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

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

Wow bro. affixing the windows in place????Why would you do that?? How much are the regulators??

Uh..*****.

Lame.

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!

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.

Originally Posted by tom busby

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.

I did this to a buddy's 540i, it works as well. The vice grips were $2 and i thought of it at Wal-Mart

Originally Posted by 1bad540

Wow bro. affixing the windows in place????Why would you do that?? How much are the regulators??

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

Originally Posted by Waveho

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!

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.

Originally Posted by Ben Carufel

Uh..*****.

Lame.

explain why this is lame

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?

Originally Posted by Ben Carufel

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?

+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 ....

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.

Originally Posted by e39dream

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!

Originally Posted by xxpanipuri

+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 ....

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.....

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.



Good luck. Please post picture of this DIY.

mw

Originally Posted by xxpanipuri

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!

best reason to replace ever Would you guys do $450 in window regulators, or suspension? Not all of us make $75k a year and can afford both at once. I'm part of the few that are trying to make the best with the money we make. So if you rich ones saying you have to "pay to play" want to invest in my regs, i'll PM my address

"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.

oops, sorry- I didn't know I was tarnishing the roundel on the hood because all my windows don't open.

Get a life people. Congrats on your 750 1bad540, heaven forbid you have to rub elbows with folks with a broken window motor!

I could buy window regs all around for every one of us here in this thread, but guess what? I don't wanna, and you can't make me.

On ebay, there is a repair service: very often when an electrical part goes out, an electrical repair shop should be able to fix it (new bushing, bearing etc.).

Mail in your defective window regulator, they fix it for $85.00 and send back to you (very much like repairing the ABS).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Windo...QQcmdZViewItem

Originally Posted by 1bad540

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.....

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.

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.

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.

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.