E36 328i Sports Coupe elec windows strange!
Discussion
Hi All,
I've just bought an N reg (1996) BMW 328i Sports Coupe with M wheels and suspension and 92k miles. All is wonderful but I have one issue that I'd like to get sorted.
If I open the window (either my side or passenger) it opens ok but when I close the window it closes about 3 inches then opens again. This happens with both drivers and passengers windows. The only way to get the window closed is to close it a tiny bit at a time.
As this is happening on both sides my thoughts are that it could be alarm based but would that not want to close the window?
Cars have the amazing ability to confuse me totally!
Thanks
Richard Georgiou
richard (at) entity7.com
I've just bought an N reg (1996) BMW 328i Sports Coupe with M wheels and suspension and 92k miles. All is wonderful but I have one issue that I'd like to get sorted.
If I open the window (either my side or passenger) it opens ok but when I close the window it closes about 3 inches then opens again. This happens with both drivers and passengers windows. The only way to get the window closed is to close it a tiny bit at a time.
As this is happening on both sides my thoughts are that it could be alarm based but would that not want to close the window?
Cars have the amazing ability to confuse me totally!
Thanks
Richard Georgiou
richard (at) entity7.com
rgeorgiou said:
Hi All,
I've just bought an N reg (1996) BMW 328i Sports Coupe with M wheels and suspension and 92k miles. All is wonderful but I have one issue that I'd like to get sorted.
If I open the window (either my side or passenger) it opens ok but when I close the window it closes about 3 inches then opens again. This happens with both drivers and passengers windows. The only way to get the window closed is to close it a tiny bit at a time.
As this is happening on both sides my thoughts are that it could be alarm based but would that not want to close the window?
Cars have the amazing ability to confuse me totally!
Thanks
Richard Georgiou
richard (at) entity7.com
When you open the doors on a coupe the windows drop slightly to prevent suction and close fully once the door is shut. It sounds like the window is seeing a signal to say the door handle is being pulled. How to fix it is not so easy, try disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it to reset the brain (if there is one for the windows)
You will find this on most E36 coupe's now.
The expense of fixing means most people dont seem to bother.
Its to do with the sensors that protect the force of the autoclose eg if a baby's head got stuck (!)
To fix it you'll need a new window motor (bmw dont sell the bits seperately).
Its a tricky job and the parts are not cheap (£150plus 2 hrs labour?) hence most people seem to put up with it.
In short theres no cheap solution to that one.
The expense of fixing means most people dont seem to bother.
Its to do with the sensors that protect the force of the autoclose eg if a baby's head got stuck (!)
To fix it you'll need a new window motor (bmw dont sell the bits seperately).
Its a tricky job and the parts are not cheap (£150plus 2 hrs labour?) hence most people seem to put up with it.
In short theres no cheap solution to that one.
Pete Stuart said:
Hi,
Yeah i have a 328i coupe on a S reg does exactly the same on the drivers side. Never seemed to bother me though but if you hold the button rather than one touching it it goes up no problem. Can i ask what you paid for your car?
Yeah i have a 328i coupe on a S reg does exactly the same on the drivers side. Never seemed to bother me though but if you hold the button rather than one touching it it goes up no problem. Can i ask what you paid for your car?
Ditto for me too - hardly a problem - goes down fine...
Its just one of those things on E36 coupés.
If someone wanted to argue it at selling they'd be shown the door...
Pete Stuart said:
Hi,
Yeah i have a 328i coupe on a S reg does exactly the same on the drivers side. Never seemed to bother me though but if you hold the button rather than one touching it it goes up no problem. Can i ask what you paid for your car?
Yeah i have a 328i coupe on a S reg does exactly the same on the drivers side. Never seemed to bother me though but if you hold the button rather than one touching it it goes up no problem. Can i ask what you paid for your car?
Pete, mine was 99k, R reg, great condition, cream leather (so even more desireable) - but also its a Sport.
4k.
I'd say yours maybe worth high 5/6k now?
I paid £4500 for mine which is a sport. Funny enough they're worth sod all these days and everyone wants little pop pop's!
Anyway, I like my car and will keep it until the government ban everything that create omissions. I bet Gordon Brown creates quite a lot, perhaps he should be bnanned! - LOL
Richard Georgiou
Anyway, I like my car and will keep it until the government ban everything that create omissions. I bet Gordon Brown creates quite a lot, perhaps he should be bnanned! - LOL
Richard Georgiou
Have you tried reprogramming the sensor?
You Open with window fully by holding the button down for a couple of seconds AFTER the window is fully open. Then Pull the button and HOLD IT until after the window is closed.
Try this a couple of times and see if it cures the problem.
My Z4 has a problem with it's drivers window and behaves strange if the roof has been down when the window goes back up. It forgets top closed position and rebounds back down again. Having done this process it seems to work ok for a while. I hink mine needs a trip to the stealers as it's still under warranty at the mo. Doesn't do it every time but haven't worked out what sequence of opens/closes causes the fault to occur yet.
You Open with window fully by holding the button down for a couple of seconds AFTER the window is fully open. Then Pull the button and HOLD IT until after the window is closed.
Try this a couple of times and see if it cures the problem.
My Z4 has a problem with it's drivers window and behaves strange if the roof has been down when the window goes back up. It forgets top closed position and rebounds back down again. Having done this process it seems to work ok for a while. I hink mine needs a trip to the stealers as it's still under warranty at the mo. Doesn't do it every time but haven't worked out what sequence of opens/closes causes the fault to occur yet.
Neil_Bolton said:
if you feel its best kept offline?
No secret, some of you may already have tried it... here goes:
With engine running and door(s) closed:
Hold switch on first position and send the window to closed position - HOLD for 10 seconds - DO NOT LET GO. After 10 secs, fully depress switch and hold in UP for a further 10 seconds.
Depressing switch to its first position and lower the window to its LOWEST and hold switch for 10 secs - then fully depress switch to second position and hold for a further 10 secs.
This is the 'soft' reset for most BMW cars.
Another way is to:
using remote control key,
1. Close all windows and lock car (press 'LOCK' and hold)
2. Unlock car by pressing and holding the 'unlock' button. Keep depressed until windows wind down.
3. Now lock car by pressing and holding down the 'lock' button until windows wind all the way up.
or, using key,
1. turn lock to UNLOCK and HOLD until windows wind all the way down.
2. turn and LOCK until windows wind all the way up.
Hope this helps (and makes sense).
Good luck.
Paul.
I tried it on mine, it seemed to make a difference for about 2 minutes, then resorted back to it's old ways. It seems to me that the process does clear it's memory (or something like that) but then the issue that caused it in the first place happens again...?
Who knows???
Best regards
Richard
Who knows???
Best regards
Richard
If the reset is fixing the problem, even for a few minutes, this suggests that the problem may be a mechanical one rather than management-related...
I would take the door card off and give the window channels a bit of a greasing. The anti-trap function is kicking-in for a reason - it may be that there is resistance in the moving parts - or that the third arm is distorted (common problem on E36). There may also be wear in the nylon bushes.
There is also a lubricant for the rubbers (I think it may even be silicone) to help the glass glide easily.
I would take the door card off and give the window channels a bit of a greasing. The anti-trap function is kicking-in for a reason - it may be that there is resistance in the moving parts - or that the third arm is distorted (common problem on E36). There may also be wear in the nylon bushes.
There is also a lubricant for the rubbers (I think it may even be silicone) to help the glass glide easily.
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