Update - see my post below on exactly how to do it.

If you get the door apart and don't have the plastic window clips and you have to get it back together so you can get to work etc., just use zip ties through the conical(cone) washer and fix it in place to the metal bracket.

So 2006 4.8is is at the dealer getting suspension module and they call saying the driver's window regulator needs replacing at a cost of $987 all-in. I'm thinking this thread shows that I can do it for quite a bit less money.

I posted this DIY in Sept 2015, 2 years ago.
Today the RF passenger refuses to go up.
Turned out it was the "Slider Clips".

Thanks to Ricky Bobby, I already bought these Slider Clips beforehand so I was able to replace them right away (it was raining!).

Replacing the "Slider Clips" is a bit tricky:
- Vapor Barrier half off taped upward as in the DIY.
- 8-mm bolts off.
- Manually push the glass upward and use a short piece of 2x4 to prop the glass upward.

- Once the old slider clip is off (youtube has video for this particular slider clip), install the new slider clip on the cable.
- The RegFix White Plastic part has a tight slot, so you need to be creative to pop the rectangular piece (on the cable) into the slot on the Slider Clip. Use a pair of pliers and a small piece of Hex key (or whatever you want) and press it.
- When in doubt, watch youtube video.

So, I recommend that when people replace the part posted in the original thread (BMW 51338254781), replace also the slider clips to save you time later.

Just did this. Passenger front window was popping.
I bought the sliders from "regulator fix" guy. They are all
White nylon. Very slippery, yet stout.
I did both front windows same day. The black clip that holds
the serrated nut is a must replace item also.

Windows are smooth as silk now. I feel it's a one-n-done preventative repair.
The new sliders are never going to wear out.

Here are some photos...


1. Old Clip but still good vs "RegFix" White Plastic. The part that handles all the load during going UPWARD is circled in YELLOW.


2. Piece of 2x4 wood to prop the glass, make sure the 8-mm bolts are visible as shown. If not, reconnect the window switch to the black connector (with the fat pins), turn key to position II and adjust until you see the 8-mm bolts.


3. The White Plastic Clip from RegFix has a hole that is rather tight. Use a pair of Channel Lock pliers and squeeze it in. I also used a small screw to help seat the rectangular block (from the cable) to seat deeply in the hole.

- I just read the amazon review on the Plastic Clips.

- Most people are happy, but a few are unhappy, presumably from incorrect installation (such as ? not seating the rectangular block properly inside the hole).

- Here is the amazon review:
https://www.amazon.com/RegulatorFix-...dp/B00BT1H0OS/


PS: Can we have some feedback from people here that installed the RegFix Plastic Clips? How long do yours last?

I did some random search, a person named NicB in E46 forum reported that the plastic clips lasted him 1.5 years LOL...

Window Regulator Repair Clips and Non-OE Regulators - E46Fanatics

The clips are cheap but I do not enjoy removing the trim panel and the vapor barrier sticky butyl tape. Anyway, if I don't open the window again (or open only 1-2 inches), the plastic clips should last a long time.

I wonder why they don't make the hole (cradle where the rectangular block goes inside) out of steel or aluminum. Metal should be more durable than plastic.

I am not opening the window again LOL...

Why plastic? Cheaper and easier in every way, and still meets the lifetime spec of 100k miles that these trucks were designed for. Yes, since I'm well past that mileage too, I wish they were built to last.

I've replaced all the regulator clips in my x5, some of them pre-emptively with minor cracks showing.

EDIT - I thought I had, but nope. The right rear was skipped since that was a dealer repair in 2012 before I bought the car. Surely it would not need pre-emptive repair ... NO. Broken and fixed in Oct 2017.

The regfix ones are all plastic, and look to me to be 3-D printed. I know that should be convenient and easy to make, but I'm not sure the plastic would be as strong as it could be. So I've used the metal+plastic versions. Yes, the plastic there could be just as weak, or worse, but hopefully better. In at least some of these ones, it looks like they actually rebuilt the clips with new plastic parts attached to re-used metal parts.

From looking at the failures, it looks like the movement of the cable away from the clip causes the cracking. So on these new ones I put in, I added the zip ties (referred to elsewhere as a repair method) to keep the cable aligned. This way the zip ties keep that twisting motion in line, so the "block" just deals with the axial force along the cable. I think this is only for the fronts, with the rear window regulator clips having a different design that makes the zip tie less important.

It has only been 2.5 years since the first one, but everything has held together.

Someone had earlier asked for tips on how to install a new regulator clip for the rear window. I did this yesterday, and it was very easy this way:

Wind all the cable onto the spool driven by the motor (which of course is removed). This will leave just the right amount of cable hanging free on each end. To stop the cables from unraveling, be careful to keep tension on both cable ends while you ...

Make sure the cable is routed properly through the non-rotating guide on one end of the regulator (non-pulley end).

Make sure the cable is NOT fully routed on the pulley, but is instead hanging off one side on one of the cam-like ledges on the pulley. It is held right next to the pulley by a tight fit with the regulator steel rail end, so it's not going anywhere.

With the new regulator clip not clipped into the rail yet, but in the proper orientation (but flipped over from its final orientation), connect both cable ends into the regulator clip, being careful to get the springs nicely seated all the way in. Even with the cable off the pulley, and the regulator clip off the rail, this will be a pretty tight squeeze/fit. Once in place, it will be happy to stay that way.

No zip-tie reinforcement is really possible or helpful with the rear design.

Flip the regulator clip over, clipping it into the rail.

At this point, it should feel fully tight, but you still need to do the last step of getting the cable over and onto the pulley. The cam thing there seems designed to facilitate this. Sliding the regulator clip along the rail, while trying to press the cable onto the pulley should get it on there. Everything up to this was really very easy, this is the only kind of tricky thing. The good news is that at this point everything is pretty well held in place so you can just focus on getting the cable over the ridge without also worrying about something else popping off.

Once the cable is on the pulley, grease things up and move things around to confirm movement.