Drivers window stuck in down position

[Multibeemer]

As it says in the subject line, the drivers window in our 03 4.4i is STUCK in the down position, but it seems to be a little different than other threads I've searched on this problem. I can jiggle it a little at the back, but it's really stuck at the front - no matter how hard I tug, I can't get it to budge.

I assume the regulator is toast, but I need to get the window out in order to replace the regulator. Ideally, I'd like to move it to the up position while waiting for a new regulator to arrive.

Has anyone had this particular problem? Any tricks to getting the window to come free? I can't even get a flashlight to shine on the area that's stuck to give me some ideas as to what I should do to get it loose. Should I remove the bolts holding the regulator to the door frame, or is this going to just make a bad situation worse? Thanks in advance.

[Imy]

Hi, I am going through this issue at the moment.

Are you sure it's the regulators?

My window gets stuck when it's all the way down. The way I got it up was by sticking a flat head screw driver in the corner of the frame to the rear of the window so it could slide up.

I am going to replace it with a clip that looks like this:
BMW X5 WINDOW REGULATOR CLIP FRONT RIGHT | eBay

I've heard this is a common issue and worth trying before replacing the whole regulator

[electricalserv x5]

Hi , it is common for BMW,s, the driver side window to get suck down, basically the window is off track,pick up a new screw from a dealer and bring it to a auto glass repair shop.
It happens when You close the door when the window is down, and shakes the screw loose.

[Multibeemer]

Thanks for the replies. No, I don't know for certain that the regulator is bad, but I had to take the panel off to try to figure out why it's stuck anyway, whether it's because the regulator broke, or a bolt holding the glass to the regulator just came loose (I'm hoping for the latter!). So, I have the panel completely off, but, as I said, I can't get the glass to budge. The odd thing is that it's stuck at the front, where most of the posts I've read on window problems have indicated the issues tend to be at the mounting point at the back.

I'll keep struggling with it to see if I can break (I didn't really just say that, did I...?) it loose. Then I'll be able to assess what's wrong.

By the way, on the E46, a common issue is that the clip that holds the window to the regulator tends to break, so people often repair them with zip ties. In fact, you can even reinforce the clip with a zip tie to help prevent future failure (I've done that on both front doors of my daughter's 04 325i). Is there something similar that can be done with the X5? Thanks.

[Multibeemer]

Well, I've spent a very frustrating afternoon wrestling with this thing, and I'm at my wits end - the window won't budge. I've completely removed the foam vapor barrier to give me maximum access to the door cavity, and I've removed the inner and outer (without creasing the aluminum) trim pieces at the base of the window, but I can't see what might be causing the window to bind up.

The window didn't fall down on its own. My wife, who was driving it at the time, told me it was making strange noises for awhile, and yesterday, she rolled it down completely, heard a clunk, and then it wouldn't roll back up. The motor seems to be OK, because if I quickly depress or raise the switch, I get a bit of movement.

But my fundamental problem is that I can't raise the window enough to get a look at the connector pieces that hold the window to the regulator, so I can't see what might be wrong. Ideas? Thanks.

[SlickGT1]

Can you get at the two bolts that hold the window to the regulator?

Can you get snips to the cables from the regulator?

Can you see if the front of the window is still in the track?

[SlickGT1]

Worst case take out the two top bolts. Collapse the regulator in the door and lift window with the regulator enough to get at the two attachement bolts.

[Multibeemer]

Nope - I can't get at the bolts that hold the glass to the regulator, since the window is at the very bottom of its travel. And I'd rather not cut the regulator cables until I'm sure the regulator is bad. I checked, and yes, the front of the window is definitely still in the track, which surprised me.

Your idea to remove the top two bolts and collapse the regulator sounds like it's worth a try. I'll look into that tomorrow. Thanks.

[SlickGT1]

You will be able to collapse a little, depending on the condition of those plastic clips holding the window, so do not force it too hard. As long as the 4 screws holding the regulator to the door are out, you will be able to get wiggle room. Just have some painters tape handy, so that you can tape the window to your door, so that it doesn't drop on you when you lease expect it.

[Multibeemer]

Would there be any harm in simply removing all the bolts that hold the regulator to the door, and then lifting the regulator and window out as a unit? My suspicion is that the regulator is actually OK, and the problem is just that the clips or clips holding the regulator to the window are broken, and in the process of breaking, it caused something to get jammed up in there.