F###ing window regulator

[gnarlycreature]

I have had this regulator in for maybe 2000 miles. Ripped part of my door off. Its time to raise hell.


Anyone know of a source for manual window setups?

[Mscire2]

Boooooooo!!!!!!

[robrez]

Sorry to hear this. I just found a popped window regulator weld when I was swapping my door panels. No doubt, leaving it unchecked will result in worse problems. Time to start checking these spot welds along with the those in the trunk.

[rf900rkw]

Yes sir!! I have three popped spot welds, tears in the upper and lower mounting bosses, and the rear boss totally ripped off the intrusion bar. With Randy Forbes as my inspiration, I have a repair plan.

Now for my question. According to ETK, the coupe and roadster take different regulators. Further, they only list the sliders for the roadster; apparently they are part of the coupe regulator. We all know the sliders are the same.

My coupe regulator has the roadster part number stamped right into it!!!

Does anyone know... is the base regulator the same? If not, then some mechanic has put a roadster regulator in my coupe.

[PbFut]

I think I still have a L and R if anyone needs one. Lots of projects going on in that garage right now. I'll have to hunt them down tomorrow.

[Kenn]

My coupe regulators didn't come with sliders. RealOEM for my coupe also doesn't show them as a separate part (and doesn't show them in the line diagram installed on the regulator).http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...43&hg=51&fg=10
I bought sliders separately, after realizing the regulator order didn't include them.

My driver's side had no popped welds, and I haven't done the passenger side yet. The driver's side had just recently (with cold weather) become very slow, and I got to the repair ASAP. I could have gotten away with just replacing sliders and redoing the lubrication, I'm pretty sure.

[wrose]

What is the best lubricant to use on the window reg? I have to take both my doors apart- Windows are slow & door lock cylinders don't work at times

[mpire]

Good old fashioned moly grease works just fine.

Get new sliders, no one seems to replace the sliders.

I have never seen a door regulator fail, or seen any spot welds break on the doors.

I think its because you guys are waiting to do the slider maintenance too long.

If the window slows down at all, even just a little bit, then its time to replace the sliders. Replace and lube, its less than an hour of work and a few bucks in parts.

I have at least 10 Z3s in my close circle that I see regularly, and never any problems.

I have two brand new window regulators. Have yet to find a car that actually needed one. Just the sliders need to be replaced and a slow regulator becomes normal again.

Then again, you guys have horrid hellish conditions up North, so maybe the salt is doing your cars in?

[rf900rkw]

I would say mine was the result of the coupe window moving every time you touch a door handle... Over the course of 202K miles. The coupe window is put down very rarely, just as my roadie window is rarely put up.

I will be indebted to anyone that can check the part number stamped into a verified coupe regulator, new or used.

[SCCompact]

Good old fashioned moly grease works just fine.
If the window slows down at all, even just a little bit, then its time to replace the sliders. Replace and lube, its less than an hour of work and a few bucks in parts.

Is this the Slider

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...51&fg=10&hl=24

Sliding piece - Part # 51321938884

[rf900rkw]

This is what the regulator support bracket looked like once I removed it. It is now straight and welded back together. Tomorrow I will procure a bit of sheet to strap/reenforce the mount and fabricate a rear mount.

More pictures


And another plea. Does anyone have the number stamped into the regulator for a coupe? I'm trying to determine if mine has the correct regulator.

Is this the Slider

Sliding piece - Part # 51321938884

Yes.

[Kenn]

I will be indebted to anyone that can check the part number stamped into a verified coupe regulator, new or used.

My new (well, bought maybe a year ago from Tischer (now BMW of Silver Spring, I guess, aka getbmwparts.com), but not yet installed) passenger side regulator has an orange sticker one it, with a part number. (Nothing stamped into the metal itself that I could find).

The sticker says:
E36/7 Coupe
51 33-8 410 554.9
BROSE 103440-XXX

Except for the .9 part at the end, that matches the part number on its box.
RealOEM for my 2000 Coupe say ELECTR.WINDOW LIFTER FRONT RIGHT 1 51338410554

I checked the original driver side regulator, removed from the car, and I can't find any part numbers on it. The new part I installed also had an orange sticker with the part number. I don't recall it saying E36/7 Coupe on it though, and it also said at the top of the sticker something similar to "genuine BMW part." I can confirm that it works like the original, as the window goes to full height and doesn't quite disappear into the door cavity when down, same as original.

For reference, RealOEM says for the driver side: ELECTR.WINDOW LIFTER FRONT LEFT 1 51338410553

That matches the number that's on the box that the new regulator came in, and I presume that the orange sticker on the installed regulator matches that. (I took some pics of the installation and just checked them - it looks like the orange sticker ends up on the back side of the regulator, so it's not visible. I'm not going to remove the door panel and regulator, or maybe a mirror would work to verify, as I'm sure you can understand.)

[rf900rkw]

Awesome, Thankyou!

I have two regulators here. One from the coupe, which is still fine, and a brand new one I bought from the dealer for my Roadie six years ago, and never installed. Both have

Brose
513.38397705.9

stamped into the metal on the motor side. At this point it appears I have roadster regulators. I don't know what is different between the two, since the door itself is the same and the window has the same travel. But I'm gonna find out.

[gnarlycreature]

Please replace your window guide rubber. This is a main cause of friction.

[Waterguy]

Do you recommend all window guides? I think there are three (one inside along the door, one outside along the door, and one vertically that goes up along the stubby fixed window).

[gnarlycreature]

The rubber stubby piece most importantly.

[kieskaman]

I want to do the sliders in both doors. Do I need 4 total ? Is there any installation info out there?

[Gofast]

I want to do the sliders in both doors. Do I need 4 total ? Is there any installation info out there?

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=709563

[rf900rkw]

Just for completeness...

My coupe regulator arrived today from Vincent. OE BMW in the original box. I have spent a fair amount of time just now with assorted measuring devices comparing the new coupe with the likewise OE roadster regulator I had on hand. I see two differences.

1: The coupe regulator has the adjustable stop screw preset 1/2 turn (0.75mm) longer.

2: The coupe version has an orange sticker with the coupe part number.

Other than that, the two are identical, down to having the roadster part number stamped into the back side.

[benhenny]

Sliders on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Window-R...-/260696240037

So to do both doors, you'd need to buy 2 sets - 4 total? Where can you find the window guide rubber?

[Waterguy]

I saw the window guide rubber at BAV auto and Pelican parts. I'm sure it's probably at all the usual places. About $40 for the verticle one.

Randy,

How did you remove the bracket from the door to weld it? I'm in a similar situation and I see cracks in the bracket that hold my regulator (Window going past all the way up, binding, etc.)

[rf900rkw]

Sorry about the very late reply. The bracket was removed from the inner door frame by drilling the spot welds. Specificly, a HArbor Freight $5.99 spot weld cutter. By cutting just enough for it to break loose, you have guides for positioning when you go to weld it back in.

[4DIMNZN]

I know this is an old thread but I need some counsel. My center weld had popped and the previous owner did some goofy kluge (tried to tap into the bat with an angled bolt). What was your fix?

[rf900rkw]

Links fixed. By center weld, do you mean the single bolt anchor on the intrusion beam, like the first pic in the series? If so, I opened it up to square, and made a filler bracket out of steel strap.

[4DIMNZN]

Links fixed. By center weld, do you mean the single bolt anchor on the intrusion beam, like the first pic in the series? If so, I opened it up to square, and made a filler bracket out of steel strap.

That's exactly it. The bracket is gone - probably discarded by the guy who did the goofy fix. I couldn't get a camera to line up with the remnants of the where the bracket used to be but I was able to capture what the angled bolt did to the regulator.District 14 Linkwood-20131209-00103.jpg