Worn gear of electric windows

coupelady

coupelady

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This winter I might delve into R & R of the electric windows. They are all functioning but slowly. When we did the restoration in 1992 (completed date) we were told by a good fried at BMW NA that those white plastic worn gears could be turned around to present fresh teeth, which we did and it seemed to make it all a bit better. We did that to all of them but now the rears windows are getting so very slow, makes you nervous that they might not roll all the way closed. Greg, the parts guy, who is very helpful says that both of the front window regulators are available but it is the whole mechanism (about $300.00), not the rears.

My questions are to those who have dealt with these mechanisms recently: the slowness if a good cleaning is done, will that help? Will a new worn gear help? Will the worn gear from a new regulator for the front be interchangeable to the rear?

Also the chrome strip on the front seats that wrap around the back of the seat, has anyone rechromed those? NLA of course. If I remember correctly they are rather flimsy maybe not a candidate for rechroming due to its flexibility.
 
DeQ's helpful thread:

http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11320

The grearboxes are interchangeable front and back provided you have the original type (not from a later moder e12 etc)

The plastic gears are wearing out because there is too much friction in your window mechanisms/regulators, a good cleaning/regreasing will help tremendously.
 
Stevehose said:
The plastic gears are wearing out because there is too much friction in your window mechanisms/regulators, a good cleaning/regreasing will help tremendously.
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Agreed that removing friction from the system will help. But what I found made the "tremendous" difference was adding relays, so the motors get a full 12v at whatever current they draw. The factory's scheme of routing power through the console switches & connectors really handicaps the motors.
 
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coupelady said:
My questions are to those who have dealt with these mechanisms recently: the slowness if a good cleaning is done, will that help? Will a new worn gear help? Will the worn gear from a new regulator for the front be interchangeable to the rear?

Also the chrome strip on the front seats that wrap around the back of the seat, has anyone rechromed those? NLA of course. If I remember correctly they are rather flimsy maybe not a candidate for rechroming due to its flexibility.
Click to expand...

first it must be assessed the situation that you are facing, if they are worn parts, a replacement will be needed for sure, but i would go first through the route of cleaning, regreasing and checking the speed that the motors are able to spin

the installation of relays is a must, together with new rubber/felt channels to help smoothness, my thread shows all this, and a final demonstration of how fast the rear windows can slide up and down when done properly

as to the trim bits around the seat, they are aluminium so you can not chrome them, but anodize in shiny finish, it is doable, but you will need to find the right place, i happen to have discovered recently a shop able to do this job, i am checking some small bits first
 
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