Does anyone else have broken cowl tabs?

lordbmw · 10-27-2016, 06:37 PM

This post shows the tab that's broken:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=398169

Replacement part is this one:
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/64316924277/

Only the left most tab is broken so the wire loom is still held in place by two other ones. It's not making any vibration noise and is not causing any problem so I'll just leave it alone for now. It's just minorly annoying. I bought the car used and it came like that. I just discovered that issue today. Still discovering things about this car.

AM330i · 10-27-2016, 07:40 PM

Yeah, all three are broke on mine. They break very easily.

lordbmw · 10-27-2016, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AM330i

Yeah, all three are broke on mine. They break very easily.

How did you break all 3 of them?

noah.s · 10-27-2016, 08:29 PM

Yea 2 were broken when I bought my car.

lordbmw · 10-27-2016, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noah.s

Yea 2 were broken when I bought my car.

So how are you keeping the loom in place?

You need at least 2 working tabs in order to keep it from moving around.

Boland01 · 10-28-2016, 08:53 AM

They get very brittle over time. I made my own catch and that holds the cowl down where the tab broke now.

lordbmw · 10-28-2016, 09:23 AM

To be clear the 3 tabs/clips hold this thing in place:

It's some cable management piece.

Efthreeoh · 10-28-2016, 09:26 AM

I have screws through the "cowl" (it's really called the low cabin air filter housing) tying into the tabs on the harness housing.

lordbmw · 10-28-2016, 10:27 AM

I also think people break them when they use a screwdriver to pry it off and use excessive force

AM330i · 10-28-2016, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordbmw

How did you break all 3 of them?

I was being careless and I didn't learn when I broke them on My 330 as well. I'm usually really careful about not breaking things but I manage to break them on 2 cars.

lordbmw · 10-28-2016, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AM330i

I was being careless and I didn't learn when I broke them on My 330 as well. I'm usually really careful about not breaking things but I manage to break them on 2 cars.

LOL. I would not suggest Neurosurgery as a vocation

NGEE · 10-28-2016, 05:25 PM

Just replace the cowl with an M3 cowl. You will love it...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=35

lordbmw · 10-28-2016, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NGEE

Just replace the cowl with an M3 cowl. You will love it...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=35

Interesting. So where does that wiring harness go or is it not needed?

NGEE · 10-28-2016, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordbmw

Interesting. So where does that wiring harness go or is it not needed?

I just zip-tied the wire to the strut braces. If you look closely in the pic you can see it. $100 all-in.

I've been running this for two years with no problems and I absolutely love the access it gives me.

10-27-2016, 06:37 PM	#1
lordbmw Captain 271 Rep 790 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 335xi Coupe (AT) Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Alexandria, VA iTrader: (0)	Does anyone else have broken cowl tabs? This post shows the tab that's broken: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=398169 Replacement part is this one: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/64316924277/ Only the left most tab is broken so the wire loom is still held in place by two other ones. It's not making any vibration noise and is not causing any problem so I'll just leave it alone for now. It's just minorly annoying. I bought the car used and it came like that. I just discovered that issue today. Still discovering things about this car.
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10-27-2016, 07:40 PM	#2
AM330i First Lieutenant 90 Rep 386 Posts Drives: 08 535xi 11 328xi Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Rochester, NY iTrader: (0) Garage List 2023 BMW M440 [0.00]	Yeah, all three are broke on mine. They break very easily.
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10-27-2016, 08:29 PM	#4
noah.s Lieutenant 94 Rep 448 Posts Drives: 2011 335i M-Sport Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	Yea 2 were broken when I bought my car.
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10-28-2016, 08:53 AM	#6
Boland01 Lieutenant 151 Rep 460 Posts Drives: 2010 535ix, 2008, 2007 335i Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Magnolia, TX iTrader: (0)	They get very brittle over time. I made my own catch and that holds the cowl down where the tab broke now.
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10-28-2016, 09:23 AM	#7
lordbmw Captain 271 Rep 790 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 335xi Coupe (AT) Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Alexandria, VA iTrader: (0)	To be clear the 3 tabs/clips hold this thing in place: It's some cable management piece.
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10-28-2016, 09:26 AM	#8
Efthreeoh General 17406 Rep 18,792 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	I have screws through the "cowl" (it's really called the low cabin air filter housing) tying into the tabs on the harness housing.
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10-28-2016, 10:27 AM	#9
lordbmw Captain 271 Rep 790 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW 335xi Coupe (AT) Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Alexandria, VA iTrader: (0)	I also think people break them when they use a screwdriver to pry it off and use excessive force
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10-28-2016, 05:25 PM	#12
NGEE Fuck it dude, let's go bowling. 888 Rep 2,480 Posts Drives: 1M Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Not Massachusetts iTrader: (0)	Just replace the cowl with an M3 cowl. You will love it... http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=35 __________________ 1M. Previously: '13 135is; '07 E90 335i; '02 325i; '99 Z3; '98 328is; '87 L6; '77 320i
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