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Since i'm too cheap to buy new rear window regulators, how about a DIY to lock them?

14K views 64 replies 27 participants last post by  bluebee 
#1 ·
I'm about to head out and lock my rear windows in place. The motors will be disconnected, and a tiny pair of vice grips will be placed in the vertical window track to fix the window in the up position. I find i don't use the rear windows that much, so it's not really a downside. I already did this to the driver's side, and it holds well and is invisible to anyone. If anyone's interested, i'll toss a DIY together with some pics after i finish. So post if you want to see the replies. Oh, and for anyone who says i can "repair" the regulators don't waste your time, im not interested in using my rear windows ever again :thumbup:
 
#2 ·
Wow bro. affixing the windows in place????:eek::cry:Why would you do that?? How much are the regulators??
 
#7 ·
Yeah they're locked in place, motors are unplugged. The best price i've found are $215 a pop for the rear regs. I never use the damn things anyways, i'd rather spend the ~$430 on Bilsteins or something right now. They broke because a coworker decided to roll them down after i asked him not to, my fault for not hitting the window lock switch. Yes i'm a cheapass :)
 
#4 ·
Oh come on Bimmerdood, you can fix em! The rear windows are especially easy (well, easy is somewhat subjective in this sense) to deal with since you don't have the air bag and a bunch of other wiring to deal with when you take off the door panel. It can be done if you have a long afternoon (and know someone who can weld!). Since you're going to be in the door anyway to rig them up, you may as well try to fix them first, especially if the motor still works and just the connector is busted, which is almost always the case.... Good luck!
 
#8 ·
I do indeed have the airbag back there (odd i guess). I dont really have anyone around who can weld that i know of. I'm not really worried about having them work, at least until if and when i decide to get rid of it. It's looking like a 250k mile car at this point, knock on wood. :rofl:
 
#5 ·
I did this as a temporary repair but it will hold permanently:

You need a broomstick and a small rectangular block of hard styrofoam. Basically, you saw off the broomstick and put a kerf about 1/2" deep into the edge of the sawn end. A "kerf" means a sawcut that is just the thickness of an odinary crosscut sawblade, which also happens to be the thickness of the window. The bottom of the kerf measured-distance to the rounded end of the broom stick must be long enough to prop up the bottom af the window and jam inside the bottom of the door at a slight angle (like 20 degrees or so). I can''r remember the length-dimension but it is easy to measure, and it's aboout 20 inches or so. After the broomstick is set in place, holding the window in place, press the styrofoam block into the space in the door on the side of the broom that has the larger angle, so the broomstick doesn't rattle or slip. The round end of the broomstick will not deform the doorskin. You don't need to press any of this too hard. It will stay in place indefinitely.
 
#10 ·
You're driving a BMW, not a 25 year old Honda Civic. If things break, fix them. What's the point of owning a car like a BMW if you're not going to maintain it properly?

If your rear door hinges broke, would you weld your rear doors shut and figure you're just not going to use them?
 
#11 ·
+1

I agree with this....

You gotta pay to play and if you can't afford to pay then don't play...

but then again to each his own, its your car .... :)
 
#12 ·
I did something like this to my e39, only instead of vise grips, I drilled a hole in the regulator and rail and bolted it closed. I understand the pay to play theory, and at some point I will put in good regulators, when the chain of maintenance allows.

I never have rear passengers anyways, and when I'm in the back seat I could care less about opening the window. :)
 
#13 ·
I did something like this to my e39, only instead of vise grips, I drilled a hole in the regulator and rail and bolted it closed. I understand the pay to play theory, and at some point I will put in good regulators, when the chain of maintenance allows.

I never have rear passengers anyways, and when I'm in the back seat I could care less about opening the window. :)
what happens if you're driving with a passenger in your front seat and one of you lets out a fart...and it stinks...in this situation i like to crack rear windows and open the sunroof to cary the smell out the back windows...

this is when it is useful to have functioning back windows! :)
 
#15 ·
No offense guys but this is one of the reasons I sold my car...... just too many people getting them now.... Bro its your car so you have to do what you can, but honestly its a little sad to know that people are doing this to a bmw.....
 
#22 ·
Selling your Bimmer because too many of the "wrong" people are getting them? Now THAT is lame. If you appreciate a Bimmer for what it is you don't give a bleep who else gets them. Too many people on this forum worry too much about what other people think about their cars. If you've got enough schmartz to own a Bimmer you don't need to worry about what other people think about it.
 
#16 ·
1. Go to Home Depot.
2. Buy a 2x4
3. Go home.
4. Take a saw.
5. Open rear door cover.
6. Measure distance between bottom of door to window.
7. Cut 2x4.
8. Stick 2x4 in between window and bottom of door.
9. Put cover back on door.
10. Repeat on the other door.

:thumbup:

Good luck. Please post picture of this DIY.

mw
 
#18 ·
"Rich"? No. It's a matter of living within your means. If you can't afford to maintain a BMW, you shouldn't own one.

I would fix your window regulators BEFORE you do suspension. Unless your shocks are blown and leaking oil all over the place, the suspension is more of an "upgrade". Working rear windows are just common sense.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Selling your Bimmer because too many of the "wrong" people are getting them? Now THAT is lame. If you appreciate a Bimmer for what it is you don't give a bleep who else gets them. Too many people on this forum worry too much about what other people think about their cars. If you've got enough schmartz to own a Bimmer you don't need to worry about what other people think about it.
1+
Bimmers are like beautiful women, you want beautiful women, you have to work hard to maintain her beauty and functionality (hoping shoe does not go crazy at you!).........:) ha!

excellent find CN90! That's what I like to see, affordable options. I wonder what kind of turn around they have. I might try that route in hte near future- get both fixed for less than the cost of one new.
E39dream,
I am sure if this ebay shop can fix the rear window reg, you can fix it. Just wonder if anyone knows a link where another person has done this "surgery" on the rear window reg and did a write-up.
The Volvo people fix their ABS computer by repairing the dry solder joints.
 
#25 ·
Telling someone to get rid of their car or not to own one because they can't afford repairs is preposterous.

Bimmerd00d, it's your car do what you want. If I were in your shoes I would have to think of some other alternative as well, $430 for regs is certainly not something I have money for. Hope everything works out alright.
 
#27 ·
Telling someone to get rid of their car or not to own one because they can't afford repairs is preposterous.

Bimmerd00d, it's your car do what you want. If I were in your shoes I would have to think of some other alternative as well, $430 for regs is certainly not something I have money for. Hope everything works out alright.
I love the guys that think BMW's are the most expensive cars to maintain. If it's not a window regulator on my E39, it would be the transmission on my g/f's Cavalier, or maybe the fuel pump (VP44) on our Dodge Ram diesel. I figure the E39 has a goofy issue here and there, but rarely is the car undriveable because of it. It's not like i CANT afford the regulators, i can't justify the bill for them. So $430 that i'd spend on rear window regulators for something i barely use is unjustifiable. I'll gladly get a few shocks or maybe some control arms that keep my 540 driving like a charm.
 
#26 ·
You're probably right Cn90, I need to take the time to pull the panels again and really examine what is wrong. If it's beyond my capability though it's nice to know there are options. I recall the passenger rear had a broken metal piece. It looked like about the cheapest metal you could cast, lol. I wonder if I can weld it or alternately make a beefier one.
 
#40 ·
DAMN IT! i knew there was something i forgot to pull off my car.

fyi-you can repair the regulators pretty easy. as long as the pulleys arnt broken you can fix them.
that's what broke on mine! the plastics became brittle and cracked, the cables are intact. I suppose it would be possible to refurbish them with metal wheels. hey, maybe there's a biz idea.
 
#46 ·
By the way, I recently picked up both rear regulators without motors on ebay. The original motors were fine, and simply unbolted from the regulators. They are rebuilt units for $135 each. Except for the color of the pulleys, they are a match for the originals, and work great. Some pretty complete DYIs for this are online.
 
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