[fazman]

Okay so i'm in the process of doing a driver door actuator replacement and i have had nothing but problems.

my current issue is, how do i get the actuator out after i have:
1) removed door panel/trim/vapor barrier/connectors
2) removed key slot from exterior handle
3) window is fully up
4) lossened top 10mm bolt and removed lower 10mm bolt on window guide near actutor side
5) got mad and decided to break off the two wire tabs attached to the actuator to release it.
6) removed the 3 torx bits holding the actuator to the door


so i have this annoying 4" foam block at the bottom of the door held in by one phillips screw. its too large a foam block to remove otherwise i think i could manipulate the actuator out thru that opening.

i'm guessing i'm going to need to remove the glass itself and then remove the one window guide to make space for the actuator to come out... my question is... how do i release the glass from the window guide???

i keep seeing pics of a screw driver being used to go thru the oval opening with the window mostly down... but i can't see how the screw driver can reach thru to the plastic doing that since it has no hole opening????? i used the following guide: http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...eplacement.htm

see figure#4: http://cdn4.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tec...mall/pic04.jpg

once i can release the glass and get it out... i think that will be the last difficult part for me in this project. Damn you bmw for making things so hard to get to needlessly

[Greyfox]

When you push the screwdriver through that section, it pushes the plastic tab that locks the window lift mechanism to the window. At that point you pull the window up and away from the mechanism.

This is with a rear window, but watch at 3m 25s on the video.....

[fazman]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

When you push the screwdriver through that section, it pushes the plastic tab that locks the window lift mechanism to the window. At that point you pull the window up and away from the mechanism.

This is with a rear window, but watch at 3m 25s on the video.....

i took more time to look carefully and watch the video. I now see the circle in the glass as it attaches to the guide. But i've been using allen wrenches/screw drivers and even reaching behing the glass with my fingers to press that tab away from me (towards the outside of the car) with no luck in releasing it from the glass. I am worried about using too much pressure and breaking something to make it worse. Does any video exist that shows what to do on a front door?

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by fazman

i took more time to look carefully and watch the video. I now see the circle in the glass as it attaches to the guide. But i've been using allen wrenches/screw drivers and even reaching behing the glass with my fingers to press that tab away from me (towards the outside of the car) with no luck in releasing it from the glass. I am worried about using too much pressure and breaking something to make it worse. Does any video exist that shows what to do on a front door?

I had to do my back door several weeks ago. It does take a fairly good amount of force to get it loose. There is rubber under the window keeping pressure on the tab and the tab has probably a 1/8 inch hook.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

I had to do my back door several weeks ago. It does take a fairly good amount of force to get it loose. There is rubber under the window keeping pressure on the tab and the tab has probably a 1/8 inch hook.

How much should i move that plastic tab before i probably break it? I'm going to get another flat head screw driver today from home depot and see if that can help. I saw another write up that says to get a screw driver into that slot at a 45° angle and then try to push with the handle to move the glass up

Any pics of what that window guide looks like so i can see the hook and the rubber you are talking about?

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by fazman

How much should i move that plastic tab before i probably break it? I'm going to get another flat head screw driver today from home depot and see if that can help. I saw another write up that says to get a screw driver into that slot at a 45° angle and then try to push with the handle to move the glass up

Any pics of what that window guide looks like so i can see the hook and the rubber you are talking about?

You are replacing the regulator...why are you concerned about breaking the tab?

And don't you already have a replacement in hand?

[fazman]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

You are replacing the regulator...why are you concerned about breaking the tab?

And don't you already have a replacement in hand?

i was trying to describe the tab on the window regulator to release the glass

I ended up watching another video of a guy doing his e90 driver door and showed the trick on how to get it to wiggle past the lower window guide. I did the same trick and it worked for me. I got the new actuator in today and all was good

Now my only issue is, i had removed the bolt for the key lock cyl and an L-Shaped bracket had fell down inside the car when i went to remove the actuator.

Now when i put the key cyl back into the hole... the screw won't line up. I also can't getthe screwto come out any more (sigh). But at least the car is all uttoned up and everything else works just fine again