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DIY: Front window regulator

794K views 749 replies 380 participants last post by  CaliC 
#1 · (Edited)
This write up is basically tommiexboi's write up and all the people that contributed to tommiexboi's write up, but with a few more pictures. This is a very doable DIY. It is not a quick DIY, but it is not a hard DIY. I am a female who has never worked on a car before (I have never changed a light bulb) and I have now done two of these repairs (driver's side window and front passenger's side window). There are so many reasons why you should do this repair yourself. First, is the cost. A repair shop will charge you anywhere from $250 to $400. Second, if you read through all the window regulator posts you will read enough horror stories that should convince you to do this yourself. Things do not get reconnected properly, vapor barriers are carelessly torn, etc. Having said all this, let me also say that if you follow this DIY and mess something up, I cannot be held responsible.

Let me start by saying, don't run out and buy a new regulator. Save yourself the $75. The first time I did the driver's side window, I bought the new part and then I came across this website and realized that I didn't need to. A simple zip tie modification would have made my old regulator as good as new:

http://www.skene.org/bmw/window/

The caveat to this is that the zip tie modification is not going to work for everyone and the problem is that you will not know if it will work for you until you open up the door, pull out the regulator and look at it. On the regulator there is a small metal cylinder that is connected to metal wire. This cylinder sits in a metal and plastic bracket. Over time, the plastic starts to chip away and the cylinder will pop out. Once this happens, your window will either move up or down very slowly or not move at all. In addition to the slow moving window, you will hear very scary grinding and clicking. There are several places where the regulator can fail. But, if I had to guess, I would say the most of regulators fail around the small metal cylinder. In my situation, both my regulators were failing in this spot. If the failure occurs around the small metal cylinder, then the zip tie modification will work for you. Here is what one of my metal and plastic brackets looked like. The cylinder sits in the space that I labeled "cylinder". You can see where the plastic broke off exposing the metal underneath:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator19.jpg">

Now onto the actual repair. Before you start this is what you will need. Do not attempt to start this repair without having these tools:

<li>1/4" drive ratchet
<li> 1/4" drive ratchet extension (there is one step where you will need a very narrow 8mm socket. A 3/8" drive size will not allow the 8mm socket to fit through the hole.)
<li>Torx t-20
<li>Torx t-30
<li>8mm socket
<li>10mm socket
<li>Screwdriver
<li>At least one ziptie, possibly more</li>

Now let's begin:

1. If you can, roll down the window half way. If the window doesn't move at all don't worry about it. No matter where it is, it will inevitably need to be moved later on.

2. Use your 10mm socket to disconnect the negative battery terminal. On my car the battery is in the trunk on the right side:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator1.jpg">

3. Use a screw driver to gently pry away the wood trim. Put the trim in a safe spot:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator2.jpg">

4. Underneath the armrest are 2 plastic caps. Pull them out and put them in a safe spot:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator3.jpg">

5. On the armrest you will either have a window control, a side mirror control, or a blank plug. (On my passenger side I have a blank plug). This will need to be removed. On the driver's side I was able to use a screwdriver with a very thin tip to remove it without any problems. On the passenger side, this blank plug was very deep in the hole and the screwdriver was not working. I could see that if I really forced the screwdriver in there it would have damaged the leather. Not really knowing what to do, I started looking around the house for something I could use to get this plug out. I tried this Wustoff carrot peeler and it worked great! No damage to the leather. I think any peeler in this basic shape should do the trick. You might also want to try removing the plug at the other end if you are having trouble. Sometimes removing the plug on the side that is higher up the arm is a little easier. If you have a window control or a mirror control in this spot, once you get it out disconnect the wires that are attached to it. Put the control in a safe spot:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator4.jpg">

6. Remove the 5 torx t-20 screws that are circled in red:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator5.jpg">

7. You are now ready to pry off the door panel. There are these white plastic protrusions on the door panel that snap into the door. You can't see them at this point, but these protrusions are holding the door panel to the door. They are spaced all around the door panel except for the top of the door. There are also a few around the large speaker. The best place to start prying is where the screwdriver is pictured. Gently wedge your fingers or a screwdriver into this spot and gently pry that corner of the door panel away from the door. If you can use your fingers it will be better than using a screwdriver because it is less likely that you will damage the leather. Once you hear the first pop, stop prying so that you can readjust your fingers. If you used a screwdriver to start prying off the door panel, put it down, you will not need it anymore. At this point you have created enough space for your fingers to pry the rest of the door off. I found the best way to finish prying the door panel off the door is to move clockwise down the door:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator6.jpg">

8. Once you get the door panel off, hold onto it and keep it relatively close to the door. Don't let it drop to the floor. There are wires and things attached to the door panel that you will need to disconnect. You will need to disconnect the 3 items circled below. The white piece that is circled is already disconnected in the picture. It is part of door handle and needs to be unhooked. The other two circled items are speaker wires that need to be unplugged. The arrows point to these small plastic pieces that hold the wires and plug into the door panel. Gently pull them out to free the wires from the door panel. Once everything is unplugged, let the wires hang and put the door panel in a clean safe spot:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator7.jpg">

9. It's now time to remove the airbag. Use the 10mm socket to remove the 3 bolts:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator8.jpg">

10. Hang the airbag up and out of the way. The best thing to use is a ziptie, but I didn't have one that was long enough, so I just used some strong twine:

<img src="http://www.E46Fanatics.com/images/forum/regulator9.jpg">
 
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#55 ·
I follow the DIY and was able to replace the window regulator, and it is working great. But now, I can't open the door. I can unlock the lock, meaning when it is depress, and I pull the door handle, it will pop back up, but when I pull the door handle a second time, it will not open the door.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this? Also, I think I stripped the t-20 bolt under the arm rest handle, what can I use to remove it now?
 
#56 · (Edited)
It sounds like the white piece that controls the door handle might not have been reconnected properly. You definitely need to get that t-20 bolt out to remove the door. If the t-20 size doesn't work, try going up a size (t-25). That might work. And get a new bolt. It will cost you about 30 cents at the BMW dealership.
 
#59 ·
Hi everybody!

I had an independent mechanic shop replace a rear-right window regulator in my 2000 323I, about 2 months ago. The dealer quoted me $450 to do it (unbeliveable!!!!), and the indie mechanic did it for $210... Anyways, that was all over, and I was at least hoping I wouldn't have to worry about THAT window for a while.

Well, here I am 2 months later, and yesterday it broke AGAIN!!! The same window!!!

However, this time, the window goes down normally, but it won't go up (with a button). I can hear the mechanism working (and sounding) normally when I pull the button up, but the window doesn't move. The previous time this happened, the window wouldn't go anywhere, and the sound of it was very different (worse).

Is it possible that something came loose? Could I possibly fix this without replacing the whole thing (considering that it goes down normally)??

Thanks!
 
#60 ·
Is it possible that something came loose? Could I possibly fix this without replacing the whole thing (considering that it goes down normally)??

Thanks!
It's most likely the regulator again. You would have to open up the door to see if the regulator can be salvaged with the zip tie method. These regulators are really crappy. Even if you put in a new one zip tie it. If you don't want to do it yourself make the mechanic do it. Bring him 2 zip ties and print out the picture of how it should look. You will find it here:

http://www.skene.org/bmw/window/
 
#61 ·
I just called the mechanic shop that replaced it previously, and they said that the regulator itself has a 1 year warranty, and the shop has 6 months warranty on labor. And I checked my receipt last night, and it has been exactly 34 days since the new regulator was put in (regular window use, as far as I'm concerned)! :banghead:

So either way, I should be covered for this one... But I just might bring along a couple of zip ties, too!

By the way, an FYI for all... Both times this window regulator has failed (which, I cannot stress enough, has been within little over a month), it has been without any warning signs. Window seemed to work flawlessly until a big CHKGINKG-kinda sound happened, and poof... no more window work up for you...

Sometimes I wish I still had the good old window cranks... :tsk: But ONLY sometimes...
 
#65 ·
Ah, I just re-read his post and his problem was with a rear window not a front window. I missed that! So, I was wrong about bringing the mechanic 2 zip ties. From what I have read the zip ties don't work on the rears. But again, I could be wrong.
 
#66 ·
Yeah, I didn't realize that zip-tie fix is only intended for front regulators. :cry:

Oh well... in this case, I'm happy that the shop will cover everything (we'll see, I have an appt. for Friday), but I certainly would like to have a back-up solution for the rear windows, kinda like the zip-tie for fronts... Oh well...
 
#67 ·
I have Two E46's one 330I and a 325I both the same year and Color. (Wife’s and Mine) Don’t ask. But so far the 325I has had all four windows changed before it hot 60k, the 330I has had both front changed and one rear and it just hit 50k. You would think BMW would come up with a better or permanent fix for this problem. I have ruined the tint on 4 windows so far, and BMW fronted the bill for the 325I to get Re-Tinted. My 01' M5 hasn’t had any issues so far. This is quite ridiculous! I now only have a warrantee on the 330I Extended now, just in case. Both are Daily Drivers and I have a Window Happy 5 year old! The 325I just got the last window Regulator changed last week. I should be good for a few years. I had my suspensions of this when two failed at once on the 325I but seems like since then they are breaking left and right. The dealer hates me now
 
#68 ·
Well, I just got a call from the shop which is fixing my rear regulator (remember, the one that broke after 34 days after being replaced?)... Apparently, the regulator itself is still fine. However, there is a plastic piece that connects the regulator directly to the window glass, and this plastic thing broke. Technically, this piece is not part of the regulator itself, so the work done today is not really covered by the shop's warranty. However, they ended up using some high-strength glue to fix this plastic piece (since the local BMW dealer didn't have one in stock), and ended up doing it for free. :)

They believe this glue will hold, but they did say that if it breaks again, the piece will need to be replaced with a "real" part.

Oh well... I'm just happy it's not the 34-day old regulator that broke, but it doesn't make me feel much better about BMW's power window design in general... :tsk:
 
#84 ·
... Apparently, the regulator itself is still fine. However, there is a plastic piece that connects the regulator directly to the window glass, and this plastic thing broke....they ended up using some high-strength glue to fix this plastic piece...
THE GOOD NEWS: that "glue-job" is still holding up, and my rear right window has been working fine so far.

THE BAD NEWS: My front passenger window started making clicking noises when it's being lowered. Ahhhh, great.. fix one up, the next one is about to die!! $#%^$%$# :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Anyways, the window goes up and down, seals without problems, etc. The CLICK noise is not constant, and it would happen, let's say, 3-4 times total during the entire time that the window takes to be lowered down [almost] completely. Also, I see that it makes somewhat of a tilt (slight) while it's lowered but then it jumps back on track.

What do you guys think? Zip-tie fix (since it's at front this time)? Or more serious than that? :hmm:
 
#69 ·
Hi Jiveman,
Even if the regulator itself is not the problem, the recent repair made to your regulator most likely caused this plastic piece to break - which is why they fixed it for free. I love how they said that "technically" they are not responsible and make you feel like they are doing you a huge favor by fixing it for free. In my opinion they are 100% responsible. My guess is that they over torqued the bolt that secures the regulator to the window or somehow didn't align things properly before they tightened the bolt. It was probably the red bracket that broke. This is a small piece of plastic that costs 29 cents according to realoem.com.

I have to say, I don't like the way the did this repair. Gluing together a piece of plastic that costs 29 cents is not a good way to fix things. A few hot days and I can see this fix coming apart very easily. I am curious to see how long this holds together. Keep us posted. In the future, I wouldn't go back to that shop. They are wasting your time. If they fixed the regulator properly the first time, you wouldn't have had to take it back 34 days later. And now with their most recent repair, it looks like you are going to have to go back again in the near future.

This is why I encourage people to fix this themselves. I know most people don't have the time to do something like this or are not mechanically inclined, but sometimes it is worth it to take the time and do repairs like this yourself.
 
#70 ·
Thanks for the advice, elbee... This car mechanic shop is pretty reputable in this area, so I doubt they're setting me up for some sort of "stream" of future repairs or something... But they probably DID mess something up that caused the plastic piece to break (from the previous repair they did), so they thought they'd cover it up with a "free" glue-job. Riiiiight... :confused:

Anyways, even before they told me that it was NOT the regulator this time, I made a decision to do this myself the next time it happens (god forbid! :shhh: )... So, this time they covered it (and we'll just have to see how long the glue holds up), but the next time it'll be all me! :buff:
 
#76 ·
can somebody tell me why the driver side will not raise up but it goes down when i press the console window button?
I had a similar thing on my rear right window. I heard mine break: there was a loud snap-kinda noise that occured all of a sudden, after which I could only make the window go down and not up. It turns out that the piece that attaches the window regulator to the window itself was BROKEN (the regulator itself was fine).

If you need to put the window up temporarily, try pulling the button up (as if you were making the window go up), and when you hear the mechanism working, stop and go outside and try raising the window by hand. If that works, repeat the process until you get the window all the way up... temporarily...

Hope this helps...
 
#79 · (Edited)
Just finished doing the zip tie fix on the front passenger side. Took about 3 hours start to finish, but i was taking my time. There are two mechanisms with that cylinder and only one of them broke, but i went ahead and put zip ties around the second one as well as a PM - I would hate to do all this work only to have the other mechanism break in a month. My front driver side failed a year ago and back then i did not know about the zip tie trick, so i went ahead and purchased a new regulator and installed it myself as well.

Everything seems to be working great on the passenger side with a zip tie fix, i just wonder how "permanent" is this fix? What's the longest that someone had this without any problems?

Great diy :bow:
 
#83 ·
Two weeks ago I did this repair to both of my front windows. The passenger side worked until last thursday, until I heard a grinding and then the window would no longer go up or down. I figured the zipties must have broken off, but when I took the door panels off I discovered the cable was sticking out of the side of the spool between the spool and the metal, and the cable had come off of the smaller spools as well. It was a mess. My work is next door to a BWM dealer, so I went next store and just bought a whole new regulator. I was expecting to pay over $100 for it based on the posts I read here, but it was only $83, and since I work for a leasing company who has an account there, it only ended up being $61. So if you are needing to purchase a new regulator, you might want to shop around.
 
#86 ·
My advice, same as in my original post on my zip tie fix, is to zip tie all windows, before the clips break.

As you can see, this is a pretty common problem. BMW certaily dropped the ball on this one. (Maybe I should send them a case of zip ties :)).
 
#88 ·
dont want to sound stupid, but I read the diy and i understand taking it all apart but what do you do with the zip ties on the regulator, there was nothing said about what to do once you have it apart, i am a little bit confused, and my drivers side front window goes down fine but on the way up it struggles very slowly and I need to help it up, is this even the regulator?
 
#89 ·
As per my original instuctions, here,

http://www.skene.org/bmw/window/index.html

you secure the cable to the window bracket with the zip ties, as shown in the following photo. This keeps the metal clip that is crimped onto the cable from slipping out of the bracket.

 
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