Convertible Windows

[FinalD]

Probably a stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

On the E36 coupe I had, when you opened the doors the windows dropped by about 1cm to allow it down from the frame seal.
I noticed on the E30 cab the other day when sat in it, if I put the windows up fully, I can't get out.

Is there meant to be a similar feature on the E30 cab or is the top seal meant to be soft enough to push the glass past it when opening/closing the doors. As it stands it looks like I'll only be able to fully close the windows when in the car. Not idea when I want to park it up on the drive when raining.

[B7]

e30 never had the windows drop option.

Either your hood is misaligned or your windows. My money is on the former

[camcc]

There is a guide in the WiKi explaining the adjustment process.

Can you please supply a link to the article? I can't find it and I have the same problem. My drivers window has been closing over the hood for ages it would seem which isn't just causing a leak means my drivers door is bending out of shape.

[FinalD]

e30 never had the windows drop option.

Didn't think so but wanted to check to make sure.

Either your hood is misaligned or your windows. My money is on the former

The rears are fine, slide into their seals perfectly. It's plausible that the front windows are misaligned to be honest, unsure about the hood, it locks into place correctly as far as I can tell, no different on each front corner.

There is a guide in the WiKi explaining the adjustment process.

Can you please supply a link to the article? I can't find it

I had a quick look and can't easily see it either. Logically it'd be under 'bodywork > roof > convertible hood' but it isn't.

[camcc]

Is this it??

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... adjustment

[Morat]

That should keep you busy!

[FinalD]

*looks at link*



*Sets his car on fire*

That'll fix it.


Fig 8.4B (bottom right pic in the link) actually shows how it should be, the window pushing into the seal, that is what mine does at the moment (iirc, not had a look at it since the weekend), so I'm still not sure quite how the door can open/close when the window is fully in the seal.

The only other thing I can think is that the seal is old and needs some gummi phlege treatment to soften up and allow the door to open and close whilst keeping a proper seal once closed.

[trevski]

e30 never had the windows drop option.

Didn't think so but wanted to check to make sure.

Either your hood is misaligned or your windows. My money is on the former

The rears are fine, slide into their seals perfectly. It's plausible that the front windows are misaligned to be honest, unsure about the hood, it locks into place correctly as far as I can tell, no different on each front corner.

There is a guide in the WiKi explaining the adjustment process.

Can you please supply a link to the article? I can't find it

I had a quick look and can't easily see it either. Logically it'd be under 'bodywork > roof > convertible hood' but it isn't.

If you take your door card off you'll find two screws that that adjust the glass about 5mm up or down. My one used to rub my roof and damaged it but doing this cured it.
Send a pm to dave d on here he has some helpfull photos of what and where these fixings are located !

[FinalD]

If you take your door card off you'll find two screws that that adjust the glass about 5mm up or down. My one used to rub my roof and damaged it but doing this cured it.
Send a pm to dave d on here he has some helpfull photos of what and where these fixings are located !

I know where the adjusters are, I've had my passenger door apart to fix the mechanism. I was under the impression that the adjusters pushed the window in/out on the door rather than up/down though.

[trevski]

They allow A rocking movement. Not a lot but enough to clear the roof fabric.

[FinalD]

Ah ok, that's cool, I'll have to have a play with them then, and have a look at the seals. I recall that the B pillar doesn't seal (ie front and rear windows don't meet correctly), so will have to adjust them for sure.

Some old pics actually show they are misaligned:

Driver side:



You can see above that it is sitting proud of the roof and rear window at the top.


Passenger side:



You can just about make out that there is a gap between the front window and the rear one.

[trevski]

Ah ok, that's cool, I'll have to have a play with them then, and have a look at the seals. I recall that the B pillar doesn't seal (ie front and rear windows don't meet correctly), so will have to adjust them for sure.

Some old pics actually show they are misaligned:

Driver side:



You can see above that it is sitting proud of the roof and rear window at the top.


Passenger side:



You can just about make out that there is a gap between the front window and the rear one.

That's just how my one was ! Just tweak them and the glass should drop enough to sit snug under the roof but against the seal .

[FinalD]

door cards off later then, cheers.

[Gert_8]

e30 never had the windows drop option.

Either your hood is misaligned or your windows. My money is on the former

This.

There is a guide in the WiKi explaining the adjustment process.

Won't be the roof mate, it's definitely the windows that need to realignment.

[Rtaylor2208]

I've spent many hours trying to fix this very problem and it can be the roof as well.

If the roof has been off the car at any point and the shims that go between the body and the roof have been upset it takes alot of tinkering to get right.

Its a challenge I intend to get right at some point this year. Litterally just had Boyd from bavarian retro drop off some parts to us and he gave us some pointers on how to get it right.

[Gert_8]

I've spent many hours trying to fix this very problem and it can be the roof as well.

If the roof has been off the car at any point and the shims that go between the body and the roof have been upset it takes alot of tinkering to get right.

Its a challenge I intend to get right at some point this year. Litterally just had Boyd from bavarian retro drop off some parts to us and he gave us some pointers on how to get it right.

Take plenty of pics and put a post in the wiki please!

[BenHar]

Adjusting the front windows is the same for cabs and tin tops:
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ont_window

The front windows should not push up into the froof seal when closed. They just need to touuch the vertical face of the seal.

Ben

[Rtaylor2208]

I've spent many hours trying to fix this very problem and it can be the roof as well.

If the roof has been off the car at any point and the shims that go between the body and the roof have been upset it takes alot of tinkering to get right.

Its a challenge I intend to get right at some point this year. Litterally just had Boyd from bavarian retro drop off some parts to us and he gave us some pointers on how to get it right.

Take plenty of pics and put a post in the wiki please!

Will try my best if I ever get round to it. Many many other jobs needing doing first.

[trevski]

Adjusting the front windows is the same for cabs and tin tops:
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ont_window

The front windows should not push up into the froof seal when closed. They just need to touuch the vertical face of the seal.

Ben

That's what I could not find . This will cure your problems

[Rosc0PColtrane]

I've spent many hours trying to fix this very problem and it can be the roof as well.

If the roof has been off the car at any point and the shims that go between the body and the roof have been upset it takes alot of tinkering to get right.

Its a challenge I intend to get right at some point this year. Litterally just had Boyd from bavarian retro drop off some parts to us and he gave us some pointers on how to get it right.

It's a fo0king koont of a job. With the windows, you can push them slightly as you shut the door, so they duck the fabric before the door closes.

[Rtaylor2208]

^^ Thats what I have to do at the moment.

[camcc]

It's a fo0king koont of a job. With the windows, you can push them slightly as you shut the door, so they duck the fabric before the door closes.

^^ Thats what I have to do at the moment.

Same! but how annoying is it when you get in the car and then have to...

i) turn on the ignition
ii) put the window down a little bit
iii) shut the door
iv) put the window up

...just to stop it catching!

I've actually found that because this procedure wasn't followed by the previous owner and the window continuously shut over the roof, my door frame has bent and now the front window glass doesn't sit flush against the back window (and I've followed the window alignment procedure as per the wiki). Looks like I'm going to have to get a new door.

This could be your issue FinalD? Hopefully it isn't and it is just the window alignment.

I'm really interested to know how you get on, whatever it is!

[FinalD]

As the only part of the door that has a window 'frame' as such is at the front....I'll just beat it with a hammer / bend it back if it is out of shape (obviously with the window down and avoiding damaging the quarter window).

I'll try and sort it at the weekend, got to do this, bleed the coolant system and troubleshoot some other bits.

[camcc]

You don't need a new door, shutting the glass against the roof has just misaligned the glass. The alignment screws will give you enough to bring it back into alignment. At worst, you might have to tweak the lifting mechanism/frame on bottom of glass.

Older tops do get some stretch on the sides from the cables and droop, allowing the window to hit, and there is not enough adjustment left to prevent this. The only solution here is to either put a new top on or put padding strips on the top of the frame to lift the roof slightly away from the frame and increase the gap.

Top of the door is a few mm out i.e. not flush with the rear quarter panel when shut, so must be slightly bent.

My roof is only 6 months old! The fitter said it was a common issue for the window to catch on the hood and that there was nothing he could do. Other side is fine. Padding might be a good idea if another go at glass alignment doesn't do the trick.

[BenHar]

Adjusting the height is quite easy. Just follow the instructions in the wiki link I posted. You can even do it without removing the door card I think, via the winder blanking cap.

Adjusting the angle is trickier and will need the card off.

Ben

[FinalD]

Door lines are fine, opens and shuts perfectly and the door and bodywork lines are match up spot on. It is literally just the glass on mine that is out of place. The drivers side doorcard needs to be removed and replaced anyway as it isn't fitted correctly at the top.

As posted by BenHar, the wiki guide on window adjustment should be all I need, I'll find out tomorrow though for sure once I do some adjusting.

Seems I have an easier fix (just the one thing to do) than camcc.

[FinalD]

So I've managed to adjust the height to what seems to be correct, as well as the angle they go up at. I do still however have a slight issue...

Passenger side:



Driver side:




At the door/base of the window and pretty much all along the top they both meet the seals, but at the top rear they both don't meet the seals. This will be an issue when it rains and when the car has a wash with the interior getting potentially quite wet.

No matter how I adjust the windows with the above linked instructions I can't get it any better. The rears run up smoothly into their seals/runners so I can't see it being a problem. To get them out at the top to meet the front windows would require them to not sit in their runners/seals.

[Gert_8]

Your rears need adjusting. I've got exactly the same problem. Waiting until the weather is better so that I can take the rear cards off to make the adjustment.

[FinalD]

Damn.

I'm not too surprised they need adjusting, I had them out and apart recently. Don't ever take them out, putting them back in is a nightmare!

It's interesting you say that though as they appear to run smoothly and properly up to the roof as they are. Still, gives me something to do tomorrow evening (far too tired tonight after putting the car back together).

The gap is so much better than it was originally though so I must have got them 90% there by accident.

[johnt0709]

Really easy to adjust check the E30 wiki.....

[Gert_8]

Will you let me know how you get on please finald. I've read the wiki, but it doesn't make sense until I attempt the work, I guess. A quick how to for the fronts and rears will be very helpful and gratefully appreciated.