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Rear Powered Sunshade Retro-fit Project

I have a copy of the BMW ETK (EPC)CD and I used this to research what would be necessary to retro-ift a powered rear shade into my 98 740iL. I found a part number of a retro-ift kit in the catalog, and I tried to learn as much as I could about this item first. As it turns out, most of the BMW North America dealers do not know much about this retro-fit kit, and some told me that the part number for this is not a valid part number. I contacted a dealer in Munich (because I worked for a German company, and was visiting them). The German BMW dealer said that this kit was taken off the market due to some flaws, but that it was now available again. I tried again once I got back with Circle BMW or Pacific BMW but they came back with the same comment, not a valid part number. At this point, I went to Maximillion Importing and asked them if they could source this kit for me from Germany. They told me that they could! Here is the price as of 2002 for the kit from Maximillion Importing Company.
part no: 51-46-9-405-464
description: Supplementary Set Sun Blind (kit)
Price: 472.75

In addition to this kit, you also need a rear parcel shelf for the sunshade to mount onto, but there are a few types depending on your cars sound system, (subwoofers or not), and the color of the interior. This is not an expensive item, ($112.00 BMW Dealer List in 2002) and can be sourced from various places including recycling yards for a lot less than this.

I found a used power shade with drive motor on the Bimmerboard E38 forum for sale @ $250 and I bought it. So now I don't need the complete kit but Maximillion confirmed my list of what was in the kit I had researched with my ETK CD-ROM was correct so I have a complete parts list to buy the other pieces I will need.

Here is the detail PARTS list of what I found in my research for my car, 98 740iL with Premium sound system and sand leather interior.

1ea 51-46-8-156-220 Sun Blind
1ea 51-46-8-191-959 L sunblind cover(plastic trim)
1ea 51-46-8-191-960 R sunblind cover(plastic trim)
1ea 51-16-8-215-240 Set end caps
1ea 51-46-8-174-271 Rear shelf with sub and sunblind (tan)
1ea 67-65-8-369-932 Drive Sun Blind
6ea 11-61-1-708-413 Hex nut w lock washer
1ea 61-12-9-405-465 Wiring Sun Blind
1ea 61-31-8-360-893 Switch sunblind front

Sunshade Project Update July 22, 2002
I finally got a free day to work on this project and was able to dismantle the rear shelf area, cut the opening for the shade, assemble it and mount it back into the car. In addition I ran the wiring from the rear of the car to the passenger front footwell under the carpet edge. I found out that the non shade REAR shelf (OE in my car), does not have the mounting studs needed for the shade assembly, but I was able to insert some screws from above, but under the fabric, to act as a substitute. The heads of the screws show as a slight bump under the fabric, but it is hidden from view unless looking into the rear from the outside, so I will keep it this way for now.

I completed the wiring install and here are the photos as I did the job.

The fist thing you do it remove the rear seats and package shelf covering to prepare to install the sunshade. This photo shows the three mounting points for the shade assembly where the bolts go into the trunk area. You pull off the rubber covers that are pre punched for this.

This is what the sunshade and motor drive assembly looks like lying on the floor.

I did not buy a new rear shelf for this retrofit, because I believed that I could modify my original shelf for the shade. (read I'm just too cheap!!) Well this turned out to be a bit more complicated than I expected because I had to line up the assembly, then cut out the openings by hand and hope I got them right. I would not do this again however, because I had to drill holes and slip screws into them under the fabric for mounting points. It looks fine. but it took a long time to make these cuts and install the screws for the mounting. Here is the shot of the mounting holes and oepning for one side of the assembly.

This is the shade with the end mount points and the slot for the shade cut. I made all these cuts with a hacksaw blade, razor knife, drill and files.

Here is the shade/motor assembly mounted into the shelf viewed from underneath.

This is the wiring harness that runs along the passenger side of the car and goes up behind the rear seats. The supplemental sunshade wiring harness I ordered had the proper connection on it for the cable that was on the sunshade assembly, and they were joined in this location.

The wiring harness ran along the passenger side of the floor and into the footwell. This photo is of the "joint connectors" that were hidden behind the center console side panel. The instruction said "unclip and extract these joint connectors". Well that was pretty vague and it took me an hour of digging in there before I found them, and figured out how to extract them.

I also had to dissassemble the trim on the foot well and behind the glove box to gain access to the fuse box ventilation tube. This was supposed to allow one of the wires in the harness to be run into the fuse box though a factory made hole. This was a bit tricky, and I had to drill a hole anyway through the nylon cover which is contradictory to the EBA installation instructions, but I coudln't find any holes that were "factory made". The wire came with the proper clip on it to fit into the fuse block, so it was simply a matter of getting it into the proper slot once I had the thing in the fuse box. The fuse box label shows the sunshade fuse to be #48, so I inserted it there.

The next step is to get the wire with the connector on it to the center console area where the new switch will be mounted. The console panels need to be removed to get in there, and I started from the switch blank cover, carefully prying it out first using small flat blade screwdriver, then pushing them from behind, removed the two heated seat controls. Next, I pressed up on the metal clips on the heating control panel and got it out after some serious pressing and pushing. It kind of pops out once you overcome the spring clips. The wire runs up from the footwell easily.

Now once the wires were all in place, and the switch was connected laying on my console, I inserted a 10A fuse in slot #48, braved the ignition switch and pressed the button .... It Worked First Time!!!

I installed the switch, trimmed the existing blank cover to make room for the new switch, reinserted the seat controls, and pushed the heat control panel back in place. Tested the shade again??? YES!! it still works, so I closed up the footwell trim, and reinstalled the trim peices. It is completed.....

Instructions to install the kit were found on the BMW EBA CD-ROM. This disk has pdfs of all the dealer installed options and retro-fits. I converted the sunshade steps into jpegs to post here, so if they are hard to read or won't print out right, email me for a copy of the pdf