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      10-26-2012, 03:07 PM   #7
magiik
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Drives: '09 E82 135i, '21 G01 X3 M40i
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Diego

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that DIY guide is for an E36. I had found guides on how to do the window regulators in all kinds of chassis, all the older ones definitely have a lot of DIYs, but the newer models it's much harder to find. That regulator looks completely different - looks like it functions through way of a two linear tracks coupled with angled brackets to a point that attaches to the window also coupled with a circular half gear that connects the motor to one of brackets. The movement of the circular gear moves the connected brackets and forces the shuttles on the track to move, which in turn cause the connected point to move up and down ( and not left to right ). The E82 regulator is more of what I'm used to - two shuttle tracks that directly attach to the window, and the shuttles are moved by way of steel cable looped in such a way that the shuttles move in the same direction ( a figure 8 loop ). And the motor just pulls the cable in either direction to move the window up or down.

I still can't find a specific DIY for an E82, the closest I found was an E90/E92, and they have it a bit easier because it's a simple 10mm nut ( IIRC ) to get the window detached from the regulator. My hardest part was knowing the correct way to remove the connections - which were far from intuitive.

The E82 135i has a "T-head bolt" or according to the BMW parts catalog a "Hook bolt". This thing is just one piece - it's a huge ( like 2 inch/5cm bolt head ) on the bolt side and has an allen key hole on that side - and the bolt side looks like a huge gear - but the threaded side has a T20 key on the very tip of it. I assumed it was a T20 bolt going through the regulator and through the T-head bolt, but I was incorrect - the T-head bolt is the only fastner, and it threads into the regulator.

So if you were looking into your door from the inside of the car with the panels removed, you would see the T20 side of the T-head bolt in the regulator threads. If you look carefully, you can see the head of the bolt behind the glass.

My incorrect assumption that the T20 was a separate screw/bolt lead me to believe that you would unscrew this bolt "normally" - e.g. counter clockwise while facing the T20. But this is wrong. The "front" of the bolt is the other side with the allen key. From that POV it turns counter-clockwise, and thus from the T20 POV it turns clockwise.

I still havn't finished the job, stupid job getting in the way . But maybe I'll try to snap some pics and write up a DIY here for other 1er's to look into if they ever have to replace them. I still have the broken regulator in the car, just the glass is finally disconnected from the shuttles. I plan on getting the new regulator in tonight when I get off work.

But I really do appreciate your responses, you're the only one so far to even take a stab at what the problem is.
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