Windows only work with doors open??

Hi all.
Just got my first beemer and loving it. Its a 1998 2 door 320i SE. Got a couple of odd faults i want to fix. The first one is The front windows only operate with the doors open ??

I have located the box of electronics that controls the windows (I believe also the central locking) Behind the Glove Box (left hand drive car). all seems ok there and the windows work fine up and down with the doors open. When you open the door the window drops about 1cm as it should and raises again when the door is closed. But when the doors are shut there is nothing not even a click from a relay ignition on or off.

The other problem is the central locking remote does not open or close the drivers door (left hand side). However if you open or close the drivers door with the key all the locks open and close as they should??

Hope you guys with your wealth of knowledge can shed some light on this for me many thanks in advance

So, if I understand you correctly, your windows jog as you open and close a door, but your window buttons don't work at all?

Your second problem is often a bad lock actuator. I recently replaced the one on the passenger side.

Hi

Yes they Jog correctly as they are supposed to and work on the buttons fine when either door is open. However when both doors are closed the buttons do nothing

That's too strange for me!

I thought perhaps you might have a disconnected ground somewhere, but the ETM shows three separate ground points:

• X495 for the passenger door-open switch
• X13006 for the driver door-open switch
• X498 for the window switches

The first thing I might try is unplugging a window switch and grounding the window down contact that runs to the ZKE. If you want to be cautious and lazy, simultaneously, you can ground the contact through a 1K resistor: a 1/4W resistor lead is a good size to slide into the socket connector.

If the interior lights are on automatic (center position), and are on, and you turn on the ignition, does that turn them off?

Have you got a sunroof?

funny you mention the lights The ignition does not turn them off. also i noticed the vanity mirror lights have stopped working

there has to be a link with the interior light door switch. Its almost like the windows are on a seperate circuit when a door is open, is this posible

Originally Posted by cjenn1161

funny you mention the lights The ignition does not turn them off. also i noticed the vanity mirror lights have stopped working

The ZKE won't respond to the window switches until it sees 12V from the ignition switch. Specifically, I think that would be Kl./Terminal R (Radio / position 1). No vanity lights would also be terminal R.

Have you noticed anything else that's not working?

im thinking some wires in the doors are bad?

Originally Posted by cjenn1161

The other problem is the central locking remote does not open or close the drivers door (left hand side). However if you open or close the drivers door with the key all the locks open and close as they should??

Hope you guys with your wealth of knowledge can shed some light on this for me many thanks in advance

Not sure about the window problem, but the locking problem definitely sounds like a bad lock actuator on the driver's side door.

Originally Posted by Eight Thirty

im thinking some wires in the doors are bad?

This might be it. Have you checked the wiring boot at the door hinge? If that is broken, then the wires can be crushed when the door closes, causing the windows to not work.

Hey Johnf i reckon you might have the answer. there is an aftermarket radio head unit installed. will check this out today

took out the radio and the original connector block has been removed and replaced with a connector block. there are 2 wires not connected to anything, a brown/white and a yellow wire. any ideas what these are?

Did you have any success in finding a remedy for this issue?

I am currently having the same problem with my 94 320i E36 Sedan. This just started recently - all windows work, but only when either of the front doors are open.

Any advice greatly appreciated :-).

This may be a long shot...but why don't you try recoding the window?

I don't know about 320i's but my 325i Vert has 5 window switches where the gear selector is. To recode:

Put the window all the way down, and hold the window down (single click) for 5 seconds.

Move it all the way up and hold the window up (single click) for 5 seconds.

This doesn't work for verts because of the window jogging, although It might I just assume it wouldn't I haven't run into that unforseen problem.

But for a sedan you should be able to do it even with the door open.

I doubt it will solve anything, but it's definitely worth a shot and it's free, the best kind of troubleshooting.

You use the same procedure to set the window travel limits for a coupe, and they have the window jog function. I don't know why it wouldn't be the same for a vert.

Originally Posted by hornhospital

You use the same procedure to set the window travel limits for a coupe, and they have the window jog function. I don't know why it wouldn't be the same for a vert.

Yea I just didn't know because I never seen a non-convertible coupe (Up close), I assumed it had a frame around the window, does it not? My friends Lexus is a hardtop and it doesn't have a frame around the window and that blew my mind, I was just under the assumption all hardtops had a frame around the window

Nope, no frame. Bare edge of the glass only, just like a convertible, but there's a B pillar behind the door, unlike the verts.

Edit: Picture of coupe door added, back when I couldn't keep the door panel inserts attached. The glass jog function is to keep the glass from hitting the roof or B pillar edges when opening or shutting the doors.

I still think it's a bad design, in my vert in winter the damn window doesn't jog down cause of the ice so when I close the door there's window bends a little and it kills me inside :-(

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer

I agree. Although I've never had the ice problem, the window motors are weak, and the least drag will cause them to stop working...although the passenger's side window on the 318is spontaniously started working a few days ago after refusing to budge for almost a year. I was literally going into the trunk to get the replacement motor, had to shut the door to get past it, when the window did the "jog" thing, something it hadn't done in months. I put the key in, hit the button and the window worked perfectly up and down, and has ever since. Go figure.

Originally Posted by RhymeGrime

This may be a long shot...but why don't you try recoding the window?

I don't know about 320i's but my 325i Vert has 5 window switches where the gear selector is. To recode:

Put the window all the way down, and hold the window down (single click) for 5 seconds.

Move it all the way up and hold the window up (single click) for 5 seconds.

This doesn't work for verts because of the window jogging, although It might I just assume it wouldn't I haven't run into that unforseen problem.

But for a sedan you should be able to do it even with the door open.

I doubt it will solve anything, but it's definitely worth a shot and it's free, the best kind of troubleshooting.

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to help. My first guess might be that it is related to door switches - as the interior lights also appear to be staying on for an unusually long time when the doors are closed.

I have had a quick look around the door frames for any switches to get a multimeter on and test, but I feel quite silly and can't see any!

Could anyone please point me in the right direction - or think of any other causes for this problem?

Much appreciated!
Charlie.