What did you do to your car today?

[Bobtail_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by slow_ti

It's still a baby

Agreed. That Ti is barely out its diapers!

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by Mopho

I had a bad window regulator on my '96ti, when I bought it. I went to BMW bought a new one.
No more problems for years. Cost: $160 bucks.
The problem with buying a used one, unless you enjoy changing it (NOT) is you are buying someone elses problem and putting it in your car.
If you spring for a new regulator, the problem will be solved for 10 years, instead of a few years or months (or days with my luck) until the used one is wore out.
JMHO.

Unless the regulator arms are physically broken or the motor is burned out, if the regulator goes up and down it's fine. The regulator arms and window tracks are flimsy and flexible for a reason, so they won't break the glass if the window goes off track. The problem most people have is that they don't understand how to properly setup and dial-in the window after it goes off track. When the window goes off track for the very first time due to either hardened grease, rubber guides fallen into the bottom of the door, or the fact that BMW used a sedan regulator(same part#) in a coupe-sized door, it bends the arch shaped vertical tracks. These tracks are arch shaped to follow the contour of the window glass. They are positioned parallel to each other so the window can only go in from the top and will remain in the tracks. When the window binds and goes off track, it twists one or both of these arch shaped vertical tracks. Eventually the balls will pop out of the sliders and the window will fall back into the door. Most people simply snap the balls back into the sliders, reinstall the clips, add some grease and call it good. They completely neglect to address the real issue and re-align the vertical tracks. Doing this will ensure that the window will remain in the tracks when it's lowered and you slam the door. After tweaking the vertical tracks, you should always follow by lowering the window and slamming the door a few times to verify that the tracks are in fact aligned properly. Failure to do this step will only cause you further grief later down the road. Also, the grease that BMW used hardens and turns into a paste after a few years. It should be cleaned out of the slider track and replaced with bearing grease or something equivelent.

If it makes you feel better to spend hundreds of dollars on unecessary parts and labor, then by all means take your car to a shop. Maybe they'll replace the regulator, maybe they won't. But if they don't do exactly what I expressed above, you're just wasting your money and I've wasted my time explaining things.

FWIW, I've fixed several member's windows including Lazoh, youngnikolai, & most recently GoEZ just to name a few off the top of my head, not to mention my own. It's been several years and not one of the windows I've fixed has given further problems. Again, if the regulator goes up and down, it's doing it job and doesn't need to be replaced. It's all about the setup, do it right or continue to experience problems

[Mopho]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

Unless the regulator arms are physically broken or the motor is burned out, if the regulator goes up and down it's fine. The regulator arms and window tracks are flimsy and flexible for a reason, so they won't break the glass if the window goes off track. The problem most people have is that they don't understand how to properly setup and dial-in the window after it goes off track. When the window goes off track for the very first time due to either hardened grease, rubber guides fallen into the bottom of the door, or the fact that BMW used a sedan regulator(same part#) in a coupe-sized door, it bends the arch shaped vertical tracks. These tracks are arch shaped to follow the contour of the window glass. They are positioned parallel to each other so the window can only go in from the top and will remain in the tracks. When the window binds and goes off track, it twists one or both of these arch shaped vertical tracks. Eventually the balls will pop out of the sliders and the window will fall back into the door. Most people simply snap the balls back into the sliders, reinstall the clips, add some grease and call it good. They completely neglect to address the real issue and re-align the vertical tracks. Doing this will ensure that the window will remain in the tracks when it's lowered and you slam the door. After tweaking the vertical tracks, you should always follow by lowering the window and slamming the door a few times to verify that the tracks are in fact aligned properly. Failure to do this step will only cause you further grief later down the road. Also, the grease that BMW used hardens and turns into a paste after a few years. It should be cleaned out of the slider track and replaced with bearing grease or something equivelent.

If it makes you feel better to spend hundreds of dollars on unecessary parts and labor, then by all means take your car to a shop. Maybe they'll replace the regulator, maybe they won't. But if they don't do exactly what I expressed above, you're just wasting your money and I've wasted my time explaining things.

FWIW, I've fixed several member's windows including Lazoh, youngnikolai, & most recently GoEZ just to name a few off the top of my head, not to mention my own. It's been several years and not one of the windows I've fixed has given further problems. Again, if the regulator goes up and down, it's doing it job and doesn't need to be replaced. It's all about the setup, do it right or continue to experience problems

I have fixed thousands of windows with 40 years experience as a Journeyman Body and Fender Repairman. It's a given to make sure all the tracks and channels are cleaned and re-greased, but when you have a bent regulator as the aformentioned person stated, you are wasting your time trying to streighten it. A used one, may be fine, but a new one is definately streight.
I have bought used doors to replace damaged ones with bad regulators in them, and had to change out the original parts from the old door, and also have had used doors that were better than the old door.
A regulator going up and down does not necessarily mean it hasn't been bent at one time, and may cause problems down the road. That's all I'm saying.
If a person has the time to find used parts more power to them.
Most of the salvage yards here in CA will not part out a door unless it is damaged already. They want to sell the whole door, So you can't buy just the regulator unless you are lucky and can find a good one in a smashed door. Working in a body shop, no one is going to pay you to go scrounge around trying to find used parts so the fastest way (and best way) is to order new parts that have a guaranty.
This is why it is more expensive to have a shop fix it, they don't have time to fool around trying to find good used parts.

[BlackBMWs]

UPS arrived with new-to-me parts for my 97 Sport... Sport Billys with HR springs and reinforcement plates.



Thanks Jerry!

[anthony318ti]

Smashed out my old windscreen with a hammer and installed a new one. Installed monro shocks, merwede lowering springs, installed second hand 17" BBS Wheels new tyres, 215/45/R17 front 235/45/R17 rear. Oh and relocated sunroof switch from the top to the bottom black space below driver window switch.

[drowan]

Mounted the intercooler on my 97 318ti!! project is almost done!

[3.2TI]

Originally Posted by BlackBMWs

UPS arrived with new-to-me parts for my 97 Sport... Sport Billys with HR springs and reinforcement plates.



Thanks Jerry!

[1996 328ti]

Kicked it! @#$%#@Q
I hope I don't need a new DME.

[Hessianofthehollow]

replaced micro filters, air foil, and cold air intake. Replaced cracked heater/ radio dash faceplate.

[cjm1219]

Drivers door wasn't unlocking or locking. Linkage from the tumbler to the lock itself came "unhooked".

Fixed that.

While I was in there glued the rubber/felt guides that I found laying in the bottom of the door back to the metal tracks. Greased everything up.

JB welded all the black clips back to the door card. Did the passenger door also while I was at it. Just used the old glue as a guide and JB welded the clip, old glue blob and door panel.

Now I have a nice satisfying thump when the door closes instead of sounding like a rattley can. That took care of most the creaks and rattles of the interior. Sounds much better going down the road.

Next weekend is front brakes and rotors. Although now I am thinking I should add the hubs/wheel bearing to the list.

It never ends.....but I kind of like it.

[3.2TI]

A- LOF Srrvice " Forgot drain plug washer" Installed washer lost less than a spoon of oil.
B- Installed OEM wheels and tires on front.
C- Dissasebled Style 5's for refurbishing.
D- Completed an engine detail
E- Detailed interior

During these services I found the following
1- Found choppy front left tire, cause of my road noise.
2- Found worn tie rods and links possibly the cause of my choppy tire.
3- My hazard lights seem to want to come on on their own. " must look into this"

Currently working on
1-style 5 wheel bolts refinishing and possibly new color to center face plate.
2-Looking for new control arms and links, x brace and other misc items.

[BMW_Hatchback]

New suede passenger seat last week, and fresh instrument cluster look

[BlackBMWs]

I installed an Alpine x305s head unit with a bluetooth module in the 97 sport. I like the iPhone/Pandora/Tomtom GPS integration and the clear handsfree phone capability with integration with Skype is very conveinent on long drives.

[3.2TI]

Originally Posted by BlackBMWs

I installed an Alpine x305s head unit with a bluetooth module in the 97 sport. I like the iPhone/Pandora/Tomtom GPS integration and the clear handsfree phone capability with integration with Skype is very conveinent on long drives.

That is a very nice radio... check this out,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ADAPTER-ALPI...item19ce737715

Originally Posted by BMW_Hatchback

New suede passenger seat last week, and fresh instrument cluster look

Post some pics of that cluster.......

[zoner]

Originally Posted by BlackBMWs

UPS arrived with new-to-me parts for my 97 Sport... Sport Billys with HR springs and reinforcement plates.



Thanks Jerry!

Yeehaw! I hope they work out great for you...

Also, I was able to get a couple of the nuts off of the old strut bearings when I was up north this weekend- let me know if you still need them.



As far as what I did to my car?:
- Oil change
- Tire rotation

Just about have the M42 ready to remove from the '95 (driveshaft, trans. cross member, engine mounts are the only things left to remove). Going to transplant the drive train into a '95 318i sedan.

Originally Posted by 3.2TI

LOL