First step in finding gremlins?
 

in all of my other cars...VW's...gremlins were easy to find. But with all these wires in the BMW ('88 528e) I'm daunted! Seems every idiot lite is on and the windows just dont go down. I remember they used to, when my roommate first got the car a few years back. But ever since he had the power seats fixed, the windows stopped working. Should I just take it in? Or do I pull up the dash and start poking?

Sounds like a relay or switch may be bad. I would also check that the window lock-out switch is on.

The lock out switch? Where is that?

It should be on the shift column near the window switches.

Actually it should be lower part of the dash. just right of the steering colum abou 1" x 1/2", its a breaker just push it in, if not check fuses.

oops Jav is right. I was thinking 3 Series

There are two switches that lock out the window motors.

The one on the console between the drivers side front and rear power window switches is to lock out the rear only.

The one on the kick panel under the dash just right of the steering column is a circuit breaker that disables all the windows. This is more likelty the cause. It is intenended as an overload protection.

I pulled the dash back and checked that switch...it wasnt popped out, so maybe I have a short somehere.

My buddies dad that owned the car before me, said the he had fixed the power seats, and thats when the windows stopped working. So is there a main cluster under the passenger seat for the windows? Thats the only thing he messed with.....he says...

Okay..so maybe the button is pressed out. But when I push it back in (the breaker to the right of steering coloumn) it doesnt stay in. Do I need to replace the part? Or is there a way to fix this part myself?

Have you tried cleaning the switch

Its the cicuit breaker you guys told me about, behind the panel, to the right of the column. The little white button pushes in and comes back out. Its an outta sight part so its very clean. Do I just need to replace this breaker?

I'd give it a try and see if it solves the problem.