A: (by Harvey Chao:Harvey_Chao@smtp.esl.com)
If the automatic antenna you have doesn't (fully extend/retract when the radio powers on/off) this may help you. The unit described herein is factory original as installed on an '83 528e, and I expect typical/standard over many years and models.
This is intended to address the situation where you can hear the antenna's drive motor operate, but the mast fails to either fully extend or retract. I suspect that many "failures" can be simply fixed, w/o purchase of parts (new mast $35 -40) new antenna assembly ????. The following describes how I fixed mine at no cost.
The first concern is that the mast itself moves freely, and is not sticking because of dirt or gummed up old lubricant. Get the mast fully extended, or remove it from the drive assembly, thoroughly clean, lube lightly and be sure that the telescoping sections move freely, re-install and or fully retract. The Bentley manual describes how to remove and replace the mast. If it fails to fully retract, you can do this manually by CAREFULLY pushing it STRAIGHT down. Be careful that you don't bend it! Note that there is a retaining collar at the base of the antenna assembly on top of the fender that has two flats (13mm if I remember) that unscrews to facilitate removal and replacement of the mast. The mast itself is a set of telescoping sections. Attached to the end of the topmost section is a long nylon(?) flexible "cable", about .125" in dia. and maybe 3 ' long. This is the actual part that is driven by the motor/clutch assembly to raise or lower the mast. Locate, remove the cover, expose and examine the drive assembly. It is a box about 4x6x1.5 " with a black plastic cover that is held in place by 4 Phillips head self tapping machine screws into what appears to be a die cast aluminum or pot metal body.
Inside the box you should see the following basic arrangement. [I will use the "clock" scheme to describe where the various major pieces are, 12 o'clock = top of the box, 3 o'clock = middle right hand side, etc.] The drive motor is a metal cylinder, oriented long axis vertically located at between 2 and 3 o'clock. It has a worm gear on its shaft that drives a large plastic gear at the very bottom (or back) of a stack of various disks, some of which freewheel on the shaft of the gear driven by the motor, and some of which are "keyed" to that driven shaft.
On the opposite side from the motor, about 10 o'clock, you will see a relay. coil on top, contacts on the bottom that pivot up and down from one side. With the radio off and the mast retracted, if you use your finger or a wooden stick to push the relay contacts closed (up), it will actuate the motor. If you hold it that way, the motor will run until the driven shaft described in the prior paragraph rotates a fixed number of turns and the mast (if properly operating) will have been driven to full extension. When you release the relay, the motor again actuates in the opposite direction a fixed number of turns to retract the mast.
The largest and bottom disk on the driven shaft, looks like a pulley, is just above the gear driven by the motor, and FREEWHEELS on the shaft. The "flanges" of this pulley, along with a pinch roller located at about 7 o'clock grip the nylon cable and drive it up or down.
The next piece outward from the pulley is a clutch plate that drives the pulley but also freewheels on the shaft. Next outward is the "pressure plate" that is keyed to and driven by the shaft. What I think usually happens, if the motor operates and the mast is free to extend and retract, is that the clutch slips and thus the pulley doesn't turn enough rotations to fully extend or retract the mast.
Next two pieces are spring "washers, very roughly star shaped, and convex, assembled so that they provide some constant pressure against the pressure plate and clutch assembly.
(editor's note: Use caution, this diagram may have been distorted!)
\\\\\\\\\\\ gear driven by motor worm gear
\_______________/
_______________ "pulley"
/ \
_____________ clutch plate
_____________ pressure plate
\____/ washer #1
____
/ \ washer # 2
________________
\ washer with lock tab
________________
I I Sheet metal nut.
Next outward from the second washer is a large flat washer with a tab that is bent up to prevent "loosening or tightening" of the large sheet metal nut that tops off this whole assembly. This washer is also keyed to the shaft. The way this whole thing works is that the driven shaft transmits torque through the clutch assembly to drive the "pulley" which in turn drives the nylon cable up or down. If the clutch slips, the pulley doesn't turn the required number of turns to drive the mast, but the counting mechanism on the driven shaft does turn, and after the predetermined number of rotations, stops the mechanism.
If you carefully use a screw driver to bend the locking tab back you can free the large sheet metal nut (about 1.25 inches). Before you start to move that nut, mark it in such a way that if you remove it, you can get back to the original starting point. Then remove the nut, disassemble the layers down to but NOT including the pulley. Use some solvent to clean off the clutch face and pressure plate dry well, and re-assemble.
Starting with the mast fully retracted and the sheet metal nut in it's original position, actuate the relay with your finger until the mechanism "auto stops", release the relay and again let it run to "auto stop" so that the mechanism runs through a full extend/retract cycle. If there is still some slipping of the clutch and the mast does not fully extend and or retract, push it down so that it is fully retracted, try tightening the nut one flat more, and again actuate the relay to run through a full extend/retract cycle. Repeat until you get proper cycling of the mast, bend the lock tab up to lock the tension provided by the nut and button up the cover.
A: (by Robert Moore:RMOORE@BROWNVM.brown.edu)
Always used baking powder and water paste (the yellow box from Arm & Hammer) followed by a thorough flushing with water. Let dry. Coat the terminals with vaseline. I've NEVER had corrossion of the terminals or connectors in 30 years.
I did once try a heavy grease. At underhood temperatures it turned into something reminiscent of the stuff that comes out of an electric glue gun. Forget it. Vaseline.
A: (by Jim Conforti:jec@us.dynix.com)
Start with doors unlocked and all windows open
NOTE: NEVER CONNECT OR DISCONNECT THE CONTROL UNIT UNLESS BATTERY POWER IS REMOVED!!
Operation Response Action
1 DDL to lock
All doors lock Goto OP #2
Some doors Lock R/R suspect Door Lock Motor ckt.
No doors Lock Goto OP #4
2.DDL to deadbolt
All doors double lock Goto OP #3
Drivers and SOME others dbl lock R/R suspect Door Lock Motor
Drivers ONLY dbl locks Perform TEST B
Drivers does NOT dbl lock Mechanical Problem
3.DDL to unlock
All doors unlock Goto OP #4
Some doors unlock R/R suspect Door Lock Motor ckt.
No doors unlock Goto OP #5
4.PDL to lock
All doors lock If doors did not lock in OP #1 R/R DD lock
switch else Goto OP #5
Some doors lock R/R suspect Door Lock Motor ckt
No doors lock If doors locked in OP #1 R/R PD microswitch
if doors did not lock in OP #1 perform TEST A
5.PDL to lock
All doors unlock If doors did not unlock in OP #3 R/R DD lock
switch else Goto OP #6
Some doors unlock R/R suspect Door Lock Motor
No doors unlock If doors unlocked in OP #3 R/R PD Lock Switch
if doors did not unlock in OP #3 perform
TEST C
6.Get in car, close/lock all doors, IGN to RUN
Doors remain locked Goto OP #7
Doors Unlock R/R Central Locking control unit
7.Get out, DDL to lock. Unlock each door by pulling up button
All doors can be unlocked Goto OP #8
All doors remain secure Disconnect connector from control unit and
check for short to ground at terminal #11
if short, find it!, if not R/R Control Unit
8.Trunk lock to LOCK
Trunk Locks Goto OP #9
Trunk does not lock If doors lock, R/R Trunk lock motor and/or
circuit
If doors do not lock R/R Trunck lock switch. R/R Control Unit if
switch and circuit are OK
9.Trunk lock to UNLOCK
Trunk unlocks Goto OP #10
Trunk does not unlock If doors unlock, R/R Trunk lock motor and/or
circuit. If doors do not unlock, R/R Trunk
lock switch. R/R Control Unit if switch and
circuit are OK
10.Turn key back to LOCK
Gas filler locks Goto OP #11
Gas filler does not lock R/R Gas Filler Motor ckt.
11.Turn key to unlock
Gas filler unlocks Done, No faults!
Gas filler does not unlock R/R Gas Filler Motor ckt.
TEST A.
Measure Voltage at Control Unit Connector w/ Control Unit Connected
Term 3 and Ground should be battery, else check wire to Term 3 for open Term 3 & 4 should be battery, else check wire from Term 4 for open to ground
Jumper between Term 7 and ground, if doors lock R/R switches and related wiring else ...
Disc. battery, remove Control Unit and reconnect Batt. jumper 1 & 3 together, now jumper 2 & 4 together if doors lock, R/R Control unit, else check wires on Term. 1 & 3 for opens (see schematic)
TEST B.
With Conrol Unit connected, jumper between 10 & ground doors should double lock, if not, check wires to Term. 11 for opens and R/R Control Unit if no opens found. If doors DO double lock, check wires to Term 10 for open and R/R Unlock Inhibit Switch if wire OK.
TEST C
With Control Unit connected, Jumper 6 & ground. If doors unlock, R/R switches and related wiring (see schematic) if doors do NOT unlock R/R Control Unit
Your wiper motor has a bit too much grease in it and it has hardened up on the "park" contacts in it. Sounds complicated, but it's actually (as far as BMW's go) not TOO hard to fix.
The story is: the wiper motor has contacts in it that make it continue to run, and park. These contacts close on a metal segment on the plastic gear that drives the shaft coming out of the motor (the motor itself is at right angles to this). If the housing had too much grease in it (which was fairly common, at least on my year), or the grease has hardened up.. the contact tend to skip a bit, causing the jerky action. The big hint is that it only occurs in the intermittent mode (which you describe).
TO FIX (Two choices):
1. Go to dealer, sell left arm, buy new motor.
2. Remove motor and clean out grease, regrease.
assuming you may want to tackle #2.. here is how it's done:
1. Remove the motor. I'd disconnect the power connector going to it first (it will try to park otherwise if you accidently rotate it, perhaps taking a finger or two with it). On my 535 - it's behind the cowling for the fresh-air intake for the heater - don't have a clue where for a 3er.. remove the nut (and washer) holding the linkage to the motor, try to prevent it from turning while you remove it. The arm connecting to it is splined, but removes fairly easily (a good tug). Remove nuts/bolts holding motor in vehicle. Walk it to your workbench.
2. Disassemble: The contact you want are behind the light aluminum plate that covers the big gear (this will be fairly obvious).. on mine, the plate was held on with mashed over aluminum studs. Right next to these studs were holes through the plate and corresponding holes into the housing.. sorta looked like these could be tapped to take a few screws for reassembly (CLUE!).
3. Repair it: Drill off the mashed over aluminum heads of the studs (1/4" bit works fine). The cover should remove easily. You'll find lots of nice brownish grease. Clean the contacts (attached to the cover) and the face of the gear where the metal segment is). Regrease lightly with a white lithium grease (at least that's what I used)..very lightly!
While apart - tap the holes in the aluminum housing - I *think* I used 4-40 American (looked about right, and I had the tap and some short 4-40 screws, but it might have been 2-56). Try to keep tap filings out of the housing (grease on the tap helps a lot).
4. Reassemble: Put the cover back like you found it and screw it back together. Reinstall motor in car. Align the motor by starting it once WITHOUT the wiper arm attached and letting it go to the park position. Once it's aligned, refasten the wiper arm in the correct parked position (try NOT to turn the motor while tightening the nut holding the arm).
Instructions for E28 535i (should apply to any E28)
There are two philip screws which attach the top of the fuse box (or power distribution panel as the book calls it) to the bottom of the box. Remove these two screws. You may have to remove the relays above the screws to get at them. Find and remove the fog relay (marked in the owner's manual and the Bentley). Remove the connector in the top part of the fuse panel (it's in the slots that you push the relay in) for the 85 lead on the relay (if you look at the bottom of the relay, the leads are labeled with the numbers 30, 86, 87, 85...so on). The easiest way to remove the connector is to use a very thin flat screwdriver and push on the back of the spade to push the little tab back into the spade so it slides out the bottom of the fuse panel. Drawing below:
| <-- thin screwdriver | ______ |__________ top of fuse panel | |\ <-- push this tab in from above | to slide connector out the bottom
Now pull the connector out the bottom of the panel by separating the top and bottom halves of the fuse panel. The halves do not separate much maybe 3 inches. Tape this connector up or use shrink tubing. You won't be using this connector again. The next step is to remove the connector of the 85 lead of the high beam relay (this is ground, you might want to test for such) in the same way but you will use this again.
Make a y connector with two leads to fit in the two slots you just removed the connectors from and the third lead to fit in the connector that was connected to the 85 on the high beam relay. Plug the y connector in (slots and the extra lead). Tape or shrink wrap the y connector to previous 85 high beam conector. All that is left is to plug in the relays and test the new feature (fogs on even with high beams on) and put the two halves of the fuse panels back together. TEST!! before putting the halves together.
Instructions for E30 318i (should apply to any E30)
Same as above except disconnect 85 on the fog relay and put the y-connector to the connector on the 86 of the high beam relay (this is +12v when the ignition in the run position) and the 85 lead of the fog relay.
- ---
The nice part of this rewiring is that it is entirely reverseable since no cutting is involved. I have seen as a Porsche mechanic too many car wiring systems destoryed by poor rewiring for extras and especially sound systems.
I have also wired my fogs to function as longs as the light switch is in the park or on position but that extra bit is more complicated than I can explain in this media.
A: (by Jim Shank:shank@cbsgi1.bu.edu)
Most people I know think the BMW service indicator light cicuit is totally useless. However noone wants the damn lights on all the time and some people (like me) like to keep everything working. So here's a file I've been compiling on the subject. I've not check this on early model (pre '88) cars but it's accurate for the later models. I've also not given credit for some of the material because I forgot where I got it. Anyway here it is:
BMW Service indicator lights FAQ.
- --------------------------------
The service indicator lights are reset through a pin in the diagnostic connector located in the engine compartment.
There are 2 types of diagnostic connectors used on BMWs. One is a 15 pin connector used on 1987 and earlier cars, the other is a 20 pin connector used on 1987-on cars. In what follows the 15 pin connector is referred to as the early type and the 20 pin as the late type. Resetting the service indicator lights is described below. The most common problem with resetting the service lights is bad NiCad batteries in the instrument cluster. The batteries seem to fail pretty consistently after 4 years.
The symptoms of this are:
1. The inspection light comes on.
2. Resetting the light according to the instructions below either doesn't work or works for a short period of time and then the inspection light comes back on.
The fix for this is to replace the batteries as described below.
Relevant Roundel references:
- ---------------------------
The Roundel is the monthly publication of the BMW Car Club of America.
Jan 1992, Nov 1991, Dec 1989, May 1988 -- Resetting the service indicator lights
Nov 1991 -- Replacing the Nicads.
Resetting the service indicator lights.
- --------------------------------------
Late type connector:
The service indicator lights are reset by connecting pin 7 to pin 19(ground). The proper way to do this is to have the ignition off and place a jumper wire between pins 7 and 19 (make sure you get the right pins!). Then turn the ignition switch to position 1 (accessory), when the service light goes out, turn the ignition off. The difference between resetting the oil service light and the inspection light is in the length of time you have the jumper in place with the ignition on. This means that if you are resetting the oil service light, you should turn off the ignition immediately after the light goes out. If you leave the jumper in too long with the ignition on, you will perform an inspection reset as well and the next service indicator will come up as an oil service rather than an inspection.
The service light reset tools that I have seen connect to 3 pins of the diagnostic connector: pin 7,14 and 19. The connection to 14 is to power the tool. The less sophisticated tool has only one switch that connects pin 7 to 19. While those pins are tied together a red LED blinks to measure time. You count blinks and manually turn off the tool after the appropriate number of counts for oil or inspection reset. The more sophisticated tool has two switches, one for oil reset, one for inspection. It must have a built in timer that jumps pin 7 to 19 for the correct time.
Early type connector:
The procedure is the same as above, but you jumper pin 7 (the service indicator pin) to pin 1 (the ground pin).
The early type connector:
*******
**** ****
*** (10) ***
** (9) (11) ***
* *
* (2) *
* (8) (3) *
* *
* (7) *
* (1) *
* (4) *
* *
* (6) *
* (15) (5) *
* *
** (14) (12) ***
*** (13) ***
**** ****
*******
Diagnosis
plug connections:
No. Terminal Designation
1 31 Ground
2 - -
3 - -
4 FT Temperature gauge
5 L Engin M10B18 Interfrator output for CO adjustment
Engin M30B34 Oxygen Sensor signal
6 A Diagnosis lead for SRS
7 SI Service indicator
8 P+ Position sender
9 S Shielding
10 P- Position sender
11 50 Starting pulse for starter
12 61 Alternator charge indicator
13 1 Ignition signal
14 30 battery +
15 15 Power supply for ignition
The late type connector:
** ***
**** ***** ****
*** (1) ***
** (12) (2) ***
* *
* (11) (20) (13) (3) *
* *
* (10) (19) (14) (4) *
* *
* (15) *
* (9) (18) (5) *
* (16) *
* (17) *
** (8) (6) **
** ***
*** (7) ***
**** ****
*******
Pin Wire Size Wire Color Circuit and Component Connected
----- ----------- ------------ ---------------------------------
1 1 BK Ignition Coil, Motronic Control Unit
6 0.5 WT/BK SRS Connector (Not Used)
7 0.5 WT/GN Service Interval Indicator, Service
Interval Processor(Reset).
11 2.5 BK/YL Starter, Start Signal(50)
12 0.75 BU Charge, Alternator(D+)
14 2.5 RD Battery
15 0.5 WT/YL Motronic Control Unit(RXD)
16 1.5 GN/WT Oxygen Sensor
18 0.5 GN/BU Motronic Control Unit(Programming Voltage)
19 1.5BR BR Ground Distribution(G103)
20 0.5 WT/VI Motronic Control Unit(TXD)
The Dummy plug.
- ---------------
Late models:
The cap on the diagnostic connector is actually an electrical connector that shorts together the following pins:
- --pins 18 and 20 to pin 19.
- --pin 14 to 15.
A: (by Rick Kjeldsen:fcmk@watson.ibm.com)
This a quick summary of how to change the batteries for the service interval processor on E30 325's. I don't know how much is different with the 5/7 series, but I have a feeling is basically the same. You can also find an article on this is the November '91 Roundel, but what follows is from my experience.
The processor is on a board mounted in the instrument cluster. The batteries are soldered to the board, and a dealer wants ~$200 because he replaces the whole thing.
To replace the batteries, first remove the instrument cluster from the dash. On the E30, that means first removing the plastic trim below the cluster (at the bottom of the dash just above the steering column) That exposes the bottom screws for a trim piece that wraps around the cluster (couple of screws on the bottom, couple up under the "eyelid") That, in turn, exposes the screws for the cluster itself. There are two (I think) on the bottom, and two on black tabs that stick forward from the top of the cluster. Remove them and pull the cluster forward and out. Take a good look before you unplug the wiring, there are 4 or 5 plugs you have to take out. Once you've seen it, you won't have trouble getting it back correctly, they are color and shape coded pretty well.
Now set the cluster face down on a table (careful not to scratch the plastic face!) On the back, there are several (about 8-10) screws, most around the edge, with one or two in the middle. Take them out, and the whole back will come off, and you will be able to see the board (It's the only board in there, along the bottom and goes most of the way from one end to the other). Remove the board.. to do that, you have to remove two things. One is the engine code plug which plugs in to the board from the opposite side (the outside of the instrument cluster). It is a plastic rectangle about 1"x1"x.5". You have to press a tab to unclip it and pull it out. The other thing holding the board is a plastic piece that is held in by one screw. Take the board out, and you will see the batteries in the middle.
Mine were two NiCad AA cells with something like "Varta 500 RST" on them. These are top of the line NiCads. You can replace them with standard replacements (e.g. Radio Shack AA NiCads), or if you have a good electronics store nearby, order them from Varta. Either one will have the same voltage, so work the same, but the Varta's will have more capacity, so last longer when you pull out the car battery, and perhaps not die as soon either. (The Varta's have 600 mAmp hours capacity vs 450 for the Radio Shack AAs. Both are 1.2V).
The old batteries are held on by tabs that are welded to the battery on one side, and soldered to the board on the other. Remove the solder with a solder-sucker or solder wick (again, see Radio Shack), straighten the pins and remove the batteries. Be sure to remember the polarity of the batteries for when you reinstall them. The original batteries are marked +/-, but the board isn't.
You have to rig up a way to solder the new batteries to the board. You can take the old mounting tabs off the old batteries, and remount them to the new ones, but that is tough. You can buy batteries with mounting tabs, the Varta's may come with them, I'm not sure. The Radio Shack tabs won't mount directly to the board, I cut them to fit. You could also rig up a wire to go from the tab to the board. Anyway, take a look at it. It's pretty easy to figure something out.
One warning, on my board the tabs were soldered to the board at one point on one end of each battery, and at two on the other end. It turns out that on the end with two connections, one of them is just for strength and has no electrical properties. I just soldered to the one, but if you aren't sure which is which by looking at the board, You can solder a small wire between the two holes and just mount the battery to one. My batteries originally had a small amount of glue holding them to the board. When I replaced them, I replaced it with some silicone gasket material to help keep the batteries from vibrating loose.
All that sounds complicated, but it's really not if you have a little soldering experience. The only things you have to be careful of are to not crack the board while you are playing with it (not a big deal, it is pretty rugged) and when you solder, don't create any bridges (shorts) between leads on the board. That's easy if you just don't use too much solder. It's probably a good idea to charge up the batteries before you install them if you can.
Then just reverse the steps to reassemble the cluster and reinstall it in the dash. Don't forget to put back in the engine code plug! You will have to reset the service interval indicator after you are done, of course.
Good luck, if you have any questions about it, send me a note.
UPDATES:
You might want to just run 3 wires from the instrument cluster to a convenient location to mount the batteries so in 4 years when it happens again you can easily replace the batteries.
Use CHARGED NiCads ... some boards will NOT charge up a completely dead NiCd battery, and you'll think you need a new board ..
PS: I found this out when the local dealer was starting to change the batteries v. the board .. they told me my instructions didn't work .. so I came down and found out that *some* SIS bards will NOT work unless the NiCd batts. are charged *before* install
And *yes* they will now change the batteries, saving their customers mucho $$$ .. over changing an SIS board
A: (by Rick Kjeldsen:kjeldsen@cs.columbia.edu)
(Editor's note: The following is based on an E30, but may apply to
others)
>Within the last 2 weeks, my left side indicators have been misbehaving.
>Flashes real fast in other words..... I got out and checked the bulbs,
>all of them work. The problem does not persist - it settles after some
>indeterminate amount of time... Guess its a bad contact at some place
That is a classic symptom for a bad contact between the wiring harness and the front blinker assembly. You can get at it by removing the plastic cover in the engine compartement that covers the back of the headlights and reaching down into the bumper. You will find a plug with a rubber boot that plugs into the back of the blinker. Pull it off and on a few times to temporarily fix the problem. For a more permenent fix, clean the contacts and put some dielectric grease in there before you plug it back together. (you can get dielectric grease at most auto-parts stores)
Section 19.9: Replacing OBC bulbs
A: (by Mike Whitley: WHITLEYM@mcl.saic.com)
Alot of people have complained about the backlight on the E30 onboard computer. When I had a 325is, the lights burned out. Replacing the little panel or even just the bulbs is an easy job. Saves you $70 or $80 as well compared to letting a dealer do it. A quick summary follows.
Access the computer... this involves first taking out the glove box, and right side dash board cover. Everything is held in place by push pins, they just twist and pull out.
Now, you need a socket wrench, with a short handle and a very small socket. I can't remember how big... anyway, use the wrench to undo the nuts that hold the computer in place on the dash baord. You won't be able to see them just feel around and you will find them. Once the nuts have been removed, the computer will slide out of the dash towards the seats.
On the side of the computer is a small white panel. This is the back light bar. Pry it out with a small screwdriver or fingernail and pop in the new one. If spending $25 or $30 for this seems like a waste of money to you, desolder the dead bulbs and solder in new ones for about $2.00. They may not have the exact same wattage though. If the computer push buttons have also stopped lighting up, the bulb for that is located in the back. Twist it out and pop in a new one. (You remembered to pick one up at your dealer right?)
Reverse the installation instructions and voila! You are done. The whole thing shouldn't take more than two hours. Less if you are quick.
(by Steve Fox: SRFox@aol.com)
I did this in 20 minutes the first time. The other method on this list (through the glove box) sounds great too but I could not contort my fingers enough to remove the four OBC nuts. Local dealer wants about $80 for this procedure.
A: (by Rick Kjeldsen: kjeldsen@cs.columbia.edu)
The most common cause of a flaky power window is just the switch. The contacts in the switch get pitted and carbon buildup, and will become erratic. You can clean them pretty easily. Pop out the switch (it may be easier to pop up the shifter boot (manual xmission) and push the switch out from below), remove it from it's plug. Disassembly is easy, the bottom slides out of the case formed by the top and sides. Watch where the parts come from as you take it appart. Clean the contacts, clean and lub the rubbing surfaces LIGHTLY with a grease or white-lub, and reassemble. Takes about 5 minutes. After many miles the contacts may become so pitted that you need to replace the whole switch.
(by Chuck Huston ckh@csb.varian.com)
>the driver side power windows is stuck. all the other three windows
>work. is it a motor problem ? it is something i can fix or check to
>figure out the problem.
>89'325i
- -----
I have an '89 325i that had the "same" problem....here's the procedure:
(Assuming that the other window works, which eliminates one electrical possibility)...
1) Swap the window control switches on the console around the gear shift lever. They can be easily pryed up and unplug. If it works after that, replace the switch.
2) If it's not the switch, check the motor itself by taking off the inside part of the door to gain access. You remove the 3 screws that hold on the door handle (one is behind the black plastic cover at the top of the hand-hold, and you pry this cover off to get at it....the other two are under the arm-rest part). Remove the little black part surrounding the door opening lever (it slides BACK, then off), unscrew the lock pin cover, then carefully pop off the inner door (plastic connectors on the inner bottom and sides) before lifting it off. Last, carefully peel back the inner plastic to get at the bottom area where the motor is. [all of this is discussed in Bentley].
3) Check the connector to the motor (it's obvious) for power with a tester while you actuate the controller. If no power, my condolences (check manual, etc. for electrical troubleshooting).
4) If the motor is getting power, remove it for test/replacement. Remove the nuts (a few) to get the motor/window bracket assembly out. You will need Torx keys to get the motor off the bracket. Before replacing it (I got one from a salvage yard in Rancho Cordova for about $140 - check the Roundel for ads) reconnect it to the system and try it again. The first time I went throught this, the motor was simply "jammed" and I reinstalled it. (it must have jammed because of weakness, however, because it eventually died for good about 3 months later!)
5) To reinstall - the "trick" is getting the all stupid bracket wheels in the appropriate tracks (there are 3). FIRST put the two wheels into the appropriate tracks that are ON THE WINDOW. Then, if you remove the door track (you can't see it, but the bolts stick through at the middle of the door) you can put the BRACKET on the wheel and maneuver things back to where they were before installing it, then the motor.
6) As they say, assembly is the reverse of disassembly.
(by Rob Shively: rob.shively@mail.admin.wisc.edu)
I had the same problem with passenger side window on my 325e last spring. The window would go down but would not go back up with out assisting the motor by pushing the window up. It got to the point it would not go up anymore.
The first thing I did was pull the track and motor out of the door. I then removed the motor from the track and tested it. It seemed to work OK. The track seemed a little sticky so I gave it a good dose of DW40 and shot a little in the motor as well. Reassembled and adjusted the whole works and gave myself a pat on the back for saving $200. The window worked for nearly 2 weeks.
So I took the track and motor out of the door again. This time I use white lithium grease, from a spray can, to lubricate the track. Reassembled the unit and tested it. I looked like the motor was shot which lacked the power to push the window up.
Since I thought the motor was junk I took to my shop and took it apart. I had to pull the center shaft out of the housing. On the bottom of the shaft there is a ball that sits in a cup at the bottom of the housing. The ball is held in place by metal fingers. The cup and ball were full of crud so I used DW40 and steel wool it clean them up. Next I packed the cup full of lithium grease and attempted to push the ball/shaft back in place. The finger kept bending in under the ball. I ended up bending the fingers out enough so the ball would fit into the cup. This cause the ball/shaft to be loose and no longer firmly held in place. I reassembled the motor and put the track and motor back into the car.
The motor is louder since the shaft can now move up and down but it is still working with no problems after almost a year.
I am sure that someone else on the net might know the correct method of reassembling the motor so the shaft is held in place.
I did seal the motor around the top with silicon caulk and I had to cut the wires to the motor to get it all apart. I think it took less than 2 hours including a trip the hardware store.
A: (Ben: uunet!ux4.cso.uiuc.edu!bthongsa)
> On my '83 745i, the computer key panel will not light up. The battery on
> the car ran down and the car was started with a battery charger set to
> start mode using 50 amps. What in the heck did I kill, and how do I fix
> this? I have electronic soldering skills, but no schematic or clue where
> to start.
Sounds like you blew the OBC fuse. The early versions actually consisted of two units, the keypad unit, and a main unit that is hidden behind the driver's kick panel on the 745i (at least it is on an '84). There's a small 2amp or so fuse inside of the main unit. Pull off the speaker cover on the driver's kick panel, fish out the control box (there's probably more than one, it's been a while since I did this) and open it up. There should be a small glass tube fuse somewhere on the board. Usually, this fuse blows when a voltage surge occurs.
Of course, there's also a fuse for the OBC in the main fuse box. You might want to also check that first, before digging in the interior.