1988 325i power window problem

[kllaux]

My drivers side rear window stopped working today. I pulled the switch and tried one I know works and it didn't help. Pulled the door panel off assuming that I could find a manual crank to put it back up if it wasn't a quick fix. There doesn't seem to be one or am I missing something? Friend I called said it may be the motor. I'm not the mechanic in the family...my son is gone for two weeks. I could cover the window with plastic (tacky).... but is there a way to get it back up?

Thanks for any help you can give...

Kathy

[ironman502]

You should see a small, round plastic cap about 1 inch in diameter in the outside of the door panel around where the crank handle would be if your car didn't have power windows. If you pull that cap off, you should see an allen bolt. That bolt allows you to lower or raise your windows in the event that your power window system stops working. The BMW owner's manual for my '85 boasts that you can do it "with the tool kit provided in the trunk." Smart Bavarians.

[kllaux]

That's what my manual says too but there is none. After I removed the door panel I can see a round hole but what I assume is the motor is against it. It is smooth metal with a small round button protruding from it. No place to use an allen wrench and I can't get the button to move either. If I disconnect the window from the metal plate it sits in I assume I can push it back up but it would have no way to stay in place. I mispoke earlier when I said it stopped working...it actually just stopped going up....it went down just fine. I accidentally sent it all the way down when I tried the other switch.

Thanks.....any other suggestions?

Kathy

[ironman502]

Hmm, that's odd. I have no idea what is in your way. I've never really been under the panel myself yet. Well, sorry I wasn't much help. My wasn't enough. Someone else, please?

[David05111]

hey...
I have a 1988 325i Convertible and ironically, i woke up this morning to find i had the same problem as you do. Heres the solution:

Where your door hinge is (towards the front of the car on the driver side), you should see a black sheath that comes from the front of the car to your door. This sheath contains the wires to all the functions in the door. Most likely you have a minor short in one of the wires in that sheath, like i did. My advice to you is to shake and bend the sheath just a little bit. If your luck holds, the wire will re-establish a connection to power and your window will work again. As i said, it happened to me this morning and thank God my dad is a smart guy; fixed it in a heartbeat! Give it a try and let me know if this helped...

[kllaux]

Thanks, I'll give that a try in the morning. It never occured to me to wiggle those wires. I think I'll cry if that fixes it.

Instead, my daughter and I managed to take out the window, then the motor and everything attached to it...it is not even the right part number...and has no place for an allen wrench to turn it. We opened it up and popped the spindle thing in the middle out to release the tension on the wire that pulls the window up and down. The piece that attaches to the bottom of the window was locked in the down position. We adjusted it to the up position, put the spindle back in, closed it up and then re-attached the window.

The window still doesn't work but at least it isn't open all the way!
There is still a gap of about 1/2 inch but I can live with that for tonight. I'll check those wires in the morning.

Thanks to both you and ironman for your responses.

Kathy