Window Regulator and Motor Removed, Glass Cannot Travel Full Range

[m3f_100xTREE]

I made an honest effort to search fort this before posting since the problem I'm having doesn't seem like something that would be unique...


My window was stuck rolled up so I replaced the regulator and motor with new parts. When I hooked everything back up, the window could only roll up about halfway. I did some googling and played with the initialization procedure but eventually got frustrated and took off the regulator and motor just to do a sanity check that the glass could still travel the full range; I found that it could not. Even with the regulator+motor removed I can still only get to the halfway point of the travel.


I did more research and I saw a lot of diagnosing for regulator and motor failures but not so much for restricted glass movement. I looked at the setup for a long time and it looks like the window is properly seated in the window guide rail which is at the handle end of the door as opposed to the mirror end (#16 here: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=51_2055). On the mirror end, it looks like there's another channel that the glass should be sitting in, but in my case it's not. The glass is instead behind this channel, away from me.


I did find this YouTube video that I think might help answer my question but I'm not sure if he's describing how to solve the same problem I'm having:

Bmw e36 window alignment - YouTube












.


I found that video after I'd stopped working on the car for the day so I'll have to try it out myself but I thought I'd see if anyone on here has solved this issue already too.


edit:


FWIW, this is on a 1998 M3/2/5 on the driver's side door.

[m3f_M_Parallel]

If everything is fitted correctly and it only goes halfway up, forget the initialization procedure and try this instead:


Open door

Roll down window completely

Push the up button untill the window stops

Now press the switch on the doorstriker that makes the window drop when opening the door and let go. Press it again. At every press and let go, the window should move up a little more as it was before.

Repeat until the window reaches the top agsin.

[m3f_100xTREE]

If everything is fitted correctly and it only goes halfway up, forget the initialization procedure and try this instead:


Open door

Roll down window completely

Push the up button untill the window stops

Now press the switch on the doorstriker that makes the window drop when opening the door and let go. Press it again. At every press and let go, the window should move up a little more as it was before.

Repeat until the window reaches the top agsin.

I'll be trying this today! Thank you!


Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


edit:


M_Parallel: I tried your method and although you were right about it wiggling up using the door striker, it ultimately got stuck in about the same place and ended up breaking off the slider clip. I tried reattaching and repeating the process but it seemed to just keep breaking off and now I think I'm going to have to replace that slider clip. Not a big deal though they're not too expensive.


I did try applying the loosely-explained technique in the YouTube video I posted at the start of the thread and was able to wiggle the glass into the channel at the mirror end of the door which then allowed me to coax the window all the way up eventually. Here's what I did:


1. Since the slider clip had broken off of the metal rail on the bottom of the glass, it wasn't connected to the regulator but the other slider clip was. (This is the driver's side in my case so the left slider is attached while the right side is off)

2. Raise the window to a little below half way, I'd say

3. Manually angle the right-hand side of the glass downward (the end closer to the side mirror)

4. At the right-hand side of the glass, down at the bottom metal window rail, pull the glass towards you with enough force to get the glass as close as you can to the channel

5. Pulse the window down with the electric window switch while applying this force to the bottom metal window rail but being careful about your hands in there, applying equal or greater force towards yourself

6. I seem to remember it making a noise while settling into the channel that indicated it had eased its way in. You can inspect the channel to see if the glass is now in there

7. I believe the glass was at an angle at this point and I had to manually lift the right side of the glass up in order to line up with the regulator arm

8. Fasten the regulator arm to the slider all the way

9. Try rolling up the window all the way to the top


I'll have to wait until I get some more sliding clips to see if it's all the way fixed but I at least have the window again . Will be updating with other progress...

[m3f_100xTREE]

I got my replacement slider clip today and I appear to have fully repaired the regulator+motor and glass alignment. I had to repeat the steps I detailed previously and it took a couple of iterations of the steps to get it completely right. I should have tried taking a video, but the process looked more like this:



1. Since the slider clip had broken off of the metal rail on the bottom of the glass, it wasn't connected to the regulator but the other slider clip was. (This is the driver's side in my case so the left slider is attached while the right side is off)

2. Raise the window to a little below half way, I'd say

3. Manually angle the right-hand side of the glass downward (the end closer to the side mirror). Angle it as much as you can but don't apply a crazy amount of force.

4. At the right-hand side of the glass, down at the bottom metal window rail, pull the glass towards you with enough force to get the glass as close as you can to the channel

5. Pulse the window down with the electric window switch while applying this force to the bottom metal window rail but being careful about your hands in there, applying equal or greater force towards yourself

6. I seem to remember it making a noise while settling into the channel that indicated it had eased its way in. You can inspect the channel to see if the glass is now in there. If it is in the channel, move your hands out of the area and continue to lower the glass all the way down.

7. Pulse the window all the way up. If it stays in the channel it should be able to travel the full distance. If it falls out of the channel, repeat steps 2-7 until you can get it all the way up.

8. Once you've confirmed the window can stay in the channel all the way up to the top, roll the window down until you can see the regulator arms.

9. Attach the remaining regulator arm to the window slider clip

10. Roll the window all the way down and try rolling it all the way up again. If this is successful, you should be set.



I should offer a disclaimer at this point that I'm not an expert with this subject by any means and anyone with more of a clue than me is welcome to correct anything idiotic I might have suggested