Would you hit your car with a sledge hammer?

[Tobias]

Would you hit your car with a sledge hammer?

No?

Before I go on you should know that this is a coupe. My cars passenger door/window will not shut tight. Well it actually will when I close it from the outside, putting my hand on the upper back corner of the window pressuring it in while closing the door.

The car has been involved in a passenger side collision and that is probably why I have this problem.

I have had the car at BMW garage and they put in new weather-stripping and adjusted the window to the max, but claims there is no more room for adjustment. Before I had it there the wind noise was horrible so there really have been some HUGE improvements. When I close the door from the outside the window shuts tight.

When the door is shut from the inside, the window does not slide up into the fold in the weather-stripping properly. The area in question is on top of the window all the way in the back. It is only about an inch of the window that is left outside the fold in the weather-stripping. It also looks like it is really close, meaning that if I could adjust the door or window or car a tiny bit more it would be ok.

When I asked the BMW mechanic if there was nothing that could be done about this, he said something like “not short of banging on the ceiling with a hammer to get it out a bit more”

I am a bit skeptical about doing that, and not really sure if he was serious or not. The door/window not closing properly is not a big problem when I drive alone. My wife loves it btw, I have to get out and close the door for her every time she gets in. Of course it would look rather gay if I were to have male company…

I am guessing that the door itself is not original to the car. Is there anything that could be adjusted with the hinges on the door that could help the situation? Would a good body shop be able to do something for my car?

[Z Car Barbie]

Since you've already taken it to a dealer and apparently paid for the repair, I would take it to another dealer, without specifying the fact upfront that another dealer had repaired it (unless asked, of course), and have them look at it. After you receive the results of the 2nd dealer's inspection and it reveals that the 1st dealer basically screwed it up, that's when I would show them my receipt for the 1st dealer repair. If it's a problem that should have been corrected by the 1st dealer, you shouldn't have to pay a cent to have it inspected or repaired properly.

[Tobias]

Although money and who is to pay for the repair is an issue, it is not the key issue for me here. My interest is rather if it is possible to fix my car so that the window will shut properly.

[leedawg]

Im sure it is, anything is possible if your willing to pay enough money, the real question is it worth it? So id go back and try to hash it out with them.

[rustamd]

Sound like its problem of whoever fixed the car after wreck...

[QuickSilv3r]

Doesnt sound like a problem with the door (misalignment or anything), but rather the window itself. When the window was installed into the new door following the accident, it was either installed wrong or the wrong window size was installed from an off-brand manufacturer. Does the window have a little BMW roundel in the corner above the door handel, if not, it's not original. If its not original, remove it and have an OEM BMW window re-installed by a professional (not a body shop, but the dealership itself). A body shop wont know the exact tweaking required to adjust the window correctly, only the dealer would.

Don't take your car back the that BMW garage, hit up the $tealer for the truth about your window, they should know.

[Tobias]

Sound like its problem of whoever fixed the car after wreck...

That would be the seller. I bought the car "as is" and I was well aware of this problem when I bought the car. This is my problem. I had thought that I (or rather a skilled BMW mechanic) would be able to eliminate the wind noise by changing the weather-striping and adjusting the window.

[Tobias]

Doesnt sound like a problem with the door (misalignment or anything), but rather the window itself. When the window was installed into the new door following the accident, it was either installed wrong or the wrong window size was installed from an off-brand manufacturer. Does the window have a little BMW roundel in the corner above the door handel, if not, it's not original. If its not original, remove it and have an OEM BMW window re-installed by a professional (not a body shop, but the dealership itself). A body shop wont know the exact tweaking required to adjust the window correctly, only the dealer would.

Don't take your car back the that BMW garage, hit up the $tealer for the truth about your window, they should know.

I was just out in the garage to look at the window. The window does have that little BMW roundel and pretty much looks like window on the driver side. The BMW garage I used to service and look the car over after I bought it came highly recommended on this site. They were the ones installing the weather-stripping and adjusting the window. Still, you think it might be worth it getting a second opinion from a BMW dealer?

[Daved]

I would take it to a body shop and have them fix it. It sounds to be more of a problem for a body shop than for a mechanic.

[sweet e36 pimp]

how could you say a body guy won't know how to tweak a window but a dealer tech would? thats just laughable imo.

[Tobias]

I am under the impression that the window has been tweaked to the max. I too, like Daved think this is a body shop matter now. I just have no experience with dealing with body-shops and have no idea what they can do...

But this sort of problem is something body shops handle well?

[Viking325i]

Sounds like the door frame is out, rather than the door or window? Is the pillar and roof all straight and within spec?

[Tobias]

Sounds like the door frame is out, rather than the door or window? Is the pillar and roof all straight and within spec?


I really have no idea. Who would know? How can I find out?

The seller runs a body shop / paint shop. I guess what they do is buy wrecked cars and fix them up and sell them on. I suspect that the work they did to my car was less than 100%.

Since the door altogether was replaced it seems plausible that the frame too might have been, or still is, messed up.

[Viking325i]

Dunno, I'd imagine a body shop would come up with some way they could check it, perhaps measuring it very carefully comparing it to the other side?

[Tobias]

Dunno, I'd imagine a body shop would come up with some way they could check it, perhaps measuring it very carefully comparing it to the other side?

Alright, I will take the car to a good body shop and ask them what they think.

Thank you all for posting in this thread!

:thanks:

[Viking325i]

Make sure ya let us know how it turns out :)

[Tobias]

Make sure ya let us know how it turns out :)

Will do!

[Waxfondlr]

i had this problem when i replaced my window trim, try getting a rubber mallet and tapping it to get the tightest fit possible, that with a little window adjustment did the trick for me, you may just need to replace that metal window trim completely, again the rubber mallet comes in extremely handy

i put mine on myself and it wasnt as easy as it appears... if you dont got those things on there perfectly itll do that i imagine..i actualy went thru two on one side casue it wasnt alligned properly, i believe the part is like 62 dollars

[Bizzle///M]

There is only one thing to do in this situation.... Lambo-Doors!! :alright

[Robcast]

Before you hit anything, the windows on a coupe are supposed to go down a bit when you open them, then go up when closed, is your car doing this at all??

[Daved]

Before you hit anything, the windows on a coupe are supposed to go down a bit when you open them, then go up when closed, is your car doing this at all??
...

When the door is shut from the inside, the window does not slide up into the fold in the weather-stripping properly. The area in question is on top of the window all the way in the back. It is only about an inch of the window that is left outside the fold in the weather-stripping. It also looks like it is really close, meaning that if I could adjust the door or window or car a tiny bit more it would be ok.

[Viking325i]

There is only one thing to do in this situation.... Lambo-Doors!! :alright
:rofl

[ElSupremo]

I would take it to a body shop and have them fix it. It sounds to be more of a problem for a body shop than for a mechanic.
x2. The door is still out of whack from the accident. Most likely the hinges are what are off. A good bodyshop should be able to pull them back into correct position, and it will probably cost way less than the work you had done at the dealer.

[wishin4///M]

But this sort of problem is something body shops handle well?

yeah, a body shop should definitely know whats up.

[Tobias]

Before you hit anything, the windows on a coupe are supposed to go down a bit when you open them, then go up when closed, is your car doing this at all??


Yes

[Tobias]

Seems like the general consesus is that I need to take the car to a body shop. I have been doing some research over in the Texas forum and there is a good one here in Fort Worth. I'll try to swing by tomorrow.