E30 Saloon Window Regulator & Motor

[e30war]

I've got an 320i Saloon from 1987, and the drivers window motor has decided to pack in.

Does anyone know where these can be found? I've searched high and low, but to no avail.

If anyone can be of any help, it would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[sweep]

I have a motor

[BenHar]

Have you tried BMW?

Ben

[e30war]

@sweep

Do you have the whole mechanism and motor?

[Oseanosea]

Found this regulator on eBay.com

https://www.ebay.com/i/263246315151?rt= ... %3D2385738

And also this motor:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-Left-D ... SwAjhc6Dj2

Or both here, but pricey IMHO:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-BMW-E30-Co ... SwFoNcRaOp

[Brianmoooore]

What colour tint is your glass? If it's green, you'd be better off getting a second hand later (scissors type) motor and mech., complete with glass.
I did this change to an E30 many years ago, and IIRC, I had to drill one hole to fit the later type mech.

[ChrisHC]

I have just fitted a motor to my driver's window that I got from the parts wanted section of this site. Mine is a similar regulator to yours, and fitting the new motor was quite a simple job, you do not have to take out the regulator. Once you have removed the door card you can see the bottom end of the motor. It is held on to the gearbox by two Torx set screws which you can see if you lie underneath the door. Once you take these out the motor simply comes away from the gearbox, and all you have to do is unplug the wiring. Fitting the new motor is just the reverse of this, but if the worm on the motor shaft will not engage with the circular gear of the regulator, plug in the motor and operate the window switch whichever way winds it up into the gear (can't remember which way but I think it was the open direction) then refit the Torx set screws.

It might be worth trying to get some grease on the regulator cable while the door card is off, I think it is open on one side, and put some glass lubricant into the glass channels in case it has become too stiff for the motor and that did for the one that has failed.

[Brianmoooore]

I have just fitted a motor to my driver's window that I got from the parts wanted section of this site. Mine is a similar regulator to yours, and fitting the new motor was quite a simple job, you do not have to take out the regulator. Once you have removed the door card you can see the bottom end of the motor. It is held on to the gearbox by two Torx set screws which you can see if you lie underneath the door. Once you take these out the motor simply comes away from the gearbox, and all you have to do is unplug the wiring. Fitting the new motor is just the reverse of this, but if the worm on the motor shaft will not engage with the circular gear of the regulator, plug in the motor and operate the window switch whichever way winds it up into the gear (can't remember which way but I think it was the open direction) then refit the Torx set screws.

It might be worth trying to get some grease on the regulator cable while the door card is off, I think it is open on one side, and put some glass lubricant into the glass channels in case it has become too stiff for the motor and that did for the one that has failed.

Problem with doing this is that you are still stuck with the unreliable pre face lift set up. Post facelift scissor mech. is many orders of magnitude more reliable. If your car has the earlier brown tinted default glass, then you're stuck with the early winder, but the default tint changed to green several months before the winder mech. was upgraded.

[sweep]

Would need to look to see if I have a regulator if you are going down that route.

[e30war]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the help, but I’ve been told to replace the whole unit (regulator and motor)

I’m not mechanically minded to be honest, so any help is appreciated. I’ve got a RHD car also.

Thanks.