It sounds funny but in the flat rate world it’s not. He’s now working for free when it’s not even his fault! It SUCKS and stuff happens more and more due to cheap junk aftermarket parts!!!🤬🤬🤬
The 10 mm (?) screw left of the motor (17:17) is the main stop, loosen it. Then adjust the "radius arm" so that the window is parallel to window frame. Then close window until it dives uniformly into the window seal. Don't push the window up until the regulator flexes. Push the main stop downwards and tighten it.
I mean, you might have a point to make it work for now but the real issue is this thing bent itself. The whole assembly flexes even. Quality of parts is huge.
@@Dem0n1337 Might be why it managed to distort? Out-of-adjustment limit stops are bad, lol. Yeah, it's a cheap part, too. But that might mean the midadjustment (plus operating it like that) caused it to bend instead of breaking something else. Force always finds the weakest component, as I discovered, once upon a time, when I switched to (stacked) steel head gaskets instead of turning the boost back down to "extreme" instead of "oh sh*t." Which... could mean it was a good thing, lol - better a new part in warranty than something else... that wasn't.
@@Dem0n1337 This was not meant to defend the "quality" of this regulator 😉. When I was broke (as a student) I bought a lot of used parts (= broken parts) and cheap parts. What I learned through this experience, ether buy from the OEM supplier or the OEM part.
hi Ray, I'm just a old backyard mechanic but have changed several window regulators and found that after you get them installed, I would run it up and down and get it to the up position and loosen the the bolts and let it move to a natural position and tighten the bolts.
I can stand to that as well. A friend of mine who's a mechanic for 20+ years told me something similar to this. And it actually saved me a new regulator as mine was just shuttering a bit. These things are like engine mounts, you really need to run it back and forth a few times before the final tightening.
I’ve had to mess with regulators in the past, but not on a BMW. I usually run the window all the way up so that it is seated in the frame. I would then slightly loosen the regulator installation bolts to let the whole assembly find a relaxed position with the window fully up. I would then tighten down installation bolts.
With 30 years of DIY BMW repair, I'd like to offer my 2 cents. As far as chinesium parts go, the only good ones I found are the URO brand, some of which are re-engineered to improve a failure point. On PIA jobs, I stick with OEM or OES. Those old scissor style window regulators are very uncooperative and most after-market parts are too flimsy - as you found out. Also, regular grease is too heavy on the slides - white lithium works better. Love your videos; I feel your pain and smell the oil at times - great work. Thank you!
No telling with a BMWTroubleU......... I have had about the same DIY Experience. The newer you go with BMW, the more plastic you get and it becomes more "Recycled" and more "Costly" to replace....... With my e30 which is basically the same regulator design as this e36, I kept replacing the my drivers window regular with used ones about 15 years back and they kept breaking......I finally bit the bullet and purchased after market. Yes, your correct - it needs to be lubed - the track and the sliders and the circular pivot joint. You can use silicon spray the window sides - which are fabric and rubber - Kent at MercedesSource did a Vid on that way back. Lube does not need to over "globbed" but they need to be lubed. I used Super Lube, which is Plastic and Rubber "Friendly" Silicon/Teflon Lubricant. I don't how bad White Lithium and "Regular" Grease attacks Plastic. I try to avoid them when plastic and/or rubber is involved. And it is important the window is having screwed down in the right position - so it works properly - up and down with out binding and so it does not come off the track. It can take some time finding the "sweet spot"......
URO, really? The only time I used a URO part was a final stage resistor. That thing went out within a year and melted part of the plug. I replaced that with a Behr and haven't had an issue with the FSR. I haven't tried anything URO branded since then.
Cheap parts aside that causes these problems, the other culprit is the typical BMW's bad design (part of their over-engineering doctrine). You can throw money at buying premium original BMW parts, but if the design is bad it will not alleviate the problem.
I sure do enjoy your videos. I am 82 , great health and do all repair on my 27 year old Buick and family members. Thanks for keeping us informed and seeing the many problems you daily encounter. GOD bless you and family.
Which takes us back to 1995. I believe Buicks had the regulators back then with the small diameter steel cable that rode over the nylon or plastic corners and routinely failed. At least my mother's 2000 century had this system. And my '99 Intrigue had it. It wasn't a hard job. It was just a shame that the poor design caused lots of failures.
Trying to help the customer by installing cheaper parts, has a tendency to bite the shop in the ass , as we warranty our own work . And your video nicely testified to this. Sorry for your pain Ray.
Yup. I agree. Also, when the customer has to bring their product back to fix the second time around. The customer doesn't think about the cheap part, they think it was installed incorrectly. So you have the potential to lose a customer or cost the shop even more all because the customer wants to save money.
In this case it's probably at the request of the customer who declined paying 5x for OEM part, it's an almost 30 year old car, it's been taken care of but it isn't worth much... best way to go about this one is to get a regulator from a salvage yard, preferably from a car with low mileage... still going to be more expensive than this POS chinesium one, but absolutely better quality.
The regulator has adjustment via the mounting bolts, so I would say inexperience fitting them lead to this occurring. I did note during the prior video after installing, all bolts were tightened with no adjustment made.
I feel your pain Ray. I work for a regional paint company. Customers are the same no matter the store. They always want the cheapest of the cheap. Then get mad later when they realize what we told them is true about quality expectations, like we didn't just talk to them about that topic prior to their purchase. Like, my best analogy for the paint world is the cheaper it is the more water you're buying. That's why it performs so badly. Yes we want to turn a profit, we're a business. But we also want to sell you best products for your situation/project. We'd like you to be a return customer. But, customers just don't get it. Same with car parts. Hope you have a great memorial day weekend!
A possible alternative would be a wrecking yard regulator from the REAR door (as long as they're the same which they often are). It would be an OEM part but would generally have far less wear than the front reg would have.
this reminds me of what I encountered when the regulators failed on my son's '04 Colorado. Not only were the arms on the factory regulators flimsy, the sheet metal on the door was equally flimsy and just warped very easily.
You can get aftermarket power window motors but I ran into the same thing on a Thunderbird rear window. After replacing the aftermarket regulator two times I refused to use aftermarket regulators. That year older Thunderbird had a tiny back window but I learned a good lesson.
Mustie1 always says, "We do it right because we do it twice". LOL Actually this will be 3 times. I think we all learned a valuable lesson here. Don't work on your own BMW. Let Ray do it. LOL
Stay far away from those junk ass cars trust me. As a mechanic you see what comes in the shop all the time and these are high on the list pieces of shit. Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes, Dodge, Cadillac, Fiat, on and on. Hondas and Toyota’s are by far the best vehicles, Fords or Chevys next.
@@MrCumstein 25+yr old car that only needed a window regulator?? Good luck with American crap. I love my chevrolets but they would not be road worthy at this age
@@deborahchesser7375 wow, i disagree strongly. Ive owned high milage old bmws thru out my life. Only little stupid stuff goes wrong. These actual easy to work on if you don't have a tampon in
Give you a lot of credit doing this repair again. I have done window repairs and didn't find it amusing at all. I feel your pain and frustration. Hope the rest of your day goes a lot better!!! 🔧
Personally I equate repairing window regulators with plumbing. Doing the job once is not enough. That you can maintain your composure throughout this video and elegantly get across that crap yields crap is an award winner in itself. Thanks for the video.
I have done most of my own automotive maintenance and repair , within reason , for 45 years . Watching this reminds me of why I went looking for a honest general mechanic . When a 45 minute regulator replacement took me 2 hours and left me physically exhausted I knew father time had caught up to me . Enjoy watching you work and your approach to customer service is refreshing , keep up the good work .
lm getting old now and these projects beat me up everytime especially when I have to crawl under the car .lm usually left with a couple nice scars to remind me I'm getting too old for this.Makes me wish I had me a rainman around
I think there's an adjustment for the motor.... at least there is on the E46. Run the window all the way down and hold the button for 5 seconds and then run it up and hold the button for 5 seconds. Sets the limit for the motor.
Every older bmw I’ve owned, 3,5 and 7 series had at least one window problem. The aftermarket regulators were garbage. I was better off going to the pick a part junk yard and getting a used.
I owned an older BMW once. After it broke down four times in a two month span of time (while on way to work every time) I happily got paid the scrap value and even had a friendly tweaker (with the sketchiest rollback I've seen) come pick it up for me on the side of the highway so I wasn't responsible for a tow and impound charges too.
Ohhhh, the diagnostic crystal ball! Silly me! I thought your superior diagnostic skills came from years of experience and education, but now I know where the true source of your power comes from. Crystal ball or not, you are amazing, man. I love your videos.
Aftermarket parts should meet/exceed manufacture parts but unfortunately quality control its just crap and its all about $$ and selling junk .. Good job Ray 👌
@@Tiek-bl8ej Unfortunately that's all they value is $$$ , so much technology nowadays and the means to produce car parts specially aftermarket parts with decent quality but their just made even more poorly than 30 yrs ago ... Kinda of a shame but thats the world we living
Maybe once metal 3D printers become mainstream you can start making your own parts. Yeah right, who am I kidding. The manufacturers will sue whomever starts making the 3D designs.
I worked at a Lincoln/ Mercury dealer in the late 70s when Ford was using plastic regulator channels. What a nightmare those were! The only solution was to drill through them vertically and install bolts and nuts to "contain" the flexing so the sliders wouldn't pop out.
Haha, wow, I called this one. Two months ago on the original video I stated " With as much as that motor is struggling to put the window back up, i don't think this repair is going to last very long. ". I was right.
OMG, So thanks to your channel. I finals broke down and changed the struts on my 2014 Dart. Since you have to take the front end apart to change the struts, I went ahead and changed the condenser coil. Took the better part of a day but, when your working on rocks is a bit different. 😆 Love your videos.
I like that saying about Quality pays. Eric O had a good one a couple of videos back where he got a part from the salvage yard; "I trust a junkyard OEM part more than a new Doorman or cheap aftermarket part."
Hey Ray, I would suggest you to put back the whole assembly in the perfect spot with heavy duty rivets (like they are from factory), not bolts. Because on these beemers even the slightest movement WILL make the glass bind over and over again. Ask me how I know.
Reminds me a couple weeks back I did W219 front drivers regulator aftermarket one wouldn’t drop glass properly upon door opening ended getting genuine from Mercedes dealer and throwing away aftermarket one Never try help customer to save money as it always comes back and bites you in the back side All the best Ray best wishes from across the pond
Sometimes with window regulators, you can get repair kits to replace the weak links (plastic bits) in the OEM parts. Much cheaper than aftermark and OEM, but retains most of the original OEM quality.
Every single aftermarket window regulator I installed works perfectly for years because I got decent ones. If you get one thats shit don't install it you can tell by looking take it back a get a different one.
For those that care - Ray's original installation of the regulator was at the spot where it was shown to be. It did not move. That doesn't mean that the regulator's arms did not bend which caused the misalignment of the window.
For my BMW, I always go with FCP Euro parts. They have both OEM and Genuine BMW parts. OEM are made in the same factory, but don’t have the BMW logo on them. Generally less expensive for essentially the same part.
Just replaced my gas shocks for the convertible cover, $40 a piece. Thought why not replace the convertible gas shock while I'm at it? Convertible gas shock had BMW logo, cost over $80. Same manufacturer, probably same plant but $40 for a logo that no one can see.
@@keithlibner9259 Often times the premium isn't worth it. A good Stabilus strut will work fine whether it has the BMW logo stamped on it or not. Especially when it says on the box Made in Germany. Or sometimes you'll see where the BMW logo was ground off with a dremel tool. I saw that on a VDO fuel sending unit for my E32.
I wondered if this car from the earlier "repair" would return. Could never get this to stay fixed on my daughters 318 - thought someone messed-up installing alarm system - but it's just evil. The more, um, fun repair was the sunroof. Had to remove the headliner and sunroof cartridge; no other way to fix. During a storm a nearby tree lost a branch which fell close enough to her car that a walnut tumbled into the sunroof track via the small opening left in the tilted position. First time she retracted the sunroof ... cursed again!
I remember the original repair and thinking to myself "A DORMAN regulator? This won't end well." And sure enough, it hasn't. ☹ Hopefully the shop makes right by the customer and allows Ray to put in the OEM regulator
Never gonna happen. Shop may even take the position, it was rainmans responsibility reengineering the junk new parts til they worked better than OE. Junk new parts are yuge cause of many cumbaks that make shop and staff look like fools. Of course, it's 100%/always the Techs fault.
@@peted5217 Plus the customer didn't want to pay for OEM parts. So, what do you do? "I only want to pay for cheap crap, but you're the tech. Make it work." Sigh...
@@peted5217 Whilst I agree junk parts are a huge problem, the decision is made by the shop to install them. I don't think the regulator was adjusted correctly when first installed (and again) which increases it's loading which, though it is clearly cheap junk, causes it to be stressed and bend. But worse is when a customer brings their own parts to be fitted that they sourced themselves of Ebay, usually at the lowest possible cost. In that case you have to be very selective in what you take on, how you warrant your labour/parts you supply and what costs the customer will incur in terms of diagnostics and repair should the part failure be the cause of the comeback. This has to be communicated clearly and in writing before taking on the job. It's easier to just not take on such jobs to be honest.
I worked the BMW dealership in the 70's , I can't believe they still use the same WPOS mechanism. Those things require a sufficient amount of skin and blood or it's guaranteed to come back.
Why do Americans complain about China's stuff. China can make very good stuff if you pay for it. Remember America gets a lots stuff made in China and stick their own name on it.
I just did this job. Get those clips in good and make sure the glass is fully in the front track which is a POS and always falls out cause it doesn’t go in and the flap folds over. You can loosen the rear track, put the window up making sure the front is in the rubber track then tighten the bolt on the rear track. Should be good. Spent hours on this.
The aftermarket regulator will likely be made from material that's at least a tenth of a millimeter thinner which definitely makes it a shed load weaker. Saves the manufacturer a few pennies a piece but causes consumers and mechanics a friggin' headache.
"Pain, suffering, torment and unrealistic expectations." In other words: The average German life. ;-P Blessing be with you and yours Ray, I learn a lot watching your videos and you are entertaining and far more patient then most people.
I did not expect to be balls deep in a Beemer on memorial day. There is something off about the arms on that regulator, the front is low when the window is down and it seems to hit first, so high, when it's at the top. I think the fulcrum is off or that arm is too long. That's the only thing that would cause that. Also, Thank you Veterans
@@walterheinze8005 I seem to recall him saying something about this in the original video. If they supply you with an entire assembly, you can't just take parts off it and expect any warranty to still be good. It would probably have been a longer lasting repair though.
You get what you pay for is usually true. (like Ray said).. but also lots of very solid aftermarket parts, sometimes even better than OEM. It's a matter of knowing which brands for what cars. Some aftermarket parts are also exactly the same as OEM, just not stamped with OEM labels etc...
@@MickayG Indeed. Are used aftermarket headlights on my Dodge Ram. They fit perfect and they work perfect and they were much cheaper. It just depends on what you’re working on. An aftermarket transmission for a 2002 dodge ram 2500 is much better than the original.
@@izzydizzy1115 Prematurely? It's a 1995 3-series, it's almost 30 years old, and pretty clean also... missed the mileage but probably has a respectable amount on the odometer. The part he is replacing is a very cheap and flimsy after market part he did in a video some weeks ago.
I have a Chevy Silverado that had the drivers window regulator go bad. I ordered both the GM and aftermarket regulators as advised by my mechanic friend. Both looked great but spending the extra money has paid off as I've never had a problem again!! If someone has the money for a BMW they surely can spend the money to do a job correctly with OEM parts! This job is, in no way, any bad reflection on you or the business!!!! Some vechicle owners are just cheap.
Parts make or break the repair. Use inferior parts and the shop and mechanic get blamed. Your a hero when you put the $80 part in until it breaks. Then you get to do the job over and over again until the warranty you give is up.
That is why I sold my 1970 Mercedes 280SE (Gas engine not diesel) because I could not afford the parts when it needed some work. It looked show room condition except the engine burned oil. She found a good home.
BMW stopped making quality anything back 20 years ago, when they figured out that if you suck, it's ok. So glad Toyota/Lexus doesn't fully embrace that yet....but they also suck too (Supra? oh wait, BMW). Haha. Nicely done Ray! That regulator is not long for this world at only 2 months old.
@@randomschmo5778 I wouldn't be surprised that the quality in Germany is higher. It shouldn't be, but I've been watching too much Hoovie's Garage to think that anymore. haha.
I would of opted for the more expensive euro fix... Im not casting aspersions on your work.... Sometimes such as this it pays in the end to use the more expensive part.... You get the part that you paid for.... How many times have you purchased something cheap to do a cheap repair and it comes back to haunt you ( it always does with me) .... You do great work rain..... I love everyone of your videos....
I recall in your previous video on this car you used a general purpose grease on the regulator tracks/sliders (wrong stuff). That could have contributed to the problem.
I've worked in a body shop for years before retiring. Some of those window regulators and channels can be the ultimate test of patients. I am not a fan of any BMW. This looked like a real challenge. Did you go for a walk? I've done that a few times.
I have to ask if the glass tracks in the door were cleaned and lubed? Once a year I clean and lube all my window tracks with silicon spray. Door gaskets too. A Windex wipe down (Could use white vinegar as well for cleaning) the tracks with a cotton rag. Then, after drying, a spray down with the silicone. Also, to keep my underarms from getting gritty from summer sweat, a good silicone spraying there as well................HA! Just kidding. I wonder if I could use it on my girlfriend's boobs??? Oh, well..............GREAT SHOW!!
They always give you just enough room in the cut out to see what needs doing without actually being able to access it. And if you want to drive a Euro, but don't want to pay to repair it properly, get a Camry.
Avoid the German crap these days they are looking to cut corners in order to compete with Toyota which quite frankly builds a better car..."Wir bauen unsere Autos mit den besten Teilen, wenn Sie sich die Reparaturrechnung nicht leisten können, wenn es nötig ist, kaufen Sie einen Toyota"
@@johncherish7610 i still like my older Mercedes, back when they were build like very fast tanks. And you can do most of your own work. Not so much now.
I have found that if a part is electrical always go OEM or get an oem part from a junkyard. I had aftermarket door switches die within a week that was not orm.
in my experience 90% of windows fail like this because the rubber pieces in the track fail to glide and start sticking, which damages the regulator or burns out the motor. Should have replaced the guide track too.
For Peters sake, watch the fingers! I guess that the actual expectation is that the Beemer regulator will be better but it did originally come to you in a failed condition. That said, even Dormans should go a bit longer. Shop will have to refund him the Dorman and put it towards a BMW piece.
I had a similar problem on a Cavalier (who didn't have window nightmares on them??). Solved with a small block of wood in the bottom of the door, preventing it going all the way down. Can't really do that on a customers car of course!!
Ok so , I had a old 65 ford f100 pickup that both windows would randomly fall off track and off of the moving lift thingy muhjig . So when I would have to out it back on track I would use a piece of 2×2 wood to wedge between bottom of the door and window to hold it up so it wouldn't fall on me and fall back off track like this window did when trying to put the oars back together. It is always handy to keep a 2×2 if you are having to put windows back on tracks , it's like a 3rd hand that holds one corner up while using your 2 hands to fuss and cuss at the other end pieces.
My neighbor she had a BMW 325i same problem with her car they put in a cheap part it shattered the drivers side door glass. The shop paid for the door glass and the cheap part. They got the right part replaced the glass and took some more off her bill for her inconvenience.
Theres and adjustment you need to make, loosen the bolt to the left of the motor, and possibly the arms. Operate the switch then tighten the bolts when everything finds where it needs to be. You can look up how to adjust it. You're also supposed to do the windown learn procedure after replacing the motor and regulator. I think its roll the window all the way up or down and hold the button for 10-20seconds or something like that. I put 2 dorman ones in an e36 i had years ago and they were fine as long as installed properly. Otherwise this is what happens
pro til if you twist the glass fat side up front side by the mirror straight down and keep twisting the entire window comes out fairly easily then you can reverse this process except with the glass back in the right track grooves and then attach to the clips. i work in a body shop and deal with windows every day lol. putting the window back on track inside the door is much harder in my experience.
“Love my job so much I do it twice” I always chuckle at that statement.
Soon to be thrice.
It's the way how he says it. :)
@@blockbertus it’s better than 🤬. Ray is 👍👍
It sounds funny but in the flat rate world it’s not. He’s now working for free when it’s not even his fault! It SUCKS and stuff happens more and more due to cheap junk aftermarket parts!!!🤬🤬🤬
The 10 mm (?) screw left of the motor (17:17) is the main stop, loosen it. Then adjust the "radius arm" so that the window is parallel to window frame. Then close window until it dives uniformly into the window seal. Don't push the window up until the regulator flexes. Push the main stop downwards and tighten it.
You just saved me typing the same thing. The whole mechanism is too high and that's causing everything to bind and bend.
I mean, you might have a point to make it work for now but the real issue is this thing bent itself. The whole assembly flexes even. Quality of parts is huge.
@@Dem0n1337 Might be why it managed to distort? Out-of-adjustment limit stops are bad, lol. Yeah, it's a cheap part, too. But that might mean the midadjustment (plus operating it like that) caused it to bend instead of breaking something else. Force always finds the weakest component, as I discovered, once upon a time, when I switched to (stacked) steel head gaskets instead of turning the boost back down to "extreme" instead of "oh sh*t." Which... could mean it was a good thing, lol - better a new part in warranty than something else... that wasn't.
Correct, and it's likely the reason it bent in the first place. Correct adjustment is paramount.
@@Dem0n1337 This was not meant to defend the "quality" of this regulator 😉.
When I was broke (as a student) I bought a lot of used parts (= broken parts) and cheap parts. What I learned through this experience, ether buy from the OEM supplier or the OEM part.
hi Ray, I'm just a old backyard mechanic but have changed several window regulators and found that after you get them installed, I would run it up and down and get it to the up position and loosen the the bolts and let it move to a natural position and tighten the bolts.
Yep. Also spray silicon spray in the channels so they don't bind.
Sounds Logical to me....
@@Gerardus1970 I resemble that remark Sir!
@@evilbrat5376 I reassemble that remark Sir! ;-)
I can stand to that as well. A friend of mine who's a mechanic for 20+ years told me something similar to this. And it actually saved me a new regulator as mine was just shuttering a bit. These things are like engine mounts, you really need to run it back and forth a few times before the final tightening.
I’ve had to mess with regulators in the past, but not on a BMW. I usually run the window all the way up so that it is seated in the frame. I would then slightly loosen the regulator installation bolts to let the whole assembly find a relaxed position with the window fully up. I would then tighten down installation bolts.
When you revealed the contents of the box, I smiled my first smile of the day. Thank YOU!
With 30 years of DIY BMW repair, I'd like to offer my 2 cents. As far as chinesium parts go, the only good ones I found are the URO brand, some of which are re-engineered to improve a failure point. On PIA jobs, I stick with OEM or OES. Those old scissor style window regulators are very uncooperative and most after-market parts are too flimsy - as you found out. Also, regular grease is too heavy on the slides - white lithium works better. Love your videos; I feel your pain and smell the oil at times - great work. Thank you!
No telling with a BMWTroubleU......... I have had about the same DIY Experience. The newer you go with BMW, the more plastic you get and it becomes more "Recycled" and more "Costly" to replace....... With my e30 which is basically the same regulator design as this e36, I kept replacing the my drivers window regular with used ones about 15 years back and they kept breaking......I finally bit the bullet and purchased after market. Yes, your correct - it needs to be lubed - the track and the sliders and the circular pivot joint. You can use silicon spray the window sides - which are fabric and rubber - Kent at MercedesSource did a Vid on that way back. Lube does not need to over "globbed" but they need to be lubed. I used Super Lube, which is Plastic and Rubber "Friendly" Silicon/Teflon Lubricant. I don't how bad White Lithium and "Regular" Grease attacks Plastic. I try to avoid them when plastic and/or rubber is involved. And it is important the window is having screwed down in the right position - so it works properly - up and down with out binding and so it does not come off the track. It can take some time finding the "sweet spot"......
URO, really? The only time I used a URO part was a final stage resistor. That thing went out within a year and melted part of the plug. I replaced that with a Behr and haven't had an issue with the FSR. I haven't tried anything URO branded since then.
@@momurderah Never ever use aftermarket final stage resistors. BMWs eat those things for breakfast,
Cheap parts aside that causes these problems, the other culprit is the typical BMW's bad design (part of their over-engineering doctrine). You can throw money at buying premium original BMW parts, but if the design is bad it will not alleviate the problem.
I sure do enjoy your videos. I am 82 , great health and do all repair on my 27 year old Buick and family members.
Thanks for keeping us informed and seeing the many problems you daily encounter. GOD bless you and family.
Which takes us back to 1995. I believe Buicks had the regulators back then with the small diameter steel cable that rode over the nylon or plastic corners and routinely failed. At least my mother's 2000 century had this system. And my '99 Intrigue had it. It wasn't a hard job. It was just a shame that the poor design caused lots of failures.
Trying to help the customer by installing cheaper parts, has a tendency to bite the shop in the ass , as we warranty our own work . And your video nicely testified to this. Sorry for your pain Ray.
Yup. I agree. Also, when the customer has to bring their product back to fix the second time around. The customer doesn't think about the cheap part, they think it was installed incorrectly. So you have the potential to lose a customer or cost the shop even more all because the customer wants to save money.
In this case it's probably at the request of the customer who declined paying 5x for OEM part, it's an almost 30 year old car, it's been taken care of but it isn't worth much... best way to go about this one is to get a regulator from a salvage yard, preferably from a car with low mileage... still going to be more expensive than this POS chinesium one, but absolutely better quality.
@@samjones1954 I promise you're wrong about Ray. Yes, torque wrenches are good but, there are places you don't need them.
@@99lebwel your going to find trolls like sam everywhere. They lack logical coherent thought and this is what you get.
Edit: spelling
its rain ray,,not pain ray.. id say, some one leant on the window, stoped it going up. to bend the arms..those balls dont come out that easy..
The regulator has adjustment via the mounting bolts, so I would say inexperience fitting them lead to this occurring. I did note during the prior video after installing, all bolts were tightened with no adjustment made.
I feel your pain Ray. I work for a regional paint company. Customers are the same no matter the store. They always want the cheapest of the cheap. Then get mad later when they realize what we told them is true about quality expectations, like we didn't just talk to them about that topic prior to their purchase. Like, my best analogy for the paint world is the cheaper it is the more water you're buying. That's why it performs so badly. Yes we want to turn a profit, we're a business. But we also want to sell you best products for your situation/project. We'd like you to be a return customer. But, customers just don't get it. Same with car parts. Hope you have a great memorial day weekend!
A possible alternative would be a wrecking yard regulator from the REAR door (as long as they're the same which they often are). It would be an OEM part but would generally have far less wear than the front reg would have.
They are not the same. Front door and regulator are slightly longer and the fittings are different.
totally agree with u!
yes.. or stop people leaning on the window as it goes up..
If the rear window goes all the way down because there's no wheel well allowance...
Rears are different. As ray says quality costs.. cheap Chinese ripoffs will always give trouble.
Ray's videos...I like them so much I watch them twice.
this reminds me of what I encountered when the regulators failed on my son's '04 Colorado. Not only were the arms on the factory regulators flimsy, the sheet metal on the door was equally flimsy and just warped very easily.
You can get aftermarket power window motors but I ran into the same thing on a Thunderbird rear window. After replacing the aftermarket regulator two times I refused to use aftermarket regulators. That year older Thunderbird had a tiny back window but I learned a good lesson.
Mustie1 always says, "We do it right because we do it twice". LOL Actually this will be 3 times. I think we all learned a valuable lesson here. Don't work on your own BMW. Let Ray do it. LOL
I think the lesson may be to just not buy a freaking BMW in the first place.😂
Stay far away from those junk ass cars trust me. As a mechanic you see what comes in the shop all the time and these are high on the list pieces of shit. Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes, Dodge, Cadillac, Fiat, on and on. Hondas and Toyota’s are by far the best vehicles, Fords or Chevys next.
Mustie1 is a great channel!
@@MrCumstein 25+yr old car that only needed a window regulator?? Good luck with American crap. I love my chevrolets but they would not be road worthy at this age
@@deborahchesser7375 wow, i disagree strongly. Ive owned high milage old bmws thru out my life. Only little stupid stuff goes wrong. These actual easy to work on if you don't have a tampon in
Sir, your ball handling abilities are legendary. Thanks for bringing us with you. It was a ball!
Give you a lot of credit doing this repair again. I have done window repairs and didn't find it amusing at all. I feel your pain and frustration. Hope the rest of your day goes a lot better!!! 🔧
I always enjoyed doing window reg replacements.
Aaah yes. I remember those days when I was a BMW tech. I changed numerous window regs in the old 318i's. Severe pain since it was under warranty.
U should have told Ray, before he started to remove the wore out trim panel !
Use self tipper in the end of the track. Or bend the end of the track, or place a weld there at the end.
Or a big hammer ! LOL
with how flimsy it is, you could use needle nose pliers just to pinch it together
I learn more about having to repair broken registers. Thanks. I admire your knowledge, repair skills, and patience
Personally I equate repairing window regulators with plumbing. Doing the job once is not enough. That you can maintain your composure throughout this video and elegantly get across that crap yields crap is an award winner in itself. Thanks for the video.
I have done most of my own automotive maintenance and repair , within reason , for 45 years . Watching this reminds me of why I went looking for a honest general mechanic . When a 45 minute regulator replacement took me 2 hours and left me physically exhausted I knew father time had caught up to me . Enjoy watching you work and your approach to customer service is refreshing , keep up the good work .
Techs face your exact hardships Quite often as similar problems seldom return enuf to 'learn the fix sequences'
lm getting old now and these projects beat me up everytime especially when I have to crawl under the car .lm usually left with a couple nice scars to remind me I'm getting too old for this.Makes me wish I had me a rainman around
I think there's an adjustment for the motor.... at least there is on the E46. Run the window all the way down and hold the button for 5 seconds and then run it up and hold the button for 5 seconds. Sets the limit for the motor.
The Crystal Ball made me spit out my coffee! Priceless Ray!!!
In a previous video with a Hyundai with stalling issues and no trouble codes, Ray mentioned that he didn't have a Crystal Ball. So, now he has one!
The cleaning of the smears and smudges is the best bit! Copious amounts of brake cleaner being applied makes my day 😄
Glass cleaner*. Brake cleaner is for engine bay related stuff
Ray is why we have a brake clean shortage trust that shit haahahaha.
Hard to o come by lately up my way in the northeast.
@@jerryhatrick5860 not on paint or the interior of the car tho lmao
Happy Memorial Day Ray!
Every older bmw I’ve owned, 3,5 and 7 series had at least one window problem. The aftermarket regulators were garbage. I was better off going to the pick a part junk yard and getting a used.
I owned an older BMW once. After it broke down four times in a two month span of time (while on way to work every time) I happily got paid the scrap value and even had a friendly tweaker (with the sketchiest rollback I've seen) come pick it up for me on the side of the highway so I wasn't responsible for a tow and impound charges too.
theres absolutly nothing wrong with bmw,,just dont buy one..im actually looking to buy a 3.0 tdi. just,for the motor..for my truck..
Ohhhh, the diagnostic crystal ball! Silly me! I thought your superior diagnostic skills came from years of experience and education, but now I know where the true source of your power comes from. Crystal ball or not, you are amazing, man. I love your videos.
The Crystal ball should NOT be used if supprted by wobbly bits, else failure can/ will be affected by...gravity. very hard to use after gravity.
@@jefftomich2865 😂😂
Aftermarket parts should meet/exceed manufacture parts but unfortunately quality control its just crap and its all about $$ and selling junk .. Good job Ray 👌
That would require them to value something other than money.
@@Tiek-bl8ej Unfortunately that's all they value is $$$ , so much technology nowadays and the means to produce car parts specially aftermarket parts with decent quality but their just made even more poorly than 30 yrs ago ... Kinda of a shame but thats the world we living
Maybe once metal 3D printers become mainstream you can start making your own parts. Yeah right, who am I kidding. The manufacturers will sue whomever starts making the 3D designs.
@@pilotstiles theyre actually pretty cheap for what theyre capable of. somewhere in the 5 figure range for the ones that can do metal
Quality never goes out of style but cheap always sells.... unfortunately
I worked at a Lincoln/ Mercury dealer in the late 70s when Ford was using plastic regulator channels. What a nightmare those were! The only solution was to drill through them vertically and install bolts and nuts to "contain" the flexing so the sliders wouldn't pop out.
Haha, wow, I called this one. Two months ago on the original video I stated " With as much as that motor is struggling to put the window back up, i don't think this repair is going to last very long. ". I was right.
U just read my mind !
OMG,
So thanks to your channel. I finals broke down and changed the struts on my 2014 Dart. Since you have to take the front end apart to change the struts, I went ahead and changed the condenser coil. Took the better part of a day but, when your working on rocks is a bit different. 😆
Love your videos.
The best thing about cheap aftermarket parts is that you'll be involved in the engineering 😁
And you'll gain tons of unwanted experience.
I like that saying about Quality pays. Eric O had a good one a couple of videos back where he got a part from the salvage yard; "I trust a junkyard OEM part more than a new Doorman or cheap aftermarket part."
Hey Ray,
I would suggest you to put back the whole assembly in the perfect spot with heavy duty rivets (like they are from factory), not bolts. Because on these beemers even the slightest movement WILL make the glass bind over and over again.
Ask me how I know.
Reminds me a couple weeks back I did W219 front drivers regulator aftermarket one wouldn’t drop glass properly upon door opening ended getting genuine from Mercedes dealer and throwing away aftermarket one
Never try help customer to save money as it always comes back and bites you in the back side
All the best Ray best wishes from across the pond
Sometimes with window regulators, you can get repair kits to replace the weak links (plastic bits) in the OEM parts. Much cheaper than aftermark and OEM, but retains most of the original OEM quality.
The way that the cheaper parts are made; I’d rather have an OEM junk yard part with the new “bits” added. Seems like a better bet.
Yeah.. Aftermarket window parts are pointless. It won't last 6 months I've installed dozens trust me. Doorman is alright but I'd rather get salvage
Every single aftermarket window regulator I installed works perfectly for years because I got decent ones. If you get one thats shit don't install it you can tell by looking take it back a get a different one.
Yep as soon as Ray said "we put and aftermarket regulator in it" I was thinking there's your answer.
AN aftermarket regulator
Patience is a virtue and I am running out of virtue;... I love your new quote. Put it on a magnet or cup and sell it!
For those that care - Ray's original installation of the regulator was at the spot where it was shown to be. It did not move. That doesn't mean that the regulator's arms did not bend which caused the misalignment of the window.
That also means he did not adjust it after fitment as I saw in the OG video.
Glad you are well now!
It's a good idea to clean the tracks and spray some liquid silicone in them to reduce resistance. Scotty Kilmer advice and it works. I've tried it.
Love your sense of humor
For my BMW, I always go with FCP Euro parts. They have both OEM and Genuine BMW parts. OEM are made in the same factory, but don’t have the BMW logo on them. Generally less expensive for essentially the same part.
Just replaced my gas shocks for the convertible cover, $40 a piece. Thought why not replace the convertible gas shock while I'm at it? Convertible gas shock had BMW logo, cost over $80. Same manufacturer, probably same plant but $40 for a logo that no one can see.
Same with my classic mb..find original supplier...use them way cheaper for same part.. mb parts nuts..
@@keithlibner9259 Often times the premium isn't worth it. A good Stabilus strut will work fine whether it has the BMW logo stamped on it or not. Especially when it says on the box Made in Germany. Or sometimes you'll see where the BMW logo was ground off with a dremel tool. I saw that on a VDO fuel sending unit for my E32.
Love the crystal ball. I didn't see that coming.
I wondered if this car from the earlier "repair" would return. Could never get this to stay fixed on my daughters 318 - thought someone messed-up installing alarm system - but it's just evil.
The more, um, fun repair was the sunroof. Had to remove the headliner and sunroof cartridge; no other way to fix. During a storm a nearby tree lost a branch which fell close enough to her car that a walnut tumbled into the sunroof track via the small opening left in the tilted position. First time she retracted the sunroof ... cursed again!
Only in America.
I like your saying I’m in sales for a top of market instrument … I will use that because it is true quality saves
I remember the original repair and thinking to myself "A DORMAN regulator? This won't end well." And sure enough, it hasn't. ☹ Hopefully the shop makes right by the customer and allows Ray to put in the OEM regulator
Never gonna happen. Shop may even take the position, it was rainmans responsibility reengineering the junk new parts til they worked better than OE.
Junk new parts are yuge cause of many cumbaks that make shop and staff look like fools. Of course, it's 100%/always the Techs fault.
@@peted5217 Plus the customer didn't want to pay for OEM parts. So, what do you do?
"I only want to pay for cheap crap, but you're the tech. Make it work."
Sigh...
@@peted5217 I also knew it wasn’t going to end well ! And it will come back….guess what….here it is ! LOL
@@peted5217 Whilst I agree junk parts are a huge problem, the decision is made by the shop to install them. I don't think the regulator was adjusted correctly when first installed (and again) which increases it's loading which, though it is clearly cheap junk, causes it to be stressed and bend. But worse is when a customer brings their own parts to be fitted that they sourced themselves of Ebay, usually at the lowest possible cost. In that case you have to be very selective in what you take on, how you warrant your labour/parts you supply and what costs the customer will incur in terms of diagnostics and repair should the part failure be the cause of the comeback. This has to be communicated clearly and in writing before taking on the job. It's easier to just not take on such jobs to be honest.
@@Gerardus1970 your last sentence on handling this type customer is best solution .
I worked parts for a shop a long while ago, we had to replace the window tracks as well.
I worked the BMW dealership in the 70's , I can't believe they still use the same WPOS mechanism. Those things require a sufficient amount of skin and blood or it's guaranteed to come back.
Why do Americans complain about China's stuff. China can make very good stuff if you pay for it. Remember America gets a lots stuff made in China and stick their own name on it.
@@liamdempsey169 thus our problem ! LOL
Most , if not all 3 series, grunt & fight with the windows going up. It’s a nature of the beast !
I just did this job. Get those clips in good and make sure the glass is fully in the front track which is a POS and always falls out cause it doesn’t go in and the flap folds over. You can loosen the rear track, put the window up making sure the front is in the rubber track then tighten the bolt on the rear track. Should be good. Spent hours on this.
Ray, I really thought you were going to pull a magic eight ball out of that box and ask it what to do 😂
Exactly my thought. “Success seems murky”
I was just waiting for the 2nd part of this video dedicated to putting the door pull shroud back on 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Never managed to get both balls in🤔🫣
Ditto, as soon as I saw the door card come off, almost fast forwarded to watch for the reinstall effort :)
The aftermarket regulator will likely be made from material that's at least a tenth of a millimeter thinner which definitely makes it a shed load weaker. Saves the manufacturer a few pennies a piece but causes consumers and mechanics a friggin' headache.
"Pain, suffering, torment and unrealistic expectations."
In other words: The average German life. ;-P
Blessing be with you and yours Ray, I learn a lot watching your videos and you are entertaining and far more patient then most people.
I did not expect to be balls deep in a Beemer on memorial day. There is something off about the arms on that regulator, the front is low when the window is down and it seems to hit first, so high, when it's at the top. I think the fulcrum is off or that arm is too long. That's the only thing that would cause that. Also, Thank you Veterans
As an older veteran, my reply to you is “It was an honor to serve my country”.
Was it possible that you could of just replaced the motor of the old unit
@@walterheinze8005 I seem to recall him saying something about this in the original video. If they supply you with an entire assembly, you can't just take parts off it and expect any warranty to still be good. It would probably have been a longer lasting repair though.
"Quality doesnt cost, it pays"
never were wiser words spoken
Aftermarket is a 50/50 chance to be good or not. Usually when it is very cheap compared to the OEM, then it is just junk.
You get what you pay for is usually true. (like Ray said).. but also lots of very solid aftermarket parts, sometimes even better than OEM. It's a matter of knowing which brands for what cars. Some aftermarket parts are also exactly the same as OEM, just not stamped with OEM labels etc...
Very true, but the fact that the factory part prematurely failed ain't saying much for the "Jurmanns"
@@MickayG
Indeed. Are used aftermarket headlights on my Dodge Ram. They fit perfect and they work perfect and they were much cheaper. It just depends on what you’re working on.
An aftermarket transmission for a 2002 dodge ram 2500 is much better than the original.
@@izzydizzy1115 Prematurely? It's a 1995 3-series, it's almost 30 years old, and pretty clean also... missed the mileage but probably has a respectable amount on the odometer. The part he is replacing is a very cheap and flimsy after market part he did in a video some weeks ago.
@@izzydizzy1115 Believe it or not! Their made in England ! Fooled me for years also LOL
You can adjust more bolts. Loosen and retighten all of them
I think Ray is missing something.
I have a Chevy Silverado that had the drivers window regulator go bad. I ordered both the GM and aftermarket regulators as advised by my mechanic friend. Both looked great but spending the extra money has paid off as I've never had a problem again!!
If someone has the money for a BMW they surely can spend the money to do a job correctly with OEM parts! This job is, in no way, any bad reflection on you or the business!!!! Some vechicle owners are just cheap.
Parts make or break the repair. Use inferior parts and the shop and mechanic get blamed. Your a hero when you put the $80 part in until it breaks. Then you get to do the job over and over again until the warranty you give is up.
That is why I sold my 1970 Mercedes 280SE (Gas engine not diesel) because I could not afford the parts when it needed some work. It looked show room condition except the engine burned oil. She found a good home.
People buy cars they cant afford to maintain , then they want a cheap fix. OEM quality usually pays for itself
ALWAYS pays for itself
Have found from experience OEM is always the best solution. I’ve had way to many issues with cheap foreign manufactured parts.
BMW stopped making quality anything back 20 years ago, when they figured out that if you suck, it's ok. So glad Toyota/Lexus doesn't fully embrace that yet....but they also suck too (Supra? oh wait, BMW). Haha. Nicely done Ray! That regulator is not long for this world at only 2 months old.
i’ve heard that the German vehicles built in Germany are at a much higher quality level than ones that are not?
@@randomschmo5778 I wouldn't be surprised that the quality in Germany is higher. It shouldn't be, but I've been watching too much Hoovie's Garage to think that anymore. haha.
I would of opted for the more expensive euro fix... Im not casting aspersions on your work.... Sometimes such as this it pays in the end to use the more expensive part.... You get the part that you paid for.... How many times have you purchased something cheap to do a cheap repair and it comes back to haunt you ( it always does with me) .... You do great work rain..... I love everyone of your videos....
notification squad!🔥🔥🔥
Ray LOVES HIS JOB so much he does it twice!!!
I recall in your previous video on this car you used a general purpose grease on the regulator tracks/sliders (wrong stuff). That could have contributed to the problem.
What should be used?
@@nbco55 Because the sliders are nylon or plastic, white lithium or silicone based. Petroleum based will degrade the nylon/plastic.
Love the crystal ball diagnosis!🤣
I've worked in a body shop for years before retiring. Some of those window regulators and channels can be the ultimate test of patients. I am not a fan of any BMW. This looked like a real challenge. Did you go for a walk? I've done that a few times.
In the past, I have put wood blocks in the bottom of doors that prevented the window from lowering too far and pushing out the door trim.
WoW, what a very basic and cool solution. Many Thanks
I have to ask if the glass tracks in the door were cleaned and lubed?
Once a year I clean and lube all my window tracks with silicon spray.
Door gaskets too.
A Windex wipe down (Could use white vinegar as well for cleaning)
the tracks with a cotton rag.
Then, after drying, a spray down with the silicone.
Also, to keep my underarms from getting gritty from summer sweat, a good silicone spraying there as well................HA! Just kidding.
I wonder if I could use it on my girlfriend's boobs???
Oh, well..............GREAT SHOW!!
@@davidwesternall873 He's a Renaissance Man of the times!
I feel your pain, I'm a computer/laptop and electronics repair tech and omg the things I've seen customers demand on check in lol.
BMW stands for “Broke My Wallet.” Sometimes, you just have to go with a OEM part. This is one of those times.
In San Francisco it also stands for Break My Window! Park near Golden Gate Park for any length of time and you'll find out why :(
lol
@@sand0077 - Good to know!
BMW....Big Money Waster.😉😆
tape option? What was I thinking. I'm glad to talk me out of the tape option. WOW.
They always give you just enough room in the cut out to see what needs doing without actually being able to access it. And if you want to drive a Euro, but don't want to pay to repair it properly, get a Camry.
Avoid the German crap these days they are looking to cut corners in order to compete with Toyota which quite frankly builds a better car..."Wir bauen unsere Autos mit den besten Teilen, wenn Sie sich die Reparaturrechnung nicht leisten können, wenn es nötig ist, kaufen Sie einen Toyota"
@@johncherish7610 i still like my older Mercedes, back when they were build like very fast tanks. And you can do most of your own work. Not so much now.
Ya, Tru That. Most Modern Euros are only fixed using Umbr $$$$
complete modules . That also require proprietary specialized tools ......
Yup..
I have found that if a part is electrical always go OEM or get an oem part from a junkyard. I had aftermarket door switches die within a week that was not orm.
Crappy spare parts are never worth it. Good lesson for the consumer
A friend used to have a BMW. I told him it stands for "bring money with"!
in my experience 90% of windows fail like this because the rubber pieces in the track fail to glide and start sticking, which damages the regulator or burns out the motor. Should have replaced the guide track too.
You win the internet today.
Could a dry lubricant be used to limp it along, like a silicone based one or PFTE?
@@nbco55 I think they make a spray dry silicone lubricant. you just have to keep putting it on.
@@P_RO_ I probably had 4 cars in the 90s and early 00s that had this issue on the driver side seals. Rubber just deteriorates from use and/or age..
Wow 2 balls in at the same thing amazing.
For Peters sake, watch the fingers! I guess that the actual expectation is that the Beemer regulator will be better but it did originally come to you in a failed condition. That said, even Dormans should go a bit longer. Shop will have to refund him the Dorman and put it towards a BMW piece.
The OEM regulator lasted 27 years before failing. I'd say that's good enough.
I've had the same problem with my 2004 dodge intrepid.
When you said that you had a special tool for it I was expecting a hammer, not a crystal ball.
my crystal ball always says, that Ray always will make a good vid!
I had a similar problem on a Cavalier (who didn't have window nightmares on them??). Solved with a small block of wood in the bottom of the door, preventing it going all the way down. Can't really do that on a customers car of course!!
Bmw, an expensive problem you could've fixed buying a Toyota lol, great vid as always ray
I wish toyota bring back the real cars with interesting engines like the old celica now a days you can only buy a hybrid :( (in europe)
@@jijzer3284 the only car that is approved by Scotty kilmer 😂
Ok so , I had a old 65 ford f100 pickup that both windows would randomly fall off track and off of the moving lift thingy muhjig . So when I would have to out it back on track I would use a piece of 2×2 wood to wedge between bottom of the door and window to hold it up so it wouldn't fall on me and fall back off track like this window did when trying to put the oars back together. It is always handy to keep a 2×2 if you are having to put windows back on tracks , it's like a 3rd hand that holds one corner up while using your 2 hands to fuss and cuss at the other end pieces.
You can see the whole assembly bend and flex all over the place, it's just junk. BMW part is the only option with those.
You just need some cheese with that whine. I love the crystal ball. Every mechanic needs one.
Pain, suffering and torment; yes, that pretty well sums up BMW ownership. Don't forget expensive
My neighbor she had a BMW 325i same problem with her car they put in a cheap part it shattered the drivers side door glass. The shop paid for the door glass and the cheap part. They got the right part replaced the glass and took some more off her bill for her inconvenience.
410th! YIPPIE! BOY HOWDY! GOOD MORNING RAY! Roger in Pierre South Dakota
Theres and adjustment you need to make, loosen the bolt to the left of the motor, and possibly the arms. Operate the switch then tighten the bolts when everything finds where it needs to be. You can look up how to adjust it. You're also supposed to do the windown learn procedure after replacing the motor and regulator. I think its roll the window all the way up or down and hold the button for 10-20seconds or something like that. I put 2 dorman ones in an e36 i had years ago and they were fine as long as installed properly. Otherwise this is what happens
Have great day Ray
Enjoy watching a Ray's video early in the morning.
Thanks for the video, Ray!
Great to see you're back.
I like that- "quality dosnt cost, it pays"
checked the other video for you.. bolt was on the bottom last time :-P top now...thumbs up all 3 vids :)
pro til if you twist the glass fat side up front side by the mirror straight down and keep twisting the entire window comes out fairly easily then you can reverse this process except with the glass back in the right track grooves and then attach to the clips. i work in a body shop and deal with windows every day lol. putting the window back on track inside the door is much harder in my experience.
Have a trimming good day Ray. LOL good fined nice fix.