BMW X5 Power Window Repair
The BMW X5 is currently in production and was introduced in the United States in model year 2000. This mid-sized, 4-door, crossover, was built on the some of the same systems used in the Land Rover models. It has a dual-track cable power window regulator located in the front doors and a single-track cable power window regulator in the rear doors.
Sadly, it’s not only common, but also expected for the power window regulators to break in the BMW X5. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on a vehicle, the power window system WILL give you difficulty. It’s one of those areas of a vehicle that is deemed “wear and tear” and just like your brakes; you’ll be paying for it over and over again, unless the problem is solved in a more permanent like matter. You can replace it over and over again with aftermarket parts or BMW parts and it’s going to break again. That’s what these power window regulators are designed to do.
CAUTION: Dear DIY enthusiast, BMWs are built in a very technical manner and are over engineered. They do not have the mistake-tolerance that domestic and Japanese power window systems have. You ABSOLUTELY need to know what you are doing before you attempt this repair yourself. We use specialized tools and have years of experience with these vehicles, ensuring that we get in and out of your vehicle safely and without damaging any other mechanisms. This power window regulator assembly must be installed correctly and properly adjusted so that it does not interfere with the locking mechanism. The power window system will need to be re-initialized once the installation process is complete, in order for the one-touch function to work.
What Happens
The worst part about it is that we know from our experience with this vehicle that 1 in 4 broken window regulators in the front doors will cause damage to the exterior door handle mechanism. This also happens when you don’t get the power window regulator fixed right away, forget and hit the button again by accident. When the regulator breaks, the glass will put too much pressure on the rear track and that causes that track to push into the door handle mechanism. The exterior door handle will stick out just enough that you’ll notice its not in its normal resting position. These handles are dealer only on the BMW X5 and not cheap, so don’t delay in getting your power window regulator repaired. We don’t want to have to charge you for that on top of a regulator repair!
Let’s talk about what typically happens with the power window regulator on a BMW X5. Regardless of whether we are talking about the front or rear window regulators on this vehicle, the plastic cable tensioners and glass carriers leave something to be desired. The upper pulley wheels on the double-track front assembly and the single-track rear assembly have an extremely heavy load on them due to the size and weight of the window glass and that’s generally what pops first. If you’re a DIY enthusiast, or thinking about letting your neighbor work on your BMW X5, you many way to continue reading. We’ll walk you through how we resolve these issues, and explain why you may not want to consider changing your mind.
What We Do
At Power Window Repair, we only repair OEM BMW X5 power window regulators. We believe so strongly in our proprietary method of repair that we have an additional fee for all non-rebuildable cores. Power Window Repair defines a “non-rebuildable” window regulator core as an aftermarket, non-OEM window regulator or an OEM window regulator that someone has attempted to repair unsuccessfully. When this happens, we simply add that fee for our rebuilt OEM core and we install quality and reliability back in your door!
While the power window regulator is generally what we receive calls for, we do see issues with master power window switch on the drivers door from time to time. You can test the switches by pressing them one after another. Do you feel something different from one switch to another? If you’re not getting a click or electrical actuation, or you feel sponginess under your finger, your power window switch could be bad.
The motor is rarely a problem, however, once the system is broken if the driver keeps pressing the button with hopes that the glass will magically come up, the power window mechanism cable can and will eventually dislodge from the pulley wheel and wrap itself around the splines on the power window motor. Your now need a power window regulator and a power window motor. This will increase your repair substantially.
How We Do It
In order to reverse what we clearly see as a flaw in the design of the BMW X5 power window regulator, we use metal cable tensioners to replace the broken plastic ones we find pieces of in your door panel. We then install a heavy-duty pulley wheel that will withstand the pressure and load that the system will put on that area. The kicker is the stainless steel avionic repair that is applied to the glass carriers. This provides strength when the regulator is tensioned properly and will give our customer years of use. There must be a metal connection between the glass carriers, the cable, and the track alike. If those steps are taken, we can make sure that the repair will last the lifetime of your vehicle.
Aftermarket Parts
Beware of inexpensive aftermarket power window regulators for your BMW X5. We’re not just saying that because we want to repair it, but we’ve seen them break in as few as 3 days and your BMW is simply not designed to be torn apart over and over again. You will quickly find yourself in a situation where your door panels will become loose, the plastic trim won’t fit right and your car will squeak and rattle all the way down the road.
We’ve heard it all. From saying they just replaced it days or months ago themselves, to they’ve paid someone to do it 9 months ago and now they’re being asked for more labor to install the part under warranty. This just reinforces what we already know. While the price looks right, any aftermarket part, especially one made for a BMW X5, are inferior to the OEM part. Side by side, there’s no comparison. These power window regulators often break under warranty, causing you to pay more in labor at your mechanics or in your time and labor shipping parts back and forth, uninstalling and reinstalling. That process can quickly turn into a shade-tree mechanics nightmare.
Inexperienced Mechanics
While we understand that money is often a factor in the decision making process, PLEASE DON’T TAKE YOUR NICE BMW TO A MEAN OLD JUNKYARD OR LET SOMEONE WHO IS INEXPERIENCED WORK ON IT!
Beware of “skilled fix-all” mechanics who claim to be able to work on anything. Unless a BMW specialist has trained this “skilled” mechanic, they are referring to domestic and Japanese vehicles. Ask the right questions before you let anyone work on your modern BMW.
It’s immediately evident to us when someone inexperienced has been in the door of a vehicle before us. You can’t fool our technicians. These repairs are often crude and in turn have damaged some of the internal workings of the door, for example the power window switch connectors, interior door handle linkage, the door lock system, speakers and wire harness. The repair may have looked enticing and may have even appeared to work for a short time, but it’s going to cause one whopper of a headache later.