window clack, clack, clacking (archive)

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Scott, you were absolutely right, the teeth on the regulator assembly are metal, but they were worn or broken off in one spot. This caused the window to stop short of fully closed with that ratcheting sound.

I went cheap, instead of ordering new I bought a used one from the nicest fella back east who was parting his own 735i. But worked out ok in the end, and he included the motor, so I didn�t have to fool with taking the old one off. Besides at the time, I wasn�t sure whether the problem was on the regulator teeth or the motor teeth, and I only wanted to take the door apart once.

Working on that window is messy business, graphite grease everywhere inside those door mechanisms. Have plenty of paper towels and shop rags handy, and if someone is handy to lower and raise the window for you, it�ll save you from messing up your interior.

Taking the door panel off was just like the Bentley manual, but it still took me 1/2 hour because I kept thinking that I was going to break the panel while prying out the fasteners. Spotted the problem right away when the panel was out - - two broken teeth on the regulator. Taking the regulator bracket off was easy, just 4 nuts to loosen, and two "cotter pin like" clips that hold the regulator arms to the plastic slides in the glass tracks.

Hint: the regulator blocks access to just about everything except the very left & bottom of the door. I put the window down under power until just about two inches or so from the bottom and put a small wood block in the door to prop up the glass. Then I disconnected the plug to the motor, to avoid accidental cuts, crushes or pinches.

With the clips removed, the regulator arms pop out of the plastic guides. Use a wide flat blade screwdriver and gently pry til you hear the pop. It's a tight fit, and feels like you are going to break the plastic (and I did break one, luckily the used unit included two so I was ok)Then just angle the unit out of the door.

The new unit(used) took considerably longer to put back in, probably because i didn�t know what to look for. Next time will go faster. Angle the new unit in and put the nuts on finger snug.

Now here was a problem, there are two felt covered guides for the window glass one on the left and one on the right, the one on the right doesn�t appear to be held in a fixed position, it has about an inch of play. The trick is to keep the glass in both guides. This was almost impossible while the window was down. After muuuuuuuuch cussing and trying many different ways, I manually lifted the window glass up into almost the closed position, while making sure the glass was firmly in the left and right guides. Holding it in place, now from the top and outside the door, I had my wife gently raised the window motor under power until the regulator arms were just under the plastic/tracks then let the glass down to rest on the regulator arm ends. Then I disconnected the motor again, and from the inside of the door, I slid the glass down in line with the left regulator arm and the plastic track slide. Pop the regulator arm end(pin) into the plastic slide and fasten with the clip. Now lower the window under power til the right regulator arm and the glass track/plastic slide are about an inch from the bottom. Pop in the right regulator arm end(pin) into the plastic slide and fasten with the clip.

Now I thought I was done. I put the window up and it worked fine, nice and snug against the top window molding. But when I used the auto down mode, there was that lousy clacking again, only this time it was at the bottom of the window motion. It turns out that I didn't have the stop adjusted correctly, it's that thing above the motor that looks like a big 1 inch washer with a hex head bolt in the middle. Loosen the bolt and the stop will slide in its own slot. Move it to the right and down as far as it will go and snug the nut down just a little. Then put the window down and see where the window stops. Moving the stop in its slot to the left and up will allow the window to go lower. When you've got it adjusted to where the glass just disappears into the door on auto, cinch down that stop bolt for good and you're almost done. Make sure that when the window is closed the glass is snug against all edges. The left bottom bolt has a little play to allow you to adjust the orientation of the window so that it is snug. When you got everything just right, snug down all the 4 nuts holding the regulator to the door and your done. Just remember to take the wood block out of the door, and reconnect the limit switch and motor before closing up the panels.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice! I hope this might be just as helpful to someone else (sorry no pictures, I dont have a digital camera)

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Posted by Scott - 89 735iL on February 12, 2002 at 11:35:54:
In Reply to: Re: window mechanism posted by gorky on February 11, 2002 at 16:36:52:

I don't remember if the teeth are plastic or metal on the motor but I know the regulator has the metal teeth. But don't let this fool you, as I know from experience that the teeth on the regulator will wear down. I had about four teeth in one spot that were worn down. That is why my window stated clacking at the same spot.
I would think that if the window is making the noise in the same spot that it might be the regulator because the teeth on the regulator are only used once as the window goes up and down. The teeth on the motor are used many times are the motor makes many revolutions each time the window goes up or down.

The best way is if you can visually look at them. Just for reference, I paid about $140 for a new window regulator that was from a local independent shop. I am sure I could have gotten it cheaper or the internet but I got same day service and had it fixed the same day.

Scott
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Posted by gorky on February 10, 2002 at 23:09:25:

(posted from: user-2inituo.dialup.mindspring.com (165.121.119.216))
Hello,
Just got myself a silver '88 735i 5spd a month or so back.

It's a real blast to drive, especially considering its a 5 passenger sedan. But I've discovered that it is not with

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