I`ll get bacl to you when it arrives.
If I had never seen the other panel (on the pic in first page of this thread) o would have never bothered really, I gave the m5 panel a silicone threatment, and now its looks darker.. But still have a plastic feeling.

Yeah it is in fact real leather, or "skin" as the dealer stressed, its a thin and durable material, but weak for stuff with sharp edges. Thats why the high price.

The one i now ordered is syntetic leather, and did only cost 1/3 of the price i gave for the black leather one.

[HDhandyman]

LMAO, turns out you needed synthetic instead of real leather:D . Well, way to go on the price save, and happy motoring!:)

[Espen]

Yes its kinda akward.. But as long as it looks the same as the rest of my interior, i really dont care about the material..

Didnt sabe any money though, the wouldnt trade in the panel i bought, so now im stuck with two, in worst case im stuck with 2 WRONG ones.. :)

[HDhandyman]

I'm sure somebody here would be willing to buy it from you. Ask a fair price with slight discount for tampering and see what happens.

[Espen]

I will sell one of them for sure.. But ill assume its easier to sell it to someone in my country though.. Here there are most Americans, Canadians and Aussies.. Shipping would cost more than half of the value i think..

[Espen]

Mystery solved!

I got the one i ordered now, and it got the same texture and color like the rest of my interior :)

Pic commin as soon as i get home!

[shuriken]

Mystery solved!

I got the one i ordered now, and it got the same texture and color like the rest of my interior :)

Pic commin as soon as i get home!
Well done! Persistance pays off, shame the dealer wont take the other one back, if the part numbers are not the item you asked for then they miss sold you the part, did they not?

[Espen]

Well the one i got now have the same partnumber stamped on the back of it. So i think they gave me they right one according to the partnumber the first time.

I just didnt know how it would look, but now I know, and everyone else thinking of bying a M5 panel should use the partnumber: 51-62-2237-023 if they want in to blend in with the rest of the interior!

[saj3n]

Seems to be an anti slip type material?
Could do with that on my consol, mobile phone flies all over the place!:D
Wonder if they do one for automatics?

my thoughta exactly

[nuclearfusion]

I'd like to see a photo of it installed if you have one.

Does it look like the black one above?

Enjoy!

Fusion

[Espen]

Yes its pretty much the same as the black one in the first page of this thread.
I have taken pictures,but I havent uploaded them yet. Will do soon.

[Espen]

Finally, here`s a picture of the new panel.

Http://filserver.pyrabel.net/bilder/e34/interior/gear_s.jpg

[Jay 535i]

More pics pleez :D

Is the new part squishy at all (like the door trims), or rock hard (like the rest of the console surround)?

I still can't decide...

[shuriken]

Oooh I like that. Don't think M5's came in auto version so doubt if they made one to fit...... But then again maybe the gear lever apature is all the same just different fittings for the manuel and auto?

[Jay 535i]

But then again maybe the gear lever apature is all the same just different fittings for the manuel and auto?

No, they're not. Sorry.

[ktteoh]

espen, i'm from malaysia and interested to try this to.

unfortunately the part number you quoted 51-62-2237-023 is not valid with bmw malaysia.

when i checked the same anthrazit panel against two separate sources, i get two different numbers:
1. realoem: 51162237023
2. etk: 51 16 2236 901

which one is the real mccoy?


Well the one i got now have the same partnumber stamped on the back of it. So i think they gave me they right one according to the partnumber the first time.

I just didnt know how it would look, but now I know, and everyone else thinking of bying a M5 panel should use the partnumber: 51-62-2237-023 if they want in to blend in with the rest of the interior!