2001 X5 Driver window stuck in up position.
 

So I need to replace the driver window regulator and motor. However, the glass is stuck in the up position and I cannot access the old window motor to switch it out and I don’t see another way to drop the glass. I tried the driver window switch and the key from the outside. Both failed to drop the glass. Any ideas?

You'll have to cut the cable of the regulator if it's seized. Make sure to tape the window up so it doesn't just fall down when you cut the cable. You'll need fairly large cable cutters too. I destroyed a nice pair of dikes the last one I did.

Can you get to the motor wire and just apply voltage more often than not the switch is corroded and causes the window tonight come down. Fix if that’s the case is not too terrible.

Water gets into the switch And corrodes the trace going to the pins that operate the down on the relay. usually you just need to add a jumper wire to fix the problem.

As preventive maintenance I always cut the lower corner off the drivers window switch anytime I have the door apart on any BMW. (So water cannot puddle on the relay and corrode the traces)

To cut the cable use a Dremel or cut off wheel in a right angle grinder). But first to see if you can run the motor with direct application of 12 V i usually use a drill battery


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Yes, good idea to verify the motor is dead before gutting the regulator. I made note as well of the cable cutting tools. It was an instance of "I'm here, I have a solid pair of dikes in my hand, I don't want to set up an extension cord and dremel that are a whole 20 feet away from me... this'll do it." :D

Thank you all for your advice and insight. I had not considered corrosion to the driver door motor. So, thank you andrewwynn, I’m definitely checking it before anything else. I will be cutting the cable if that’s not the trouble. Thank you Crystalworks for confirming it and for the warning about the cable cutters. Wouldn’t want to ruin mine either. I’ll be getting my Dremel out just in case. I will let you know how it turns out.

Corrosion on the driver door switch

Search awr-fix started by me I can't remember if I made a stand alone thread or just added to somebody's but I've made the repair a few times and walked somebody through it over the phone one or twice.

I have numerous tools with dents and dings from a "primitive Pete" move as described above. I also have cut live wires on a 20A 120v Circuit. Turned my $60 special high voltage side cutter into a wire stripper for maybe 12ga wire. Almost a perfect hole the size of the copper.

I "got it from my dad". He had a couple wrenches with a nice bite out of them. One he said he dropped on a 48v battery pack from a fighter jet.

One of my wire strippers has 3 little bites about 1/4 " diameter , 1/16" deep where I hit the grounded box while stripping a live 120. It sounds a bit like a gun going off. Bang bang bang. Didn't even blow the fuse.

As a last resort at a time when I didn't have an automatic wire tracer to locate which circuit breaker, I will dead short the hot line. The most assured way to open the breaker on that line. Always close my eyes on that one but it's darn loud.

(Back from tangent).

The proper way to primitive Pete cut a small aircraft cable (up to about 1/8) is an anvil (can be anything heavy and steel, a chisel and a hammer). Very effective and all the tools will survive.

Just wanted to update on this project. So I cut the cable using the Dremel saw and the window dropped perfectly. To insert the new window motor and regulator I had to press the window down button. No problem all worked great. I installed the unit and depressed the down button again to align the window clips and a big NOTHING. Turns out there is a reset pattern for the new motor to learn the limits of the glass.

So I unplugged the unit let it sit 5 min and will attempt reset. BTW learned this here.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...reprogram.html

But the thread you linked indicates that the reset procedure isn't valid for the e53.... :confused: