Help Front Left Window regulator replacement

[TerminatorX5]

sorry, i am not much help on the airbag light... i had some guys do some light programming, like enabling euro frequencies on the radio (the even FM channels), turning off the ding-dong noise, when the key is left in the ignition... but niothing beyond that...

[X5Cat]

$39.40 with shipping. Could be much worse!

[TerminatorX5]

that is actually is a very good price...

[machintek]

Interesting. I replaced these clips on my sons 318Ti.
Now on the X5 (2002), the passenger window got stuck down. A little help up and it went up smooth as silk. I unplugged the motor.
Now I have the same issue with the Drivers side. I will look at the clips but it went up evenly. Thinking of putting a wood block at the bottom of the door to limit down travel.
Crude. May break the cables.
Have the Bentley manual out trying to see what stops the window when going down.
FYI: Nothing found.
Anyone know?
Thanks in advance.

George
Hoover, AL
2002 X5 3.0L

[TerminatorX5]

chances are that the clips on the X5 are giving in... they are THE weakest link in the window setup. limiting the travel will not help, the motors operate via the general modul giving the commands... on the way up, if the glass encounters an obstacle, the force to move glass increases thus drawing more torque from the motor and more juice, and the module shuts off the motor ( retracts it a bit and shuts off). it is the pinch protection. on the way down it operates in similar way, but does not retract glass up. so the wedge will stop the glass travelling at a different stopppig point but will not prevent the disintegration of the clips, as the slightly increase torque applied by the motor will be at a wooden block spot, and that torque will put the force onto the weakened clips. stop operating the windows until you get the replacement clips, and just replace the clips now, before the cable gets all tangled up, and the glass gets scratched, and then you will need to replace all the guts...

sorry for the long explanation...

[machintek]

Actually great thinking. Thank you.
I examined carefully the door bottom for broken pieces. Found none.
BUT, moving the window down to a hole in the channel, I noticed that the cable has a piece crimped on it that fits into that clip that moves the window up and down. That did not look right. Sure enough, using some needle nose pliers, I found a piece broken off of it. Eureka! Now I know how to fix BOTH windows.
Hard to keep up though. Had a coolant leak. Had to replace the expansion tank. And noticed that the fan shroud is broken. Have one now but have to get the fan off, RH or LH? Also noticed that the 2 front outer boots are split. Just repaired the outside door lock and the MID. Hard to keep up. Have to pull the engine on the Audi S4 to replace the turbos (just rebuilt the manual 6 speed) and the Audi A6 needs a valve body rebuilt on the Auto transmission. One day at a time! And daughters Volvo won't start. And garage door just stopped working. The screw drive plastic block striped.
Pulled the motor connector on the window motor in case the wife gets a brain freeze.
Must be 2 of these blocks on each window?
Thanks again.

George
Hoover, AL
2002 X5 3.0L

[TerminatorX5]

the definition of time is that the future contains indefinite amount of enthropy that slowly (or not so slowly!!!) trickles into the past via the present... your situation is just that... when you get the window clips, on the same order buy the clips that hold the door trim to the door, as they break when you pull the trim in and out... will save some aggravation when you are reinstalling the trim back... oh, and buy more of thos clips, at a buck a piece, i got myself 10 - let them sit in the garage, just in case...

[TerminatorX5]

roll tide roll... ha ha ha, i was told to tell you that... lol...

[machintek]

As long as I do not reach maximum entropy for a while.
I have a box of 100 door clips. Needed them for daughters Z3 (now a mother with a XC90) and my son's 318Ti and then his M3 (totalled by a guy texting on a straight level road and failed to stop as my son was stopped at a red light).
Tomorrow I will get those window clips. A bunch of them. If I have spares, they will never break again.
As for roll tide, Yes, I have been in Alabama now 21 years but am originally from NJ. I am referred to as a damn Yankee because I moved there and stayed. There is no neutrality here among the natives. You are either for Alabama or Auburn. Me, I enjoy shopping during the iron bowl. Stores and streets are deserted.
BTW, I saw a interview where physicists are disturbed by the weakness of gravity and believe it is a force leaking into this dimension from another one. I have to check their math on that one. LOL.

George
Hoover, AL
2002 X5 3.0L

[machintek]

UPDATE: That broken plastic block is part of the window regulator and cannot be purchased individually. It is attached to the cable and rides the rail up and down taking the window with it. Did buy window clips just in case, and 2 outer axle boot rebuild kits.
Ebay has regulator for anywhere from $20+ dollars without a motor to a lot higher. Dealer wants $200.00 each (I need 2). The right front is broken too.
Peace.
BTW the window clips are totally different from the blocks that broke on the 318. Those regulators had arms. The X5 is the cable type thus the difference.

George
2002 X5 3.0L
Hoover, AL.