Help: 1997 318is window up with key issue

[Mereeseman]

Just registered first time here hope IÂ’m doing this right appreciate these forums hope sometime I can help. Okay, I am an experienced tech I do it for a living but looking for direction on this one. Everything on my beemer works but the windows donÂ’t go up when holding key in lock position and havenÂ’t since I was given the car. The central locking did not work due to the notorious wire loom for the trunk and my passenger door lock was defective.I recently replaced the passenger side door lock and fixed the wiring so the central locking works now. HereÂ’s some strangeness: once in a while my windows and sunroof will close when locking with the key but not holding it locked so not on purpose. It wonÂ’t work when I want it to but once in a while it will but just from locking the door (from either door) and then the windows wonÂ’t work for 5 minutes. BCM??? Also my sunroof one touch close doesnÂ’t work but the sunroof closes when it decides to roll up the windows when locking. Thanks for any help

[Mereeseman]

And I don’t know why when I submitted the thread it added all the A’s to my apostrophes lol

[bmwdirtracer]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. It's always good to have another pro join us on the forum. I understand that you're not a BMW tech, though, so please understand that I'm trying to bring you up to speed with the appreciation that you're a pro....so I'll be brief.

BMW cars are NOT "Beemers"...they are "Bimmers". "Beemers" are motorcycles. You'll note that these forums are "Bimmerforums". Enough said.

First and most important: To properly diagnose the vehicle, you're going to need a BMW specific diagnostic scan tool. If you're good with computers (I'm not), you can set yourself up on a laptop, for the price of a cable or two, with INPA, INPA is available for free, but the cables will cost you maybe $20, and you need two. You need to be able to talk with all the modules on the car, and this means using the BMW 20-pin diagnostic port, underhood. The 16-pin OBD port will only talk to the DME (BMW term for the engine computer)

I'd guess that the locks are out of sync, and that you might need to check and reset them in the GM (general module...aka body module).

All that said, on a twenty year old E36, well, you're generally better off shutting the sunroof and windows before you get out, instead of playing with the "close everything " feature. Just my 2 cents....sure, it should work, but remember that when this was invented, computers had green screens.

Hell, I don't even use my sunroof....it works fine, but in my opinion it's a nasty troublesome failure-prone item that weighs 40 pounds and some butthole made it the highest point of the car, to screw the center of gravity badly. Engineers....bah, humbug.

[ross1]

There is a very active E36 forum here that has seen it all. I ain't one of them so defer to those more familiar with that animal but;
As a knuckle dragger not equipped with proper diagnostic equipment I'd personally be looking at the driver's lock door micro switches, perhaps the door harness. Similarly I'd also suspect the sunroof switch regarding your one touch close not working. I don't think the two problems are related but stand to be corrected.

[Mereeseman]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. It's always good to have another pro join us on the forum. I understand that you're not a BMW tech, though, so please understand that I'm trying to bring you up to speed with the appreciation that you're a pro....so I'll be brief.

BMW cars are NOT "Beemers"...they are "Bimmers". "Beemers" are motorcycles. You'll note that these forums are "Bimmerforums". Enough said.

First and most important: To properly diagnose the vehicle, you're going to need a BMW specific diagnostic scan tool. If you're good with computers (I'm not), you can set yourself up on a laptop, for the price of a cable or two, with INPA, INPA is available for free, but the cables will cost you maybe $20, and you need two. You need to be able to talk with all the modules on the car, and this means using the BMW 20-pin diagnostic port, underhood. The 16-pin OBD port will only talk to the DME (BMW term for the engine computer)

I'd guess that the locks are out of sync, and that you might need to check and reset them in the GM (general module...aka body module).

All that said, on a twenty year old E36, well, you're generally better off shutting the sunroof and windows before you get out, instead of playing with the "close everything " feature. Just my 2 cents....sure, it should work, but remember that when this was invented, computers had green screens.

Hell, I don't even use my sunroof....it works fine, but in my opinion it's a nasty troublesome failure-prone item that weighs 40 pounds and some butthole made it the highest point of the car, to screw the center of gravity badly. Engineers....bah, humbug.

I’ll admit I knew immediately as I typed beemer I’d get guff I’m a factory trained Land Rover tech but work on everything and my car is a Beemer. I get this is a bimmer forum and I’ll adjust lol. I’m old and have been surpassed by many a technology but I did have a BMW specific scan tool, it was a POS and never worked right.

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And yes I can totally survive with it just the way it is... but if what I described has happened to someone else who rectified it I’d love to hear how

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I was leaning towards the driver lock but since the issue happens if I use either door lock I was taken aback. I agree might be switch for sunroof. Thanks for the feedback. It wasn’t until after I repaired the passenger door lock, enabling the central locking system, that it ever happened at all.

[bmwdirtracer]

With INPA or similar, you'll be able to read the status of each lock, and maybe find the problem that way.. Also, there's a company which specializes in fixing GM issues: GM5.com

Perhaps this will be of help:
http://wedophones.com/Manuals/BMW/19...g%20Manual.pdf

You're a very brave soul, as a Land Rover tech. I deal best with them when they have a BMW M62 in them, rather than the ancient Oldsmobile motor, or the Ford motors. Still, there's some Lucas Prince of Darkness heritage there, which always seems to haunt them. Who knows, maybe Tata will fix that?

[dworthy]

Do you have a FOB for the car? If so I would also look at the alarm module, as that too can play with the windows and turn them off for that 5 minutes as you describe. Or to make sure you will have to pull the glove box out as behind it is the electronic rack, and typically it will be all the way to the right with a antenna. Unplug it and see if that helps.