leccy widows

[john-rambo]

my 87 318i facelift model hasnt got factory fitted leccy windows but i want them and i want them now! is the wiring already there for them or is it a big pain in the arse to fit and likeley to make me punch things and swear alot tryin 2 fit them?

[johnono]

not done it mԚ´self but its on the list

loom under the carpets so seats out and mid console also .

cut out button holes

if u are doing 4 drs then loom in through the a pillar, out through the cable snake into the back doors ( fiddely, use a wire threader ;) )

front, under the carpet, into the footwell speaker panels, around the door pillar, through the cable snake ( same as the back doors, but more fiddely)

door pannels off, inner plastic covers out.

remove winder mechanism. install motor mechs ( know very little about this part )

powering the system from ? godknows

earth to seat bolt or othe chassis bolt ( clean contacts though )

this aint gospel by a long way so dont take my word for it coz i aint sure at all

[A1BMW325iSport]

for the power run it from a relay as per factory setup

[johnono]

it would need to route to the fuse box then and need the relay for the windows

this is where im out of my leauge

[A1BMW325iSport]

i can give you all the details to wire them up mate, drop me a PM or catch me on msn

[Brianmoooore]

it would need to route to the fuse box then and need the relay for the windows

this is where im out of my leauge

Power comes from accessories socket at the back of the glovebox.

[Sharknose3]

I recently stripped a full electric window loom out of a 320iSE. I removed it complete without cuts.

If I'm not mistaken, the power came from the central locking circuit.

I remember checking the full loom several times and being surprised by this.

Can anyone confirm that the power comes from the C/L circuit.

Thanks,
Sharknose

[Brianmoooore]

I recently stripped a full electric window loom out of a 320iSE. I removed it complete without cuts.

If I'm not mistaken, the power came from the central locking circuit.

I remember checking the full loom several times and being surprised by this.

Can anyone confirm that the power comes from the C/L circuit.

Thanks,
Sharknose

You are indeed, mistaken. Power for the windows is shared with an electric sunroof, and has two seperate supplies. Both come from the accesories socket behind the glovebox.
There's no connection with the locking at all, but there is a connection to the door pillar interior light switches, which, if you have a light delay unit fitted, does share a supply with the locks.

[DanThe]

I did this conversion to a mates car about 6 months ago so im a bit rusty.
The first bit of advice i can give is to remove the carpet so the wires can be routed properly. The doors will have the connectors for the motors but you will need to wire everything from the back of the door loom yourself unless you strip it out of the donor vehicle.
You will need the relay that clips onto and connects into the socket behind the glovebox, so take plenty of cable from that and make a note of the connections, although they should only connect to certain sockets if i remember right.
Also the earth is a very important part of this system as is the quality of the cable due to the amount of power the motors use, you need the best auto cable you can get hold of if you dont use the origional wiring, to start with i was using "buget" cable and it got that hot i was like
I commoned up the earths from the switches into one soldered battery lug and bolted it to the floor near the centre console.
Thats about it, you can cut the switch holes out of the centre console with a stanley.
Oh yeah, and i didnt bother with the cut of switch as its useless anyway

[Sharknose3]

Great information,

Thanks,
Sharknose

[Brianmoooore]

Oh yeah, and i didnt bother with the cut of switch as its useless anyway

I know of an E30 with retrofitted electric windows that came very close to catching fire because the cutout hadn't been fitted.

Would definitely advise raiding a scrapper for the complete correct loom.

[smithy318i]

the loom is a little bit of a nightmare to cut out of a breaker, but once done, it's easy to fit.
I just sold a complete setup for 40 quid, and will bookmark this page for ref. ( if the buyer needs info)

2 and 4 door regulators ARE the same btw.

[smithy318i]

Is this Blue relay and are the green wires fitted to all E30s ?

[Sharknose3]

Recently checked my '89 320 T. with manual windows & the wires are not there, didn't know to check for the blue relay.

My wife's 318i T. had 2 x electric windows, (4 since I converted the back ones) and that has those wires & I would assume also the blue relay.

So, I'd say only in E30s with the window loom factory fitted or I suppose retrofitted.

Sharknose

[DanThe]

Is this Blue relay and are the green wires fitted to all E30s ?

Cant remember off the top of my head, but the wires for the relay plug into the white socket to the right of the picture.

What happened with the car you mentioned brianmoore?

[Brianmoooore]

Is this Blue relay and are the green wires fitted to all E30s ?]

This relay is the one that switches the power to the windows/roof from an ignition controlled supply on fuse 17 to a door switch controlled supply on fuse 28.
It's not fitted to E30s without electric windows, and I think it may be a UK only fitment. Definitely not fitted to US models.

[Brianmoooore]

Is this Blue relay and are the green wires fitted to all E30s ?

Cant remember off the top of my head, but the wires for the relay plug into the white socket to the right of the picture.

What happened with the car you mentioned brianmoore?

The windows had been wired to fuse 28, a permanent live 12V supply.
A heavy object was left on the centre console by a front seat passenger leaving the car when it was parked for the night.
This object pushed down the "up" button of the driver's window.
In the morning the battery was totaly dead, the insulation had melted off the wires to the door, and the motor showed evidence of having been extremely hot. The stall current of one motor was not enough to blow the (correct) 30A fuse, but would have tripped the overload button. (Or possibly not, as the object would probably held this down as well!)

[DanThe]

Tut tut,
just shows what can result from a bit of bone-idleness

[Sharknose3]

I'm ready to fit a full electric window loom into a 320i Touring.

I've tested the full loom, switches, motors etc on a 12 V bench supply and all works as it should.

The only riddle for me is how is the green/blue wire that feeds the loom wired through the blue relay & accessory socket.
Cars with manual windows & roof don't have this relay or associated wiring.

Brian, Simon or anybody else happen to know ?

Thanks,
Sharknose

[Sharknose3]

Had another look at the loom connections, 2 brown wires which go to the grounding point above the accessories socket and two green /blue wires both with keyed plastic sockets intended for the accessories socket or the like.
The thinner wire has a red plug on the end and according to the picture on this post, that should be plugged directly into the accessory socket - fuse 17 I would assume.

The thicker green/blue wire obviously hooks up to the relay but does the relay feed from fuse 28 through the accessories socket or is it a seperate wire that is fed in from the fuse box?

Would appreciate if anybody could clarify !

Thx,
Sharknose

[sterns]

hiya, ill be watching this for a reply as ive done the same thing, gone from 4 door full maunual to electric. Looms all in, still no carpet though.
Ive plugged the green wires in to where they go on the socket, and as i was told in my post in this forum, that i need the K5 relay.
Ill go get one tomorrow, but not sure that once i plug it in, that will put a feed onto fuse 17 and then onto my loom, if it does, fantastic, otherwise im stuffed, lol

fingers crossed though.

Hows yours coming along though mate?

Tony

[Brianmoooore]

hiya, ill be watching this for a reply as ive done the same thing, gone from 4 door full maunual to electric. Looms all in, still no carpet though.
Ive plugged the green wires in to where they go on the socket, and as i was told in my post in this forum, that i need the K5 relay.
Ill go get one tomorrow, but not sure that once i plug it in, that will put a feed onto fuse 17 and then onto my loom, if it does, fantastic, otherwise im stuffed, lol

fingers crossed though.

Hows yours coming along though mate?

Tony

It will!

[Brianmoooore]

Had another look at the loom connections, 2 brown wires which go to the grounding point above the accessories socket and two green /blue wires both with keyed plastic sockets intended for the accessories socket or the like.
The thinner wire has a red plug on the end and according to the picture on this post, that should be plugged directly into the accessory socket - fuse 17 I would assume.

The thicker green/blue wire obviously hooks up to the relay but does the relay feed from fuse 28 through the accessories socket or is it a seperate wire that is fed in from the fuse box?

Would appreciate if anybody could clarify !

Thx,
Sharknose

Fuse 28 feeds to top left of accessories socket.