Anybody have trouble getting carpet floormats to stay put?

tjswarbrick · 09-12-2015, 01:21 AM

What's your secret?

When I picked up my 135 at the end of June, it had rubber floor mats but there were two holes worn completely through where my heels go. I've never been a fan of the rubber ones, and I found some 1M ones for the price of plain black ones at a (somewhat) local dealer.
Dropped 'em in and the velcro lined up so I thought I was fine. Went for a road trip to 110 degree heat, and drove around town for a bit. A couple weeks later I had to use the wife's car for a few days. When I got back to the 1, the floor mats were totally out of whack and the velcro adhesive had basically come off.
I tried two additional kinds of velcro with very limited success.

So, after reading a tip on a (Subaru!) forum, I got me some hardware:

It kinda hurt to cut holes into the 1M mats, but I figure it's better than getting into a wreck because they're all bunched up under the pedals.

That should about do it:

I hate the knobs, but they're better than wing nuts and all I could find at my local Grainger. I have some - hopefully - better ones on the way from McMaster.

If anyone's interested, each side is a 1" bolt, 3 fender washers (under carpet, between carpet and mat, and over mat), a rubber washer (over topmost fender), a flat washer, and the knob. The Subaru guy only used 2 fenders, and added a lock washer. I like the third fender to distribute the load over the mat, and skipped the lock washers since I cannot access the bolt heads to loosen 'em up. I went with black-oxide coated hardware so even if it is visible it won't be painfully obvious. I also would use 1.25" bolts if I were to do it again, because 1" barely gave me enough length to seat the knob.

Is this at all helpful? Do you have something that works for you?

JimD · 09-13-2015, 09:57 AM

I can't imagine my mats moving. You have to tug on them pretty good to get them out for cleaning. The Velcro connection is very strong. There should be a large plastic Velcro piece that screws into the carpet and then the opposite side of the Velcro on the back of the mat. Are you, perhaps, missing the part that screws into the carpet?

mr.fabulous · 09-13-2015, 10:08 AM

http://cocomats.com/

no affiliation, just a very happy customer (first thing I did when I bought my car was order cocomats, classic European design and *very* well made)

tock172 · 09-13-2015, 12:44 PM

Coco mats are awesome. I can vouch for their quality and fitment.

However, in your case, I would consider switching back to the original BMW floor mats and using them with the velcro pads.

MightyMouseTech · 09-13-2015, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tock172

Coco mats are awesome. I can vouch for their quality and fitment.

However, in your case, I would consider switching back to the original BMW floor mats and using them with the velcro pads.

He had BMW mats, the Velcro came off.

tock172 · 09-13-2015, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

He had BMW mats, the Velcro came off.

They changed the design at some point during the last few years. Before, the velcro pads would just rip off the mats, then BMW added some ribbing to the bottom of the mats that strengthened them significantly. I haven't heard of anyone else's velcro pads ripping off since

tjswarbrick · 09-13-2015, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tock172

They changed the design at some point during the last few years. Before, the velcro pads would just rip off the mats, then BMW added some ribbing to the bottom of the mats that strengthened them significantly. I haven't heard of anyone else's velcro pads ripping off since

I guess that's why search didn't turn anything up!
Could be why I got a good deal on the mats...

I have the original screw-in velcro pads, and got 2 pairs of brand new ones. But it doesn't help a bit when the adhesive came off the bottom of the mat - velcro was stuck to toe pad, but no longer attached to the mat.

Thanks guys.

ShocknAwe · 09-13-2015, 02:54 PM

One of my velcro anchors ripped out. Haven't gotten around to figuring out a new solution yet.

tjswarbrick · 09-13-2015, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

One of my velcro anchors ripped out. Haven't gotten around to figuring out a new solution yet.

They should just screw in. I've got spares...

Esteban · 09-13-2015, 05:39 PM

One of my anchors came out. I screwed it back in. Seems to be holding so far... been a couple years now.

ShocknAwe · 09-13-2015, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

They should just screw in. I've got spares...

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

One of my anchors came out. I screwed it back in. Seems to be holding so far... been a couple years now.

Tried screwing it back in. Comes out again after a week or so.

Esteban · 09-13-2015, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

One of my anchors came out. I screwed it back in. Seems to be holding so far... been a couple years now.

Tried screwing it back in. Comes out again after a week or so.

Does it look damaged? Maybe try a new one.

ShocknAwe · 09-13-2015, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

Does it look damaged? Maybe try a new one.

Sure does, the carpeting that is.

Esteban · 09-13-2015, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Sure does, the carpeting that is.

Sorry to hear that. Guess it'll be a little more work for you than it was for me.

dtla1 · 09-14-2015, 10:48 AM

Yeah the carpeted area where my screw in anchor goes is bad and the anchor doesn't hold at all.

tjswarbrick · 09-14-2015, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Tried screwing it back in. Comes out again after a week or so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtla1

Yeah the carpeted area where my screw in anchor goes is bad and the anchor doesn't hold at all.

In that case, my solution should work for you.

I used 5/16-18 hardware. The new, lower-profile knobs I'm picking up are McMaster-Carr P/N 6214K35. They haven't come in yet, though, so I can't show you pics or tell you how much better I like them.

Depending upon how badly your carpet is banged up, you may need to cut small slits right around the hole to ge the fender washer in there. I made mine slightly smaller than the washer diameter, forced it in with vise-grips, and pulled the other side of the carpet up around it with a small flat-blade screwdriver. I didn't have a third hand, and Lovely Assistant was in school, so no pics, unfortunately. So far (an entire weekend!

) it's held up great.

dtla1 · 09-14-2015, 12:00 PM

Did you drill a hole through the floor pan and insert the bolt from underneath the car?

tjswarbrick · 09-14-2015, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dtla1

Did you drill a hole through the floor pan and insert the bolt from underneath the car?

No!

Just inserted the bolt into the first flat washer and popped 'em under the carpet together.
I lubed the threads, and didn't use a lock washer or any type of thread sealant, because I really won't be able to access the bolt head to loosen 'em up in the future. But in initial tests, with 'em cranked down pretty well, it was no trouble to loosen the knob without spnning the bolt.
But that is a potential fear for the future...

ShocknAwe · 09-14-2015, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjswarbrick

No!

Just inserted the bolt into the first flat washer and popped 'em under the carpet together.
I lubed the threads, and didn't use a lock washer or any type of thread sealant, because I really won't be able to access the bolt head to loosen 'em up in the future. But in initial tests, with 'em cranked down pretty well, it was no trouble to loosen the knob without spnning the bolt.
But that is a potential fear for the future...

Spinning the whole assembly would be a big concern for me.

How about this though, should be fairly foolproof:

Use a grub screw:

Put the washer on the unkeyed end, and apply red loctite to a lock nut and fit the whole crapshoot under the carpet. This would leave you the ability to use an allen key on the top of the grub screw/washer assembly to keep it from spinning while you tighten or loosen the nuts on top of the floor mats.

might even be able to find some sort of low profile washer/nut combo for the top that would be less visible.

tjswarbrick · 09-14-2015, 02:58 PM

Not a bad idea. It's not like you need to torque it down super tight - even a jam nut would probably work up top. I was going for tool-free removal - but that might not be the best solution.

PopsnBurbles · 09-14-2015, 04:17 PM

My ex-e90 328i had the same issue. It turns out that the Velcro circle patch screwed onto the floor was broken. In addition, the other screw somehow collected hair, dust, wood chips, gunk, etc. All of these add up to unstable, annoying floor mats.

I'm scared to tamper with my 1er's floor mats because it also uses the stupid screwed on Velcro patch to anchor the floor mats. Since the Velcro thing actually works, the floor mats actually stay firmly put. I sometimes wish BMW would copy Benz on things this small. With that said, I am also wondering a fix without drilling on new holes or ruining my gorgeous floor mats.

tjswarbrick · 09-14-2015, 04:48 PM

If the velcro works, I wouldn't mess with it.
Kinda wish I had researched a bit first - perhaps I could have cleaned 'em off really well and found the right stuff to stick to the bottom of the floormat.

But you're right - my C230 had a little plastic snap-in plug that held 'em tight for the 7 years I owned it.

09-12-2015, 01:21 AM	#1
tjswarbrick <(O0=[][]=0O)> 741 Rep 1,187 Posts Drives: 2012 N55 E88 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (1)	Anybody have trouble getting carpet floormats to stay put? What's your secret? When I picked up my 135 at the end of June, it had rubber floor mats but there were two holes worn completely through where my heels go. I've never been a fan of the rubber ones, and I found some 1M ones for the price of plain black ones at a (somewhat) local dealer. Dropped 'em in and the velcro lined up so I thought I was fine. Went for a road trip to 110 degree heat, and drove around town for a bit. A couple weeks later I had to use the wife's car for a few days. When I got back to the 1, the floor mats were totally out of whack and the velcro adhesive had basically come off. I tried two additional kinds of velcro with very limited success. So, after reading a tip on a (Subaru!) forum, I got me some hardware: It kinda hurt to cut holes into the 1M mats, but I figure it's better than getting into a wreck because they're all bunched up under the pedals. That should about do it: I hate the knobs, but they're better than wing nuts and all I could find at my local Grainger. I have some - hopefully - better ones on the way from McMaster. If anyone's interested, each side is a 1" bolt, 3 fender washers (under carpet, between carpet and mat, and over mat), a rubber washer (over topmost fender), a flat washer, and the knob. The Subaru guy only used 2 fenders, and added a lock washer. I like the third fender to distribute the load over the mat, and skipped the lock washers since I cannot access the bolt heads to loosen 'em up. I went with black-oxide coated hardware so even if it is visible it won't be painfully obvious. I also would use 1.25" bolts if I were to do it again, because 1" barely gave me enough length to seat the knob. Is this at all helpful? Do you have something that works for you?
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09-13-2015, 09:57 AM	#2
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	I can't imagine my mats moving. You have to tug on them pretty good to get them out for cleaning. The Velcro connection is very strong. There should be a large plastic Velcro piece that screws into the carpet and then the opposite side of the Velcro on the back of the mat. Are you, perhaps, missing the part that screws into the carpet? __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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09-13-2015, 10:08 AM	#3
mr.fabulous Captain 211 Rep 893 Posts Drives: Women Crazy Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Florida Gulf Coast iTrader: (0)	http://cocomats.com/ no affiliation, just a very happy customer (first thing I did when I bought my car was order cocomats, classic European design and very well made) __________________ 2011 135i MSport 6MT AW/black, 72Kmiles, bone stock, moneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoneymoney I LOVE THIS CAR
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09-13-2015, 12:44 PM	#4
tock172 Beachtown Bill Collector 582 Rep 1,062 Posts Drives: 2012 135i Join Date: May 2011 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1) Garage List 2012 BMW 135i [0.00] 1999 Lexus LS400 [0.00] 1985 BMW 325e [0.00]	Coco mats are awesome. I can vouch for their quality and fitment. However, in your case, I would consider switching back to the original BMW floor mats and using them with the velcro pads. __________________ 2012 BMW 135i Space Grey Metallic M-Sport DCT Dinan S2
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09-13-2015, 02:54 PM	#8
ShocknAwe 1Addict 3234 Rep 7,894 Posts Drives: E82 Mutt, M57 Truck Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Charleston iTrader: (22)	One of my velcro anchors ripped out. Haven't gotten around to figuring out a new solution yet. __________________ 2010 135i 6MT Jet Black N54/3 FE82 Mutt \| BUILD THREAD \| GARAGE SALE
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09-13-2015, 05:39 PM	#10
Esteban Major General 43796 Rep 7,224 Posts Drives: a slow car fast Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	One of my anchors came out. I screwed it back in. Seems to be holding so far... been a couple years now. __________________
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09-14-2015, 10:48 AM	#15
dtla1 Colonel 828 Rep 2,232 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, Space Grey Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (2)	Yeah the carpeted area where my screw in anchor goes is bad and the anchor doesn't hold at all.
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09-14-2015, 12:00 PM	#17
dtla1 Colonel 828 Rep 2,232 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, Space Grey Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (2)	Did you drill a hole through the floor pan and insert the bolt from underneath the car?
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09-14-2015, 02:58 PM	#20
tjswarbrick <(O0=[][]=0O)> 741 Rep 1,187 Posts Drives: 2012 N55 E88 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (1)	Not a bad idea. It's not like you need to torque it down super tight - even a jam nut would probably work up top. I was going for tool-free removal - but that might not be the best solution.
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09-14-2015, 04:17 PM	#21
PopsnBurbles Captain 192 Rep 893 Posts Drives: 135is :) 192/586 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: LA, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW 135is Coup ... [10.00]	My ex-e90 328i had the same issue. It turns out that the Velcro circle patch screwed onto the floor was broken. In addition, the other screw somehow collected hair, dust, wood chips, gunk, etc. All of these add up to unstable, annoying floor mats. I'm scared to tamper with my 1er's floor mats because it also uses the stupid screwed on Velcro patch to anchor the floor mats. Since the Velcro thing actually works, the floor mats actually stay firmly put. I sometimes wish BMW would copy Benz on things this small. With that said, I am also wondering a fix without drilling on new holes or ruining my gorgeous floor mats.
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09-14-2015, 04:48 PM	#22
tjswarbrick <(O0=[][]=0O)> 741 Rep 1,187 Posts Drives: 2012 N55 E88 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (1)	If the velcro works, I wouldn't mess with it. Kinda wish I had researched a bit first - perhaps I could have cleaned 'em off really well and found the right stuff to stick to the bottom of the floormat. But you're right - my C230 had a little plastic snap-in plug that held 'em tight for the 7 years I owned it.
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