electric window switch connection? (MAIN DEALER RETRO FIT)

Post Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:59 pm

Can anyone help,
I removed my carpet and cetre console today and am gonna be runnin the car without a carpet for a while so need to put centre console back in.

Does any one know what order the wire/conectors need to be in when conecting to the electric window switches on the centre consule, the all seemed to be a similar colour.

any help or advise would be appreciated, cheers

Post Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:15 pm

The window switches have sockets with the wiring permanently attached, and the switches only fit one way.
There are two green/something wires to the cicuit breaker. Doesn't matter which way around they go., and if you have rear electric windows as well, it doesn't matter which way around the wires go to the rear isolator switch either.
You don't have those hopeless dealer retrofitted windows, do you?

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:38 am

They are standard fitted electric windows i think, on the back of the switch in the center console the wirers are on spade connectors which i had to un plug from each switch to remove the console, about 4 or 5 connectors i to each switch i think, all a brown sort of colour i think.

ill have another look in the mornin
cheers brian

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:20 am

oguz3001 wrote:They are standard fitted electric windows i think, on the back of the switch in the center console the wirers are on spade connectors which i had to un plug from each switch to remove the console, about 4 or 5 connectors i to each switch i think, all a brown sort of colour i think.

ill have another look in the mornin
cheers brian

That sounds like the retrofit ones, I'm afraid.

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:36 pm

Does this mean i am on my own Brian

Ill have a play about with it later and see what happens

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:34 pm

Ok just had another look and it seems the are 2 blue conectors for each switch one with a black stripe, these lead to the doors so must be for windows and then there are 3 brown wires for each switch with connectors, one with a red stripe.
Had a play around with them in different positions but no joy as yet

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:37 pm

Does any one know if bmw would have a diagram for this?

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:52 pm

oguz3001 wrote:Ok just had another look and it seems the are 2 blue conectors for each switch one with a black stripe, these lead to the doors so must be for windows and then there are 3 brown wires for each switch with connectors, one with a red stripe.
Had a play around with them in different positions but no joy as yet

Think one of my E30s still has these switches, although I've long since replaced the motors in the doors with the OE ones.
No time now, but I'll look tomorrow, IF I remember.

Post Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:54 pm

would be most appreciated if you could buddy.
i made a note of the blue wires possition and i think thats corect but because there were 3 brown wires didnt make a note as i though it wouldnt make sense.
should have been more carefull, and individy labled them before i took them off. i know for next time lol

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:27 am

Here you go - Grey = 1, red = 3, blue = 8, 4 and 5 = brown/red with a loop of brown wire.

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:39 pm

Cheers Brian
Ive just tryed this and all make sense now, only difference is i have a black instead of grey wire.
however its still not working, i am sure that is the right configuration, i have checked all fuses under the bonnet and i am out of ideas now.
Everthing else is working fine its just the windows, is it possible ive popped a relay or something?
Thanks again fella

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:03 pm

Also just wondering, my window wind motor is getting a bit tired so may replace this, will any e30 one fit, or are there different/variant?

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:02 pm

oguz3001 wrote:Also just wondering, my window wind motor is getting a bit tired so may replace this, will any e30 one fit, or are there different/variant?

This is what happens to them, amd why mine have long since been replaced. AFAIK, there is no problem replacing the whole mechanism with the OE one. Your wiring and switches will work the new motors, although the motor plug will have to go.

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:11 pm

oguz3001 wrote:Cheers Brian
Ive just tryed this and all make sense now, only difference is i have a black instead of grey wire.
however its still not working, i am sure that is the right configuration, i have checked all fuses under the bonnet and i am out of ideas now.
Everthing else is working fine its just the windows, is it possible ive popped a relay or something?
Thanks again fella

Only thing I can think of, is that there may be an added on in line fuse somewhere (behind glovebox panel?) that may have blown.
I think the red is 12V+, brown/red is earth, and the blue and grey or black are the wires to the motors.
Check with a small 12V lamp whether there is power on the red wire, and apply power to the motor wires to see what happens.

Post Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:14 pm

many thanks agaian buddy, ur an legend,
ill try again tomorow and see what happens

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:10 pm

ok, ive traced the brown/red wires back to behind the glove box and on the red wire, there is a black plastic cylinder type thing, ah ha i though thats got to be it, took ages to open it up and when i did all that was inside
was a small strip of metal bent in half with the wires connecting ether side.
i have no idea what this is.
unfortunatly i do not have a 12v tester so dont know if its live or not, will try and get one tomorow.
can find any fuse though traced wire all the back to where they meet the yellow plastic boxs, are they relays?

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:51 pm

Plain red wires on a BMW are usually unfused permanent live.
All you need to test is a 12V lamp. Borrow a sidelamb bulb out of one of the rear lights or one of the interior lights.
I do nearly all of my electrical testing using a piece of wire with a crocodile clip on the end, and a 12V5W lamp in a bulbholder with wire attached to it, that was originally an E30 indicator side repeater.
Very rarely that I get the meter out.

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:50 pm

ok , made up a tester from a spare bulb and some wire and tested the cigarett lighter first to make sure my tester worked ok which it did.
then i connected the tester, one wire to the red wire and one to earth and still nothing.
would i be jumping the gun in saying a need to get a live feed from somewhere else like the cigerett lighter?

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:15 pm

Check for power the other side of the black cylinder thing. Must be a fuse of some kind.
Don't forget ignition switch may need to be on.

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:03 pm

i disconected the black cylinder thing and did the test from the conector before it gets to the black cylinder thing with ignition on, there only 2 inchs of wire then it disapers in all the wires that connect to those yellow plastic boxs.
deffo no fuse there, dont know what else to do, ill try again tomorow, cheers brian

Post Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:13 pm

What yellow plastic boxes? In the fusebox?

Post Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:09 pm

ok ive tested again on the live wire behind the glove box and still no joy, theres only about 2" of wire and then it dissapears into the wiring harness that joins into the engine bay i think, this is very near to the bonnet release lever.
dont know what else to do brian, everthing else works fine!

Post Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:09 pm

Do you mean the wire goes into the sort of tube with most of the other wires or through one of the holes in the rest of the grommet?
If the former, that goes up into the base of the fusebox. The top of the fusebox is held in place by three self tappers, one on the outside, one you can see on the inside and one hidden by a relay.
Take these screws out and lift the top of the box up, and you should be able to see where the wire comes from.The top half of the box has several stiff wires going to it that restrict the amount you can lift it up, but thet are all well secured and things don't start falling to pieces. There is one five(?) pin plug in tyhere as well, which you should make sure in fitted properly before you put things back together.

Post Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:49 pm

This red/live wire for the leccy window goes into glove box at the back and then into a big wiring harness connection and that seems to go into the shell near the bonnet release/bulkhead? and into the fuse box i think.
to be honest i think this is getting a bit beyoynd me, i can only work on the car in the street at night with a torch an i am finding it hard to explain things as i am a novice with car electrics.
I will have a look tomorow, 318is dan is comming over mabie he will know or better be able to discribe what i am seeing.
I dont really want to start taking to much apart and make matters worse as i am no expert with electrics.

Thanks for you patence/help brian, am sure ill get there in the end.

PS, deffo looks like the dash has been appart in this area as theres a few screws missing here and there. some of the wiring doesnt look factory but mabie just me being parra