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This video is an in-depth tutorial on common Power Window Problems, how to find them, and the difficulty of various repairs.
E36 window regulator clips: https://amzn.to/2CTWgxi
Door panel clips: https://amzn.to/3eWtGc1
In this video my brother's car has the problem where the window will roll partially up and then back down. This is typically as sign that something is blocking the regulator from functioning properly or the motor bushing has gone bad.
Power Windows Assemblies are somewhat complicated, and they suffer from a number of problems over time, this video seeks to help you identify the problem.
**This description contains affiliate links. If you buy a product through my custom link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.**
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0:00
Hey viewers, E36 Fanatic, Stephen here
0:08
And today I'm going to show you a quick video on power window diagnosis on a BMW E36
0:19
This BMW in particular is my little brother's car, his 323i 1998
0:27
So the first thing I always do when I'm trying to diagnose a power window is, of course, I take off the door panel and everything
0:39
And once I do that, I go ahead and take a look at the regulator and the rails
0:47
because whenever I look at a BMW and look at the rails they're almost or the the regulator the two
0:59
gliders they're almost always in bad condition and the slider rail that the window actually slides
1:07
on which is right here which goes all up it's almost always un-lubricated at this point when
1:15
When this slider rail and these two rails right here are unlubricated and maybe the
1:22
plastic is broken, this creates a lot more work for the window motor to do and the window
1:29
to actually go up. So this can create a problem with the window actually working and it can slide off the rail
1:38
It can cause a number of issues and cause your window not to be working
1:43
So the first thing I do is I take a look at these plastic sliders and I look to see if
1:51
they're intact. So I see that the linchpin right here is intact and the slider is as well
1:57
Now the little one is a little bit, the one on the right is a little bit harder to see
2:02
but I can tell that it's in pretty good shape. However, if you look at the rail, these two slider rails right here typically have a type
2:11
lubricant on them to keep to keep these plastic sliders sliding really well so they they slide really nice and puts less stress on the regulator and the motor And looking at this glider rail right here I can tell that it not lubricated at this point
2:35
and that it's probably causing a lot more stress on the window
2:39
So what I do is I take grease and I take a small brush and I apply it to these rails right here
2:46
And that will give you less issues down the road and help keep your regulator and your motor in good shape
2:56
One other common issue with the window motor and regulator is that there is actually a bushing that is in between the motor and the regulator
3:10
I believe it's a rubber bushing and unfortunately these bushings go bad over time and what they
3:18
cause is when your window is going up it'll cause the motor to think that something is in
3:28
its way and it'll cause the common problem with E36s that the window will go up a bit and then go
3:35
back down an inch and then go up a bit then go back down an inch that is commonly caused by this
3:41
bushing that's in between the um the motor and the regulator another another sure sign that
3:48
it's this bushing in between the motor and the regulator is that it'll if you're holding down
3:55
the down the switch holding down the switch to go up or down on the motor uh it'll you you'll hear
4:03
the regulator and the motor make this kind of uh kind of a scratching sound or this this kind of
4:11
crunching sound really and that's where the motor and the regulator will because the bushing is worn
4:17
out it'll actually slip a bit and unfortunately like i said that's a that's a very common problem
4:24
with these e36s is that bushing in between the motor and the regulator will go bad on this car
4:31
the issue my little brother was having was that the window would go up a little bit and then go
4:37
back down then up a bit and go back down and at this point I'm pretty certain that the bushing
4:44
in between the motor and the regulator is the source of the problem So I going to have to pull this entire regulator and the motor to go ahead and replace that
4:57
Now if you can hear your motor spinning but your regulator is not moving
5:02
very likely it's your regulator and it's going to need to be replaced
5:06
Now if your motor is not spinning, if you can't hear your motor spinning
5:11
then that could be several other issues. Now, what I've noticed in these older cars is that a lot of the time, these connections right here to the motor, sometimes they get loosened up or the wiring has become frayed
5:30
If that's your case, it could very likely be a wiring issue on your motor
5:37
and the big thing that I like to try and do is I like to pull these connections out
5:43
and I like to just just take a look on the inside and the motor and then take a look right here
5:55
and then I like to just pop them back in because sometimes these connections just get popped out
6:02
where they become loose over time and all it takes is to pop them out and pop them back in
6:08
now the issue could be with your wiring in these older cars sometimes the wiring especially
6:15
especially right here where your rub where this rubber cover is sometimes the wiring
6:23
inside here becomes frayed or broken and it goes bad and the best solution to that i've found if
6:32
the wire is broken is putting it back together and just electrical, putting
6:38
electrical tape over it and that'll take care of that. But so if that's not your
6:46
issue then it may very well be that you have a frayed wire somewhere around here
6:52
And one of the ways to check that as well is to just play with the wiring
6:59
right here just to move it around a bit and sometimes that'll make the connection to where
7:04
your uh your regulator will start your window will start working again if that the issue that no fix you actually need to go in there and find the wire and tape it up But it could definitely tell you that that is the issue So looking at my switches
7:23
this is the This is one of the other first things I like to check if my power windows not working because it's really easy to take a look at
7:34
simply just pop up simply just take a small screwdriver or your fingernail and pop your switch out
7:52
And then just switch your wire. So let me see. This one is going to this window right here
8:00
And so maybe I think it's the switch that is the issue
8:04
So just pull this wire off and switch it to say this switch right here
8:15
All the switches, no matter what window it is, except for the middle one, they do the same thing
8:22
So if you think your switch is possibly the culprit, just take the wire and trade it off with another one of the switches that the window that with another window switch that's working fine
8:34
test it that way and of course if the if the window now works with the other
8:42
switch then you know you just have a switch issue and you just have to switch
8:46
out the switch which is very easy to do so last but not least take a look at your
8:51
fuse box and if your if your issue still isn't resolved it could very well be
8:57
that a fuse has gone bad. Now the most obvious ones to take a look at are the window lift front
9:08
and the window lift rear which is 14 and 19 on this car's fuse box but you also got to take a
9:16
look at the anti-theft alarm system because that is tied into the power window wiring. Take a look
9:23
at the fuses and the relays as well just in case one of those could be bad that's causing your
9:31
power window not to work. I hope this video helped. If it did, please like, comment, and subscribe
9:37
and y'all have a good one
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#Vehicle Repair & Maintenance
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