DIY: 2006 BMW X5 Window Clips
 

DIY: 2006 BMW X5 Window Clips

OK,

This has been addressed in different places. A nice video on X5 front window regulator by bimmermerchant is below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYxh_mb7P5w

Another good link by Frankie:
Frankie's BMW :: X5 :: DIY Procedures :: Power Window Fix

Another link:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ips-motor.html


- My clips are original at 115K, not broken yet but brittle and fell apart when removed.

- The LEFT FRONT glass sometimes bind and I can’t raise it. A few minutes later it would work again! Someone said in forum that when it is uneven, the glass binds, and this stops the motor from going up. So I replaced the clips.

- The RIGHT FRONT has a loud click when the glass reaches the top. After replacing the plastic clips, the noise is gone!

PARTS

- Chevrolet GMC Cadillac BMW Mercedes Benz Parts and Accessories (Lincoln, Nebraska BMW dealer)

- Glass Clips: BMW 51338254781, 2 per door. About 90 cents/each; I got 6, 4 to be used, 2 as spare.

- Door Trim Clips 51418224781, 11 clips per door. About 61 cents/each, I bought 8. You will break a few clips during panel removal.

- Grease for greasing the pulleys and tracks

- Loctite

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67398


PROCEDURE
1. Open door and hit the dome switch to turn light off. Key out of ignition for now.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67399


2. Wrap a screwdriver in cloth and pry the trim piece from OUTER edge toward the inner door handle.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67400


3. There are 4 Torx #20 screws, one is hidden below the “Airbag” logo.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67401


4. Wrap a screwdriver in cloth and pry window switch upward. Then undo the connectors as shown:

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67402

- To remove trim panel: screwdriver wrapped in cloth, gently pry around the bottom and around the 11 clips until they are loose. Then lift the trim panel UPWARD.


5. D/C the latch cable where it attaches to the inner door handle. Look CAREFULLY, you will see a tiny tab, release it and the cable will fall off (small red circle). NOTE: the door panel attaches to a BLACK plastic Clip (BLUE arrow) that engages the metal V-shaped prong. Study it so you know how to re-attach it.
- You can attach it to the panel and snap it in. The problem is it tends to fall off. So a bit of glue is fine.
- The other technique is to leave the BLACK clip there and somehow engage the panel on it during installation.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67403


6. Door panel has a total = 11 plastic clips. Note the BLUE circle is where the BLACK Plastic Clip attaches to.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67404


7. Remove only the bottom half of the Vapor Barrier, then tape it up. No need to remove the whole Vapor Barrier because you only replace the plastic clips.
NOTE: If you ever remove the Air Bag Device, research beforehand! Remove it and install it with key out of ignition. See the youtube video by bimmermerchant above.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67407


8. Re-attach the window switch (the bigger Black connector only), then lower the window until both 8-mm bolts appear in the holes.
- Then key out of ignition.
- Once the 8-mm bolts are removed, position the glass such that you have access to the clips. I placed a piece of wood below to support the glass.
- Make sure the plastic sits properly.
- Then I slide the nut: Loctite in the threads and a bit of grease on the outside, so it slides inside the clip better. The nut only fits one way: the flange (of the nut) faces away from you.
- Gently tighten each 8-mm bolt. Make sure both are even and sits properly in the guide rail holder. Then tighten both bolts. I don’t know the torque but finger-tight, then a twist until it stops.
- If someone knows the torque, please post.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachment.p...chmentid=67406


9. I take this opportunity to grease:
- Rails
- All Pulleys
Find a photo of the Window Regulator on the internet so you know where the pulleys are located.

That is boys and girls, very easy!










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Great DIY! I like the concept of not removing the vapor barrier completely, if you do it this way you can also buy new regulator "slider clips" and install them at the same time you do the new window "black clips", as the regulator clips do also fail. I can't see the other "regulator clip" but you may have to remove the speaker in order to get the other clip visible in order to replace the innermost one.

What are you lubing the pulleys and the tracks with? I have silicone spray and teflon spray for lubricant, and was planning on doing the black clips and regulator clips at the same time and will refer to this DIY.

Very nice. Appreciate all the photos and part numbers.

One thing I think you should update - you say the airbag should only be removed with the key out of the ignition. That is a start, but the correct procedure is to disconnect the negative battery terminal and cover it to prevent accidental re-connection and then wait a certain amount of time to make sure the system is disarmed (Bentley says 1 minute, I have read 5 to 30 minutes in other places - I try to follow the 30 minute rule).

- I used wheel-bearing grease.

- If anyone has ever used the "slider clips" (that slide along the tracks), please make a recommendation re where to buy it (URL link please), pricing, your experience with it.
With the OEM window regulator being only $150 at dealer, if my sliders ever go bad, I'd probably get a brand-new OEM regulator b/c I know it lasts some 100K miles.

Very nice, but not all panels are the same, I have factory led lights in my inside door handle that needs to be unplugged before removing the panel completely.

Nice DIY. I did a video on this a few years ago, surprised this didn't make the bunch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi46qZgP-i4

I bought a pair of "slider clips" from RegulatorFix.com - They are sitting on my workbench with a pair of black "window clips" ready to go in my existing regulators which have not failed (I am trying to be preventative). My impressions looking at them is they are very beefy and heavy duty and should probably outlast the car. If I ever needed another regulator I would probably swap them on there.

The pulley/cable assembly does go bad as well but it is my opinion that these slider and window clips are the major wear items requiring replacement of the regulator.

Will post in your thread if its ok cn90, when I do the job with some pictures and impressions - regarding the replacement of the slider clips with the new black plastic clips from BMW

subbed. thanks for the guide!

Ricky,

Feel free to post photos in this thread.

This is my intel gathering info:
1. The first thing to go is the 90-cent black clips in this thread.

2. The second thing to go is the "slider clips".
- I think in order to replace these slider clips, the whole WR needs to be removed from the car (I may be wrong). I wonder if one can replace the slider clips with the WR in situ (less work b/c removing the WR is a pain).
- There are so many sellers on ebay that I don't know which is a good brand.
- On the other hand, a brand-new OEM WR is not that expensive, about $150 and should last some 100K.

3. The third thing to go is the plastic pulleys.


Anyway, after fixing the black plastic clips, I am not opening the windows any more LOL (j/k)...

^I wouldn't be opening them either LOL

Yes I am in agreement about all 3 things and the order of failure. I know the guy who runs RegulatorFix.com was a member and/or vendor here which is why I chose to order a pair from him as a "test run".

I have yet to confirm, but I did watch a video where the slider clips were replaced in situ on Youtube, again in agreement that if one goes through the trouble to remove the entire WR, one should just replace it (and/or perhaps replace the slider clips with heavier duty ones at that time). If I am able to replace the slider clips in situ, as you are able to do with the black plastic clips, I theorize that you can extend the OE regulator lifespan by probably 50% or more.

Will update when I get some free time to do this, I need to pick up some spare door panel clips from the dealer.