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What Fails in a Window Regulator?

 
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:04 pm    Post subject: What Fails in a Window Regulator? Reply with quote

Motors work great, windows go up and down fine, but have that machine gun effect at the bottom. Both windows are doing it now. I have a used replacement for the passenger side, but I'd prefer to fix it if possible.

Isn't there a way to repair these things? I gotta believe there's a simple fix for these stupid parts!

Anyone have any idea what it is that fails and any idea how to try to repair one???
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm thinking that the little plastic piece that travels to hit the stop has threads that keep it on the spring-like turning center of the regulator, and that over time, these threads wear out when the window reaches top or bottom travel, and then it just starts slipping... the machine gun-like noise is the piece skipping over the spring.

Does this make sense?

These damned regulators are SO expensive. I'm starting to think that anyone with a 3D printer could make these parts in a heartbeat, but that they wouldn't be very strong.
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Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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Whitdog



Joined: 15 Nov 2006
Posts: 90
Location: Evansville, IN

PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The nylon gear on the regulator wears out. It is the weak link in the whole system. Head to the pull-a-part yard and get one off a junk car. They are usually cheap and are OEM replacements. You will need a drill or chisel to knock the rivets out that hold it in. I have found a drill works better than a chisel. When putting it back in your car, use nuts and bolts to reattach it and it will work flawless.

Whitdog
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85-325e



Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 4712
Location: Southampton, NY

PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks but unfortunately, no pull-apart yards around here. There used to be one, and I'll go and check what they do now, but it looks, from the road, very different that it did before, but I will go and check this week anyway.

What I don't understand is why, if the clip is slipping, the noise is only when the window reaches the bottom of its travel, but never at the top. Wouldn't the slipping work in both directions?
_________________
Cosmo - 1985 BMW 325e, Single Owner, 265,000+ ORIGINAL miles and still going strong! But now on the East Coast and the salt air corrosion is eating my beautiful car alive... Sad

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