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First Aid Box DIY (with pics)

54K views 79 replies 30 participants last post by  BradAllen 
#1 ·
First Aid Box
Installation Guide (DIY):

Things you will need:
-2 #10 or #12 3/4" sheet metal screws
-Short screwdriver with a flat tip
-First aid mounting bracket
-First aid box

Instructions:
1. Prepare your materials. Lay them out; Take of stickers, repaint (if wanted or necessary), & wash if needed.
2. Make sure the bracket fits in place under one of the front seats. The two bolt notches should be fitted perfectly in place. (like puzzle pieces).
3. Take the 2 #10 or #12, 3/4" sheet metal screws and begin screwing these into the underside of the seat with the bracket in place. The factory seats will most likely not have a pre-threaded hole for the screw (unless you previously had the first aid kit as a factory option), which is why we are going to use the sheet metal screws (they create their own thread).
4. Once screwed in place, you can slide the First Aid Box slots into the tracks of the bracket (the box should snap into place and be hard to pull out from the tracks).
5. You are ready to add the first aid contents, or whatever you wish, inside the box.

Notes:
-The first aid bracket also fits the driver seat (on most models). It can create another place to store things (i.e.: navigation system (when not in use), wallets, phone cables, iPod chargers, important documentation, owners manual, gloves, maps, etc.)
-Also if you wish to and know how to, you can drill a hole in the box, drop a tapped power cable and have a phone/iPod charging station. Perfect for those times you wish to leave your iPod in the car to charge, but don't want it to be seen.
 

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#11 ·
No prob. Let me know if you get them to ship the USA?
For years I've been on ebay.de trying to get BMW stuff shipped to me.
They simply just won't do it. Like it is illegal to ship to the USA or something.

The only time I got a seller to ship he claimed the customs/port fees made shipping a $60 BMW CD43 radio like $80 to $100.
 
#12 ·
Thanks much OP. I was just getting ready to install mine. Appreciate the DIY. I got the OEM leather black first aid kit to go in it, and my NAV unit. Hopefully going to install it this weekend.
 
#14 ·
Just installed a month ago and they are awesome little storage spots. I was going crazy upsidedown under my seats (bruised a rib in the process!:ben:) trying to get the sheet metal screws to bite. After a few hours of frustration and trying half a dozen sizes, ended up using a ratchet (with an extender for the screws in the back) and got them both in in about 10 min. Sounds like sparker didnt have any issues, but the only screws I could get to work were this type:
 
#17 ·
Anyone know if sport seats can handle this? I wanted to do it in my '01 330xi sport and cold weather package, but it seems like there is a bar running under the seats that might get in the way of where this is supposed to mount. I'd love to be able to put one in, but don't want to order it if my seats can't handle it (my car only came with the soft pouch first aid kit)
 
#19 ·
I installed one under my sport passenger's seat, too. I raised the front of the seat, and lowered the rear to access the spot for it. I used a tap to prep the holes for the bracket and used machine screws. It involved a bit of standing on my head (not really) but wasn't bad.
 
#20 ·
just installed mine today under the drivers seat. they do work on sport seats. im pretty sure there are ones made for both sport and non sport seats. also it matters if you have electric or manual seats too. i loosened the seat so i could lean it back and i had plenty of room (takes 5 min to loosen seat its worth it :woot:)

i modified the box by making a hole in the back so i could run my dice wires to my dice hd radio unit inside. before it was just wrapped up under the drivers seat. it makes it much more clean.

overall im very happy with the results. love the extra storage. e46's are a bit lacking on places to keep crap. haha
 
#31 · (Edited)
I now have first aid boxes on both seats. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.

#10 didn't work, just slid all the way through the hole. #12 didn't work, slide almost all the way through the hole - wouldn't thread with spacers. Had to go to 1/4", I think that's #14. Once I got it in though, as JapanRed pointed out, the 3/4" length screw stops the sport seat cushion from adjusting. Furthermore, I found that if I put enough washers on (5) to allow the seat cushion to adjust, I couldn't get the screw to properly thread. If I put few enough washers to get the screw to thread (4), I had to leave the screw loose to get the seat cushion to adjust - therefore the bracket was loose.

Here was the procedure I eventually adopted with the 1/4" hex head 3/4" self-tapping screw.

- Screw straight into the hole first using a ratchet and extender (don't bother with the mounting bracket yet).
- Back the screw out.
- Cut the tip off of the screw so that only threads and head are left (I used a Dremel).
- Attach the mounting bracket with the modified screw and 3 washers, tightening fully.
 
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