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Need to replace a window motor or get behind your dashboard? These tools are critical to your success.

If you’ve dealt with old BMWs as much as I have, you’ll know window motors are some of the first parts to go bad. Replacing them isn’t too difficult, but getting to them involves taking off the door cards. If you don’t have the right tools, this relatively simple job of taking the cover off your doors can become a nightmare. Without anything specialized, it's incredibly easy to damage your door cards in the process. That’s why I always keep a handful of trim removal tools on hand when I’m doing interior work. And you should too.

Trim removal tools are exactly what they sound like: Tools shaped to pop out plastic trim pieces, door cards, handles, dashboards, and other press-fitted interior bits. They’re made from plastic instead of metal, so they won’t scratch or damage your paint. The tools usually have enough give that they won’t bend or crease trim pieces while being used. They also come in all sorts of shapes and sizes to remove whatever awkwardly-shaped part you might have to remove from your cabin.

In addition to getting door cards off, trim removal tools can be used to pop off fuse box covers, dashboard pieces, and door sill covers. With a good set of trim removal tools, you can take out essentially anything from an interior that isn’t bolted down.

Trim removal tools aren’t just for interior work, either. They can be supremely useful for removing engine bay parts and rubber window seals. They’re also good for removing things like reflectors and plastic exterior trim held in by clips. Because they’re plastic, you can use them for leverage without fear of scoring metal or damaging your clearcoat. They’ve come in handy for dozens of DIY jobs I’ve done in the past, interior-focused or otherwise.

Because trim removal tools are just pieces of plastic, they’re cheap. You have no excuse not to have a set in your toolbox. Amazon sells a basic five-piece set with pretty much everything you need for basic jobs for just $7.99. If you know you’re going to be doing a lot of interior work, we suggest picking up this 200-piece kit from Amazon for $26.99. It comes with a bundle of trim removal tools, a set of picks, and a handful of clips and fasteners to ensure you’ll be able to put everything back together once your work is done. There’s even a plastic scraper for removing stickers or glue residue from paint.