BMW E46 window regulator zip tie fix doityourself

[Mtnman]

This has been posted on other forums in varying levels of detail, but I have my own pics and write up from tonight.

For this fix you will need 8 and 10mm sockets, with 3 inch extension
20 and 30 torx
adjustable wrench
putty knife
tape
razor blade
small, thin flat head

And if you don't have one of these, go get one. It is magnetic on the bottom so it will stick to your engine or anything else metal, and whatever you though in it will stick in the bowl. Less than 20 bucks at Lowe's.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0084.jpg


Now, begin with the appropriate beverage. No Sierra Nevada, no 6 dollar porters. seriously, you are fixing you car with a zip tie, drink something appropriate.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0065.jpg

Next, roll the window part of the way down

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0069.jpg

Now, disconnect the battery

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0086.jpg

Next, remove the trim piece. Start at the door edge and pull toward the car. I did it with my fingers, but you may need a small, thin, flat head screw driver.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0066.jpg

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0067.jpg

Next, remove the side view mirror control unit. Use small thin driver.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0068.jpg

now remove the 5 screws holding the door panel to the car. two under the arm rest, one behind the side mirror control unit, and two behind the trim. Starting in the lower, rear corner of the panel, use the putty knife with a rag to protect the paint, and pry the panel from the car. It will pop out. Moving along the bottom edge, pop the panel from the door. At the top, it will be a little harder, but pull it away from the car. once you pull it over the door lock, remove the white plastic piece shown here from the door handle. pry it away from the panel, and open the door lever, and it will pop out.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0070-2.jpg

Now that the panel is removed, disconnect he speaker wires.

Now remove the airbag. Three bolts. Once you have removed the bolts, use a zip tie and attach it to the top of the door so it is out of the way and will not get damaged. Do not disconnect the wiring to the airbag.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0070-1.jpg

Now remove the sound proofing from the door. Start at one corner, and using the razor knife, cut the black goo. This is some gooey mess, and it is awful in the summer, but not bad in winter.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0071.jpg

Set it aside.

Now your door should look like this.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0072.jpg

Now remove the window motor. 3 screws, and then twist it to remove and disconnect its power.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0072-2.jpg

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0073.jpg

Next, you are going to separate the window from the regulator. the window is held in place by two red plastic tabs. If the tabs are not visible in the holes shown, you will need to manually push or pull your window until you can see them in these two holes.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0076-1.jpg

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0075-1.jpg

Loosen the two nuts, and then you can pull your window up until it is almost closed. Tape the window in place. Here, i should mention...do not do this at your little brothers house without knowing that he does not have any tape except scotch tape, or you will worry about your window falling down for the rest of the sessions...as i did.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0074.jpg

Now, remove the 5 nuts that hold the window regulator in place.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0072-1.jpg

Cut the zip tie that holds this guy...

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0085.jpg

Now you can pull the regulator out of the door.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0077.jpg

There will be two carriers, one on each of the black tracks, that may be bad. This is what you are looking for.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0078-1.jpg

Yup, that guy is busted. Now, using TWO zip ties. trust me here, i am doing this again because on this door I used one. On the passenger I used two and it has held for 8 months so far.

Insert zip ties here.

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0079.jpg

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0080.jpg

Pull them as tight as you can get them.


http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0081.jpg

Back side

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i398/booneflyfisher/DSC_0083.jpg

Now, in reverse, do everything to put it back together. I would also recommend another PBR about here....

Hope this helps. pm me if you get stuck.

David


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[Marcus-SanDiego]

Nice work, David. Thanks for doing the writeup for the site.

[Mtnman]

Done. Somebody read it and see if it makes sense to you please!

[kayger12]

Looks good, David. Nice work.

[MrMaico]

Nice job! Makes sense to me. Not looking forward to the day I might have to do this. Do you think it would be a good idea to do this even if you were replacing the regulator?

Thanks for the DIY.....Barry

[kayger12]

I thought the same thing, Barry.

I think I'll be doing it preemptively when I replace my first regulator.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Mtnman]

I can't see how it would hurt anything to do it... good idea.

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[pyreguy]

Great writeup David! I was educated and entertained all at the same time. PBR toast to you my friend!


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[jpawela]

Nice writeup. Could have used this when I did both of mine last summer.

[Go Horns!]

I've read that the plastic zip ties will eventually fail because they get brittle and break in the "harsh" environment inside the door. Has anyone ever tried using stainless steel zip ties?

[MrMaico]

I've read that the plastic zip ties will eventually fail because they get brittle and break in the "harsh" environment inside the door. Has anyone ever tried using stainless steel zip ties?

If you use a good quality zip tie I wouldn't worry about it. Probably last longer than the regulator. LOL

I have to wonder if there is some movement on the cable in that area if it might wear on a stainless one possibly eventually breaking/cutting it. :dunno

In this instance I think the nylon zip tie might be the better choice. TBH, I've never had any regulator problems though.....so far.....all I'm going by is from looking at pics.

[danewilson77]

The zip tie fix...really is meant as a temp repair.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[cakM3]

I was just thinking that this was a good DIY but then it occurred to me that wouldn't it be easier to simply replace the regulator with a new while following this DIY? I was just thinking that if I were to do this and take out my regulator, I might as well as replace the whole thing since it's already out....just a thought...:)

David, I will say awesome job getting this DIY though :thumbsup When the time comes for me to do this I will at least have a good DIY to follow to replace my regulators. :biggrin

[Mtnman]

Thanks......and umm.....your above statement is correct, except im cheap and didn't want to spend 100/ regulator... just delaying the inevitable.

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[danewilson77]

Yes...unless its late at night, window fails, and you know you're going to need to roll it down the next day to show I.D. ;o)

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[cakM3]

Thanks......and umm.....your above statement is correct, except im cheap and didn't want to spend 100/ regulator... just delaying the inevitable.

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No worries David. When I first looked over your DIY I was thinking that this was awesome! Then after a few drinks of Disaronno & Patron it came to me to just get a new regulator and replace it since your DIY showed it already removed...:) Yeah, I can see if you want to save cash and just want to get it working again.

Didn't mean to take away from what you posted....

[MrMaico]

This guy says his has been working for "several few years now". :-)

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

I agree though, if I had to take mine apart I'd probably just install a new one AND install zip ties on the new one. I just hate the thought of having to break that seal in the vapor barrier and ending up with a leak.

[cakM3]

.....I agree though, if I had to take mine apart I'd probably just install a new one AND install zip ties on the new one. I just hate the thought of having to break that seal in the vapor barrier and ending up with a leak.

Now that's a great idea...:thumbsup Probably won't have to worry about that regulator for an incredibly long time...:)

[Mtnman]

Mine is 2 years going on the first one. I think i have done at least 2 or 3 of them......

And no offense at all charlie. Amazing how a little patron will get a mans mind going! I think i owe my springs to burbon. Nowadays, I stay away from the interweb while drinking lest i spend my son's college fund on a supercharger. :)

[cakM3]

:)

[johnrando]

Either bmwpartssource or ECS has regulators on sale Black Friday.

[LivesNearCostco]

Can I ask exactly what is being zip-tied here? is it tying the silver carrier to the black track? Or tying the cable with it's little crimp-on stop to the silver carrier? My windows all work but the driver's front is slow to go up and down. Since that's the windows that gets the most use, wondering if it might have broken at the carrier.

Thanks for a nice writeup with great photos! One of these days I'm going to open up at least the driver's side door and put in two zip ties.

Edit: Just read the Skene page so now I understand what the zip-ties are holding. But don't know if that explains why my driver's windows is slow. Maybe the tracks need lubrication or the rubber seals where the glass slide need reconditioning. Does anyone know if the sliding parts are best lubricated with bearing grease, lithium grease, silicone spray, or... or... ?

[Mtnman]

There is a "bead" for lack of a better word on a metal wire cable. The bead sits in the carrier. The carrier ends up letting go at some point and allowing the wire to move without moving the track (usually on one side or the other, hence the slowness). You are reseating the bead in the carrier, and using the zip tie to hold the cable/bead in place in the carrier, so itbrings the carrier, and hence the window, with it as it moves. Ghetto? yes. Effective? so far.....

[danewilson77]

There is a "bead" for lack of a better word on a metal wire cable. The bead sits in the carrier. The carrier ends up letting go at some point and allowing the wire to move without moving the track (usually on one side or the other, hence the slowness). You are reseating the bead in the carrier, and using the zip tie to hold the cable/bead in place in the carrier, so itbrings the carrier, and hence the window, with it as it moves. Ghetto? yes. Effective? so far.....

Yup. Zip tie keeps "bead" in place.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[LivesNearCostco]

I followed this DIY yesterday and it worked pretty well. My regulator wasn't broken but I put two zip ties on each slider anyway. Now the window won't roll down all the way! It stops with 1/2" sticking out of the door. I think this is because I only drank a beer afterwards, not beforehand, so wasn't in the right state of mind.

Either I put something back incorrectly or the way I put the zip-ties on prevents the slider from going to the very end of the track. Window still goes up and down slowly but it's not due to a broken regulator. Maybe the regular is too stiff, or the motor is weak. Or the window switch is failing, as that switch no longer has the auto-up or auto-down function.

[Hermes]

I followed this DIY yesterday and it worked pretty well. My regulator wasn't broken but I put two zip ties on each slider anyway. Now the window won't roll down all the way! It stops with 1/2" sticking out of the door. I think this is because I only drank a beer afterwards, not beforehand, so wasn't in the right state of mind.

Either I put something back incorrectly or the way I put the zip-ties on prevents the slider from going to the very end of the track. Window still goes up and down slowly but it's not due to a broken regulator. Maybe the regular is too stiff, or the motor is weak. Or the window switch is failing, as that switch no longer has the auto-up or auto-down function.

maybe some electric contact cleaner? otherwise a new switch might be the solution to the auto feature

[Mtnman]

Interesting.....I've done this on my own car (obviously, lol) 3 times and have not encountered a problem. Did you cut the zipties off really short? Any other ideas? Even if the switch is bad, which it sounds like it is, I would think it would either not move at all, or allow full movement and go all the way down.
Interesting. keep us posted.

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[danewilson77]

I followed this DIY yesterday and it worked pretty well. My regulator wasn't broken but I put two zip ties on each slider anyway. Now the window won't roll down all the way! It stops with 1/2" sticking out of the door. I think this is because I only drank a beer afterwards, not beforehand, so wasn't in the right state of mind.

Either I put something back incorrectly or the way I put the zip-ties on prevents the slider from going to the very end of the track. Window still goes up and down slowly but it's not due to a broken regulator. Maybe the regular is too stiff, or the motor is weak. Or the window switch is failing, as that switch no longer has the auto-up or auto-down function.

There is a window adjustment procedure in the Bentley (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0837616573/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=zhpcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0837616573).

[LivesNearCostco]

Thanks, Dane and David! I thought I made the zip ties pretty tight but didn't cut them off super close. Also I had the "buckle" part of the zip ties inside the silver slider instead of on the outside as shown in MtnMan's DIY pics. Maybe that was my mistake. Should have taken pictures! :facepalm

The lack of auto-down was there before, so has nothing to do with the zip ties. But I hadn't thought about electrical contact cleaner on the switch, and I might even have a can of it in the garage. Since I'm not sure if it's the switch, motor, or regulator, I'm thinking switch first since that probably controls the auto-down issue. Generally my front windows go up and down more slowly than the rear windows, and the driver's front is the slowest.

All in all I really liked this DIY. I read it twice on Tuesday then yesterday I did the whole regulator from memory without looking at the DIY again! Of course, that could be why I put the zip ties on "my way" instead of as outlined in the DIY. And if the regulator ever fails, I have the confidence now to replace it myself!

A few notes:

Someone else had gone in before, so maybe it's not the original regulator.
One trim retention plug was missing, it's either part 07149158194 (clear) or part 51458266814 (red). Mine were clear, but I'll order one of each.
3 of the door panel snap-in plugs were mashed for some reason, so I'll be ordering new ones. There are two colors of plugs, and the three near the motor (upper front of door panel) are gray and were the squashed ones, part 51418224781. They also come in natural color with washer (51418224768) and green (51418101204).
Took motor out before putting window at right height, so had to put motor back and reconnect battery to adjust window height.
After undoing the 8mm bolts holding the red clips on, of course I dropped a nut inside the door and had to fish it out with a magnetic pen. Then I forgot to release the red clips from the regulators so when I pulled the glass up, it lifted the sliders up too! Since the motor was out again, I wiggled the glass (and sliders) back down again to release the clips. Clips looked like they could break if not handled nicely. Replacement part is 51338218383.
I pulled my glass completely out to avoid holding it up with tape, but did it with the red clips on, which wasn't too bright. I removed the clips to put the glass back in, then popped them back into the glass while it was in the door. That's when I was worried about breaking them.
As soon as I removed the door panel, I heard a "clunk"; the speaker magnet was stuck to the door sheet metal!


Some photos of parts I plan to order:
http://www.bavauto.com//assets/product_images/5/51338218383.jpg
http://www.bavauto.com//assets/product_images/5/51418215806.jpg
http://www.bavauto.com//assets/product_images/5/51458266814.jpghttps://c1552172.ssl.cf0.rackcdn.com/18348_x100.jpg
http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/19697_x100.jpg

[LivesNearCostco]

Little update. Found out part of the reason my driver's side window goes down slowly is the inner rubber seal was rubbing on the window. Put a new one in last night and now the window goes down faster than before; now goes down about as fast as it goes up, though it still seems slower when it's cold out. The new one has a fuzzy felt type material on the inside of the rubber where the glass slides by; the old trim had lost the fuzzy stuff so the rubber was grabbing on the glass on the way down. Also added 3 of those gray round plugs shown above, replacing the squished ones.

[Go Horns!]

A bit if advice for those that are going to do this DIY, loosen the bolts that hold the window to the regulator but do not remove them.

Over Thanksgiving I replaced the rear driver-side door regulator and it took 3 hours. About 45 minutes of those 3 hours was me trying to get that bolt back in; it was a major PITA. Today I read in a DIY on E46fanatatics to loosen but not remove.

Today I replaced both front regulators and did not make the same mistake; it took me 4 hours start to shower. I also put zipties on the regulators in the hope that they will help take stress of the plastic piece that breaks.

All that said, I am not an advanced DIYer. If you can use a ratchet, you can do this DIY. Just be slow and methodical. And have a magnetic pick-up tool just in case you drop something into the door.:shifty

[kayger12]

Good work and great tip.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Go Horns!]

Doing the math and I realized I'm saving about $200 a door.:rockon

[das boots]

To my understanding, then it is not the regulators that go bad, but the carriers that get worn out. Can we just get the carriers instead of purchasing the whole regulator set up? BTW, I do get the DIY. And a lesson of not to remove the regulators but loosen them. Can the accrier be accessible by just loosening the regulators?

[Go Horns!]

I don't think you can buy just the carrier. If you don't buy the OEM regulator you can find them for $50 to $70. I'm fine with not going OEM for this part because it is not the engine and the OEM is crap.

On loosening the bolts, it is the bolts that connect the regulator to the window, not the ones connecting the regulator to the door. You loosen the bolts, disconnect the window (the bolts and the red tab will stay with the window), move the window up and tape it in position, then take the regulator out of the door.

[danewilson77]

You don't have to buy the motor. Everything else is purchased as a unit.

[das boots]

I am sure I will encounter this when the time comes. At least I know who to call and ask for guidance. I didn't know that the carriers are sold on after market....

[Mtnman]

yeah, loosening, vs removing is preferred. Sorry i did not make that clear in my DIY. if anyone ever needs any help with this, feel free to pm me. Ill help out where i can.

[Pip]

An extremely big thank you to Mtnman for documenting this! There was obviously a lot of work involved with doing this DIY based on my experience this weekend. Much appreciated.

[Mtnman]

No Problem. Glad I could help. :thumbsup

[das boots]

BTW. Are regulators all the same P/Ns for F & R passeneger & drivers side on all E46???

[danewilson77]

BTW. Are regulators all the same P/Ns for F & R passeneger & drivers side on all E46???

No. Passenger front, is different than drivers front. Rears are different than fronts. Coupes and sedans are diff as well.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[das boots]

Well, that is one way of making money by buying OE parts from BMW. Nothing fits to the same class.....WTF.

[Pip]

Might be worth while to note that when you replace the vapor barrier to make sure it seals or use some black silicone adhesive to seal it. As I've just noticed problems can arise when it rains. My vapor barrier did not seal correctly causing water to show up on the foot well.

[aurelius]

Been a few years since I replaced a regulator (sedan: right rear). Brushing up on the procedure and this is def the best DIY and resulting thread out there.

This time around it'll be the driver's door but for future reference, does the zip tie "reinforcement" apply only to the front door regulators or is it also relevant to the rears?

[Mtnman]

I never had to do the rears on the zhp i dont think........hopefully someone here knows. I would assume they use the same mechanism and therefore it should work. But can't say for sure.

[alexandre]

Doesn't apply to rear - the clip design that makes them break on the fronts is different.

[cityjohn]

There's nothing a ziptie can't do! My Corrado's regulators were held in by them. So good to know they can solve this window problem.

[trancenation]

Thank you so much MtnMan for his DIY. I successfully accomplished this DIY on my front passenger window!

[LivesNearCostco]

Did passenger door last night because window was making funny noises. Just realized it's been 18 months since driver's side. Now my passenger window also doesn't go down all the way! LOL. Realized I had the zip-tie blocks on the inside of the slider whereas the DIY pix above have it on the back side of the silver slider. Maybe that is what I did wrong.

One slider was broken and cable loose on passenger side regulator, whereas none were broken on driver side.
All door panel plugs on passenger side were in place and none were mashed. At least none were mashed before I put the panel back!
This time I only loosened, didn't remove, the red bolt in the red clips. Much easier!
What I forgot to do was to slide the regulator all the way to the down position after installing the zip ties, to check for any interference.
Passenger door window now goes up and down with less noise than before.
In hurry to re-assemble door, put 3 of door panel screws into motor. After putting weather seal back on, was wondering why I had 3 torx-head screws... had to make the switcharoo.



Little update. Found out part of the reason my driver's side window goes down slowly is the inner rubber seal was rubbing on the window. Put a new one in last night and now the window goes down faster than before; now goes down about as fast as it goes up, though it still seems slower when it's cold out. The new one has a fuzzy felt type material on the inside of the rubber where the glass slides by; the old trim had lost the fuzzy stuff so the rubber was grabbing on the glass on the way down. Also added 3 of those gray round plugs shown above, replacing the squished ones.

[Yass_ZHP]

Is it easier to do this or would you recommend replacing the regulator??

[trancenation]

Is it easier to do this or would you recommend replacing the regulator??

It really depends on the severity of damage to the window regulator. You won't know until you open the vapor barrier up whether or not you may need a complete new unit because sometimes it could be just the plastic carrier that needs the zip tie fix or crossing your fingers that the wire isn't spun or shredded everywhere. Majority of the time it is the zip tie fix and this can only be done for the front windows. Hope this helps!


-Jay

[Avetiso]

My wires got shredded into the plastic gear. Had to buy a new one. $133.

Sent from a junkyard via GS4.

[JupiterBMW]

Well, thanks one more time to David for his DIY. I just replaced my drivers regulator. I bought a new unit from the dealer, but I did the zip tie mod as well just for preventative measure. I'm sure it'll last the life of the car now. Very happy with the work and I can attest, the DIY writeup is perfect.

Thanks again to the Mafia for the continued support. This is what makes this place great! :thumbsup

[chris]

First of all, this thread was awesome. The pics were really helpful for my fix.

I heard a nice snap, then heard something falling down, then clunking on the window (left side). Took it apart with these pics and the bav auto video as a guide. Fished out the snapped off section (same as pictured in the early posts), and got my zip ties ready.

Then I thought, why not reinforce/rebuild the original plastic, then use zip ties as a backup? If you aren't familiar with it, Q-Bond is in-fing-sane when it comes to repairing things (especially plastic). I used the q-bond glue to first glue it back together (obviously not going to hold by itself) then plastic welded it with the 2-part q-bond weld.

11035

11036

11034

Once it was rebuilt, it was pretty clear that getting the cable back around the lip was going to put a lot of stress on it, but it passed with flying colors. Then I zip tied it for backup.

[BimmerWill]

Nice work. Looks like you've saved yourself a headache for a good while.

sent from S4

[WOLFN8TR]

Do I need to do the Zip Ty fix? My window has been working fine, no issues whatsoever. I rolled it half way down this morning on the way to work then pulled up on the window switch to roll it up and the window goes all the down! I can hear a clicking noise when I try to roll it up coming from inside of the door. Also I noticed there seems to be a slight difference in the feel of the switches drivers vs passenger side. The passenger side has two points where you can feel it engage and the drivers switch only has one. Is it a bad switch or regulator?

[chris]

Do I need to do the Zip Ty fix? My window has been working fine, no issues whatsoever. I rolled it half way down this morning on the way to work then pulled up on the window switch to roll it up and the window goes all the down! I can hear a clicking noise when I try to roll it up coming from inside of the door. Also I noticed there seems to be a slight difference in the feel of the switches drivers vs passenger side. The passenger side has two points where you can feel it engage and the drivers switch only has one. Is it a bad switch or regulator?
Two points usually means the track has come loose form the cable, so it takes maybe 1/2" to get from one side to another

[WOLFN8TR]

I meant two contact points in the switch. I do believe my switch just went out. Thanks thou...

[cakM3]

This is something I still need to do as a "preventive maintenance" measure for both cars...

[das boots]

This is something I still need to do as a "preventive maintenance" measure for both cars...

Is PM required by replacing them or just wait for them to go kaput? The only PM I have done was to run mil-spec silicone on all of the window channels to make them run smoothly. Yup...I still got a tube of mil-spec silicone.

When the time comes.....I will surely come this this thread to review what needs to be done. Presently, windows rarely gets to be rolled down since it is my personal DD. Wifey rides on weekends only.

[WOLFN8TR]

Good DIY Video...

http://youtu.be/Zl5TJ0xgMp0

[Tampa330i]

I just fixed my front passenger regulator with this trick. The clips on both sides were busted. Four neon pink zip ties later, my window works again! Thank you for this fix! On a side note... there's no doubt someone has been in there before and they ripped the vapor barrier in a few spots. Time for a new one and another splitting of the door. Does anyone know what that black sticky stuff is thats between the barrier and the frame and where to get it?

edit: research says this butyl tape is the black goo - http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/ES48621/

And I've found mixed results on the zip ties working on the rear regulators - has anyone done this on the rears in a sedan? I suppose I'll have to take the panels off and look... if the same broken plastic clip problem exists I imagine this would work.

[llll1l1ll]

I used some sort of black silicone sealant that comes in a tube and that I found at Autozone. Works just fine to seal the vapor barrier. I used it to patch up a leaky one and I haven't had issues since.

[Jet Moto]

Does the zip-tie mod improve the speed of window roll-up? My front windows go down fine, but takes an awfully long time to roll back up.

[ELCID86]

Does the zip-tie mod improve the speed of window roll-up? My front windows go down fine, but takes an awfully long time to roll back up.

I don't think so.

[bshovers]

I don't think so.

I don't think it does either. If it does it's not noticeable


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[danewilson77]

I don't think so.



I don't think it does either. If it does it's not noticeable


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope

[ELCID86]

New motor needed?

[LivesNearCostco]

When I first got my ZHP in 2010, the driver front window was slow up and down. I think it was one of the seals at the top of the door that sits alongside the windows glass was rough and sticky. Don't remember if it was inside or outside seal. I replaced it and the window went up and down better. (I also zip tied the regulator but don't think that affected the up/down speed.)

[Jet Moto]

Just an update:

I cleaned all the contact points where the window meets and that seemed to improve the speed slightly. Also, I had my door apart to check the regulator too since it was making a weird crunching sound. Found 1 of the regulator broken. The window was holding onto the 2nd regulator, which was what allowed me to continue rolling the window up and down. I performed the zip tie mod (using zip ties rated for 65 lbs) on both regulators and everything appears to be working well. I was actually able to triple zip tied both regulators with everything still in the door, so I'll see how well this will hold up in the long term.

[danewilson77]

Good work.

[CTYankee]

Thanks for this post! It provided me with good information to fix a "Clunk" I had when closing my drivers side door. When the window was all the way down or partially down, the sound was very bad. Turns out, one of the four primary nuts (the top left) that hold the window system in place worked its way off and gone. I ended up finding it down inside the door which saved me the task of finding a match. Thanks for this post. Awesome.

For ,those owners of an 06', the is a fifth hex bolt holding the outer panel on, it is under the little plastic "airbag" badge. The fourth is behind the button inside the interior lever to open the door.

[UWISHU1]

Great writeup, thx!

[slater]

awesome write-up, thank you OP for posting it! i used it tonight on a friends' 2002 325iT.

[Dual]

Any hope of rescuing the images on this thread?

[dlucas589]

Any hope of rescuing the images on this thread?

+1 Also interested in images!