windows not working?

broseed · broseed's Garage

Hi everyone,

My mother's BMW is a 1993 325i sedan. A few days ago, she got in her car and her power windows were no longer working. I've checked the fuse box and all seems ok there, so perhaps the problem is a relay? or something else?

Any ideas out there? If so, please provide locations for any troubleshooting.

Thanks everyone!

-Dylan Essner

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Questions:

Are both windows not working? Any noise from the windows, or are they just dead?

The fuse doesn't show any blown symptoms? Try swapping fuses too - sometimes they build up a little corrosion on the tips.

Did anything else stop working?

I'll have to check the electrical diagrams to see where the relay is located...

-Wayne

broseed · broseed's Garage

Hi Wayne - thanks for the quick reply!

All 4 windows stopped working - and there is no noise at all. The original fuse looked fine, but I did swap with 2 other fuses to no avail.

Thanks for the help!

-Dylan

broseed · broseed's Garage

One more quick thing - I did check the circuit breaker by the steering wheel and that didn't work either. Everything else is still working.

Correction: The sunroof is not working either...and, the "side lights", which are on the same fuse as the power windows (33 for the sedan) are working fine.

Thanks,
Dylan

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

I'll have to check my book - it's in my garage. I've got the same year car in a coupe version...

-Wayne

Nabeel · 03-23-2002, 10:26 PM

Are you sure the 'window lock' switch was not pushed by accident?

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Does that lock the sunroof too?

-Wayne

Nabeel · 03-23-2002, 10:41 PM

Not too sure.....

I don't drive an E36, but I have driven several and came very close to buying one, so I know a little about them. I remember on one of the cars I drove, the windows would not go down, and after about 30 minutes of confusion, we realized that the 'window lock' switch had been pushed.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Okay, I'll sound stupid. I'm semi-new to these cars, and learning everyday. Where is this infamous window-lock switch located?

-Wayne

Nabeel · 03-23-2002, 10:51 PM

If memory serves me right, it was an unmarked switch on the left of the steering wheel. Its been about 6 months since I last sat in an E36, so I could be wrong here...

broseed · broseed's Garage

Greetings gentlemen,

For the sedan, there is a window lock switch on the console where the controls for the 4 power windows are surrounding the sitckshift. To the left of the shift, there are three buttons - the front-left power window - the lock switch - and then the rear-left window switch (from top to bottom). To the right, there are simply the right front power window and the right rear power window controls. Depressing the lock switch to the left of the shift deactivates both the right and left rear windows - but the passenger and driver windows will still work.

However, there is, on sedans, a "circuit breaker", as it is known in the owners manual, to the right of the steering wheel below the right side of the "dash" indicated with a lightning bolt on the cover of the switch. Depressing this deactivates all windows in the car (front and rear) as a child safety precaution. I have tested this (in regards to my present problem) and have not had any success. It is possible (and likely) that coupes of the same vintage do not have the "circuit breaker" - however, they probably have the "window lock" to the left of the stickshift/automatic lever, which will deactivate just the passenger window.

Wayne - hopefully you may have some relay information regarding power windows for the sedan in your book - hope this information helps and makes sense!

Thanks,
Dylan

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Shoot - I've got 3 coupes and a hatchback on tap for the book, but I'm short a sedan...

My guess is that the coupes don't have this switch, hence, me not ever seeing it before...

-Wayne

AM · 03-29-2002, 11:56 PM

I think your problem is a relay that is under the stering wheel panel it is blue relay and I think they call it confort relay it cost like 20.00
it had the same problem like a year ago.
good luck
Armando
'92 325
'81 911sc

kuczwara · 06-03-2002, 11:59 AM

i'm 99% sure broseed is correct. this just happened to my 92 325i. neither my windows, sunroof, of door locks work. no power at all. from other forums i found out that it's the comfort control relay. it's a blue thingy underneath the steering wheel. must take off the knee panel and the metal panel (should only be 3 screws) and find the blue relay. most likely cause is a bad soldering job that separates with temp. changes.

i will check it out today. dealer says he has them in stock for $18. hopefully this will do the trick.

good luck

chris k.

kuczwara · 06-06-2002, 08:42 AM

i went to the dealer yesterday to get a new comfort control relay ($25). got one (different serial#, but looks identical), plugged it in...and ...nothing. still no power. i took apart my old one to check for the common soldering problem. not it. i plugged the old one in without the cover and played around with it. when i pressed on the tiny plate inside to make a connection, i was able to roll my windows and sunroof, bu the door locks were still out of power. i asked the guy at the counter to see if onyone can check if the new relay can be tested, since it didn't work in my ride. said there was no one there to test it, so i don't know if it may have been faulty or not, and so i returned it. i stuck a piece of metal between the tiny plate to make a connection, and that's how it is for now. it works, but the door lock problem remains. DOES ANYONE know if there's something i'm missing here? how do i fix my locks? was the new relay bad? or is there something else? ANYONE?!?!?!?!