BMW Z4 e85 e86 Window Regulator Repair Kit

dzefer · Post by **dzefer** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:53 am

srhutch wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:44 pm Whatever I did the cable always seemed too short or too long.

same situation here, any idea how you finally did it?

dzefer · Post by **dzefer** » Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:19 pm

Update: the strange thing is I can only make it work when I wind up the final spoon as per picture - the cable heavily touches the plastic on its sides as it moves (and the mechanism moves window oposite way up/down, obviously). If I wind it up as it should be - see the screenshot from YT video with black plastic part - the cable is either too loose or too short. I am really stuck with this. Any help? Thanks

Post by **srhutch** » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:52 pm

dzefer wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:53 am
srhutch wrote: ↑Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:44 pm Whatever I did the cable always seemed too short or too long.
same situation here, any idea how you finally did it?

Can’t remember to be fair. Did a second one a couple of years later and got it right pretty much first time.

dzefer · Post by **dzefer** » Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:17 am

thanks, I have already made it work. But I had to cut about 3 cm from each end of the cable. Window goes full way up and down, I have really no clue why it did not fit.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:30 pm

Hi all,

Hoping someone can answer my question. I am in the process of fitting a new cable on my drivers door window. I have completed all but have not fitted the mechanism back onto the car yet as the cable seems very, very tight. Is this normal? I have attached an image of the springs to hopefully show how much tension has been applied. Any thoughts appreciated.

Post by **srhutch** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:16 pm

sparkypenguin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:30 pm Hi all,

Hoping someone can answer my question. I am in the process of fitting a new cable on my drivers door window. I have completed all but have not fitted the mechanism back onto the car yet as the cable seems very, very tight. Is this normal? I have attached an image of the springs to hopefully show how much tension has been applied. Any thoughts appreciated.

I see no image

dzefer · Post by **dzefer** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:52 pm

sparkypenguin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:30 pm Hi all,

Hoping someone can answer my question. I am in the process of fitting a new cable on my drivers door window. I have completed all but have not fitted the mechanism back onto the car yet as the cable seems very, very tight. Is this normal? I have attached an image of the springs to hopefully show how much tension has been applied. Any thoughts appreciated.

no image as well...

to the tension - when I repaired mine, I had the problem of too short/too long cable. I tried to use it when the fitment was really tight but the window motor was not able to move the mechanism more than few cm. So the springs must be somewhere in the middle and you must be able to move it by your hand, otherwise it will not work.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:48 pm

Hi,

Thanks for replies and not sure why image did not attach, hopefully here it is showing both springs well compressed.....

dzefer - I did see your previous post where you say you had to cut 3cm from each side, however I would have thought that the cable would be supplied at the correct length and yours is the only post I have seen that mentions having to cut it. Not sure if it makes a difference but is yours a soft top or coupe?

srhutch - You mentioned in your post that it seemed either too short or too long but eventually it just worked, any idea how you aligned the planets?

Also does anyone know what the purpose of the top white plastic part is? The bit that has teeth inside and the clip to keep it compressed. I cannot think of what purpose it serves.

dzefer · Post by **dzefer** » Fri Jun 11, 2021 5:44 am

sparkypenguin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:48 pm is yours a soft top or coupe?

Mine is softtop, but I don`t think it`s important. And this is exactly how it looked when I forced it around the mechanism wheels without cutting those 2x3 cm. Those springs soften the movement at the ends of window travel, so I think they must be able to squeeze.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:37 am

So I took the mechanism back to bits and took 1 turn of cable off the spool and then reassembled. Now the 2 springs have zero compression and the cable is far to slack. It looks like dzefer's method of cutting 3cm from each end may may solve the issue but surely the cable etc should just fit? I've added photos showing springs and cable tension (or lack of it). Been on for about 8hrs in total now and thinking I must have made some basic mistake

. Help please.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Sat Jun 12, 2021 11:40 am

2 more photos. One showing total mechanism and the other showing how the black runner metal parts are bent and I was wondering if that's normal or have I managed to bend them by fitting cable too tight?

tug · Post by **tug** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 5:47 am

Mate, that bottom picture looks about right. Why not fit back in the zed and see how it goes. When i attempted this i ended up buying 2 kits and just could not get it right, spent 2 weekends on the job. It is virtually impossible imho. In the end i just purchased a new regulator. It just went back in the zed perfectly, everything was aligned for bolting up. It has worked perfectly ever since.

Best of luck with it though, its a pig of a job

Cheers, tug

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 7:41 am

Thanks for reply tug.

Gonna take it for a mechanic i know to have a look over this morn.
Then if that don't work going to take passenger door stuff off to see a working one in action.
Depending on what I find will probably either just try it as you suggested or chop some length off the outer sheath.

Totally agree with it being a pig of a job and can only conclude that anyone whose done one in a couple of hours is either extremely lucky or has more arms than an octopus

Cheers again for help.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Sat Jul 10, 2021 12:58 pm

Update....

After much head scratching I finally realised what I had done wrong....

I had placed the cable end crimps into the plastic spool incorrectly.
This resulted in lengthening the route the cable had to travel by a few cm's which made all of the difference.
I have attached photo's which show:-
the incorrect method , fitting cable crimp vertically down into the spool

: 20210619_162852.jpg (94.75 KiB) Viewed 387 times

correct method of fitting it horizontally

: 20210619_163146.jpg (131.5 KiB) Viewed 387 times

I then fitted the cable and although still tight it was not stupidly tight.
Here is a photo showing how much "slack" was in it once fitted onto the mechanism.

: 20210619_171518.jpg (172.74 KiB) Viewed 387 times

Note that this amount of "slack" was only achievable by putting a reasonable amount of force on the cable with my thumb.

I have also attached photo's of how the tensioning springs looked so that anyone can compare if they decide to undertake a cable change.

: 20210619_171502.jpg (153.41 KiB) Viewed 387 times

Note that the top tensioning spring has a clip on it and although I do not know this for certain I do believe that this clip is put in place to ease the fitting of the cable and should be unclipped once the cable has been fitted to ensure that the spring can expand and maintain tension if the cable stretches.

: 20210621_174136.jpg (74.46 KiB) Viewed 387 times

Please note that IMHO replacing these cables is not an easy job but many of the issues I came across would not have been issues had I known what I know now.
However even after my numerous hrs of watching video's, reading forum posts and actually performing the task, I still think it will take me a good 4 hrs to do my passenger window.
I do have many, many more photo's and I am happy to share what I have learnt during my ordeal / experience if anyone is considering replacing the cable. Please just PM me and I will do my best to help.

I am also considering uploading a full list of my what I have learnt but this all depends on finding the time.

sparkypenguin · Post by **sparkypenguin** » Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:06 pm

Also please see this forum how-to thread viewtopic.php?f=25&t=69260

Z4-forum.com

Z4-forum.com