front window wont go up
 

Any ideas on this ? I have just completed fitting a new lock carrier without any problems , works fine but to my horror when checking all the door switches my window wend down no problem but wont go up again. When pressing the switch there is a clicking noise on the down push but the up switch gives not a sound .
Any ideas appreciated .

One of the fixings could have broken and now as you try to raise the window ,its lobsided .This happened to me.
Remove the door screw,unclip the door covering just enough for you to put your hand on the glass.Then just try to level it and push the switch to raise it.This will raise your window but you will still need ti fix it,obviously.

If you performed the carrier repair correctly, then you most likely have a broken window regulator. You may want to take the panel back off and make sure everything with the regulator looks ok and that you didn't do anyhting to the carrier that affected the windows travel.

clicking
 

The motor makes a click sound when the down switch is pressed but remains silent when the up switch is pulled .

Quit pushing the switch until you take the door apart and see what is wrong. You could potentially break the motor, which is not a cheap.

switch
 

The pushing part seems normal, but its the "nothing" when pulled for up that im wonderin about. Could it be the switch ?

Not sure. Typically, the clicking sound happens when the regulator or clips have broken.

Actually, I doubt it is the switch. I am pretty sure mine clicked when rolled down and nothing happened when rolled up when my regulator broke. This sounds like classic regulator fairure to me. Do a quick search for window regulator and see if those symptoms match yours.

window
 

I opened the inside of the door again today, i had to butcher the regulator in order to get the window up. It is now jammed up with a piece of a brush shaft. I tried the window switch after i had detached the glass, it operated on way but not the other. I am thinking i need to find another X that i can plug my switch into before i go buying replacement parts.

Was there anything in the path of the window that stopped it from moving as it should, or did everything physically look ok? What did you do the regulator to get the window up? Did you notice if the regulator or its clips were broken where the window glass actually attached to the regulator?

Agree
 

Sounds like regulator! Have replaced 3 of mine over the years.

reglator
 

I cut both cables. The guide in the rear runner was movable but the front one seemed to be stuck. I wasnt fully sure if the window was supposed to be free when the cables were cut so I detached the vertical runners and managed to break the glass away from them and got it pushed up tight with a pce of wood. I couldn't see any of the pulleys or glides especially since the window was stuck down. Not really lookin forward to fittin the new regulator ( which i now need for sure ), but i figure i'd better eliminate the other possibilities.

To be honest, the regulator replacement isn't really that hard. Here is a link to a good thread. Plenty of good info here. Be sure to buy the 2 black plastic clips that hold the glass to the regulator as well as the regulator itself.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...regulator.html

Here is a direct link to the DIY I used.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...nt-bmw-x5.html

Just to let you know, when my regulator broke, the window rolled down like normal and then simply wouldn't roll up. Just like yours. Sometimes you hear a pop and the windows just falls and other times it goes silently, like mine did.

I also meant to ask you if you were getting the same result when you pushed the switch on the drivers side as well as the switch on the door you are having problems with.

window
 

you have been a great help, many thanks.

window
 

I replaced the regulator and motor, the fault remains, I was able to manipulate the window into going up and down by reversing the wires going into the motor. All now points the the switch. Anyone here tried fixing one of these (with the folding mirrors) ?

ps. Regulator job quite essy. (when you know how).

Matthew, I am sorry the regulator didn't fix your problem. It sounded like the hundreds of other regulator issues based on symptoms. I haven't had to replace a switch, so I don't know much about it.

What window is this again? If it is any window except the drivers, will it go up and down when using the drivers door switch?

drivers door
 

the drivers door switch. I wouldnt mind getting it opened and trying a different switch, ( moving one of the lesser used back ones ) I also see plenty for sale without the folding mirrors / so if there was any way of replacing part of the switch module it would make the fix a bit less expensive. Even to swap the wires to one of the back window switches in the meantime.

Anyone have the wiring diagram ?

This is happening to me as well. It was raining the night I parked the car in the garage. Rolled the windows up and the next day when I got in the vehicle the Front left window did not roll down anymore. When pressing the switch up I hear the clicking and the lights dim so that means the motor is working, but pressing to go down does nothing. Checking from a working window you hear a click going up and going down no matter what. I too am thinking it is the switch. A wiring diagram should be online, there is a BMW X5 WDS online WDS BMW Wiring Diagram System - X5 E53 that you can access. Now I have to roll my sleeves up and figure this out.

Update: I dont think its the switch that failing. You can activate the window roll down by pressing the unlock button and holding it on the remote and all windows will roll down. My driver side is not rolling down. I dont know much about about how the motor and regulator should operate, so any help here would be appreciated. Does this sound like the regulator? If the regulator is just mechanical, then wouldnt it be the motor thats failing. If there was a problem with the regulator and the motor is still good, would there be movement or at least if I go in and try to push the window down, shouldnt it move if the regulator is just stuck?

I know I had problems with a window guide and though I fixed it in the past, when the window goes up, it would go up slower then the other windows. So maybe that put strain of the motor and it finally went. I do hear the clicking when pressing the window button up, but not down. The clicking is just a relay im assuming in the motor assembly, so thats not a sign to indicate the motor is good and the fact that the remote window rolldown feature is still not bringing the window down, rules out the switch being bad.

The regulator typically breaks where it connects to the glass, so you may or may not see movement of the glass if it fails. This is generalizing, but typically if you are having an issue with your window it is the regulator, not the motor or the switch.

FWIW, when my regulator failed, there was little to no movement of the glass when the switch was pressed.

The left front window on my X5 is raising slow and sometimes stopping before it`s closed .

I checked out all connectors and the guide seals before I went as far as removing the door card .
everything looked to be in order . I suspected the motor at fault so I removed the regulator and motor .
I found a broken wire on the winding .the photo shows the broken wire on the rotor exactly as it came out of the stator . FYI the rotor unscrews from the gear housing .
I repaired the broken wire and refitted the motor but it made no difference .
many of the wires in the winding are scorched blue so a new motor is required .

down but not up
 

i had the same experience with passenger door, it went down perfect but stuck to go up until i pulled it for 2 cm with scew driver and cutter -stupid me scratched the glass littel bit- then it worked fine up and down the whole way but not to the end buttom .. do you recommend after market regulators or its a must to buy OEM?

I am no professional, but I would go OE. It seems like many people have had bad luck with aftermarket or ebay regulators. There should be a few threads on aftermarket regulators going around where you can read opinions from people who have actually used them.

Did my lock carrier and had the same problem. I let car run unhooked the switch's then hooked backed up while car was running windows work fine.

help cometh finally
 

Originally Posted by aweber05
I think our problem was IDENTICAL, which is why I might be able to help you! I am lucky enough to work at an electronics design company, so there is no shortage of people here who can help me troubleshoot crappy circuit boards. I spent a little time yesterday with a friend and a multimeter checking everything we could think of in the circuit. We narrowed it down to a problem with the board. Since there was a corner of the board that was slightly corroded, I was fairly sure the problem was there. We got lucky, it was the trace in the bottom corner of the board, on the side of the relay that controls the upward direction of the motor! The reason it wasn't working is that the trace on the board is really small, and it had corroded enough that it esentially had no conductivity anymore. All we had to do was solder a little "jumper" wire from the node where the trace began to the next component. Here is a picture: http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...6-51-50_97.jpg

Are you good with electronics/have access to a multimeter? I am guessing that your problem is exactly the same as mine, since we both lost the same half of the window's functionality. It's worth a shot :D better than paying $165+ for a new window switch right?! http://www.xoutpost.com/images/smilies/thumbup.gif

Let me know if you have more questions!

on receiving the above message the first evening that i got the chance I set about trying the fix. I removed and dismantled the window switch. I could see a slight flaw in the print but nothing that would make one suspicious of any shorts in the circuit especially as I do not yet posess a magnifing glass. I took out my multimeter and sure as hell the short shows up. As you can see from the photo below fitting of the red jumper wire has sorted the window switch. I now know that my problem never was the regulator or the motor.

Now on to the next problem. My passenger door is now stuck shut, unopenable from the outside and inside



Many thanks to aweber05






http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/...1/9386f0f1.jpg

So had you since replaced the regulator or switch and resolved the problem? I am wondering if you replaced the regulator and if so, whether that fixed things or if you tried a new switch instead or this rewiring fix was your ultimate solution.

as below

Ah, I missed your post #14 detailing the new regulator did not fix the problem.

Thanks for sharing another angle of our dreaded window problems.

I believe I have replaced 6, possibly 7, regulators. :yikes:

i never would have found this solution myself. To look at the circuit board you would have no idea.

Mine just did the same thing... E53.
Driver's door
On my way home tonight, nice weather so I opened it all the way for the first time this year... when I got home, I was sad to find that I couldn't close my window.

I press UP, it clicks and moves up 1/4 inch. Then stops. Nothing. I press down and it goes down. I did it once more to see if it was maybe stuck or something. Same thing. So I stopped and came here to read up in case I burn the regulator or motor or something.

Worst part: my mechanic just went away for 2 weeks vacation... no one else has touched my baby, and it's always run perfectly... I'm nervous to go anywhere else.

Too many butchers in this world.

Any ideas? I have never taken the doors apart before, and have been searching on here for the past hour but can't seem to find anything specific on this topic, or results, or tips, etc.

I also am trying to see if I can find pictures on how to take the door apart without breaking any of the clips...

Can someone direct me?