How to Replace Rear Window Regulator 2001-05 BMW 325 Xi

What's up guys? I'm Andy from 1A Auto. In this video, I'm going to show you how to replace the rear window regulator on this 2001 BMW 325xi. If you need this part or other parts for your vehicle, click the link in the description, head over to 1AAuto.com.

I'm going to take this window switch out first. Just take a straight blade screwdriver, get underneath here. You can also use a trim tool. Slide this up. There's two little tabs that hold it in. Disconnect the connector right there. Just wiggle it up. Now we're going to take a trim tool, take this trim off, just slide underneath here. Carefully pry it out. There's clips that hold it on. The back clips stayed in with the panel, that's okay. Take these two little trim covers off. Just use a straight blade pocket screwdriver. Pull that one off. We'll do the same with this one. I'm going to take these screws out. There's five screws, two up there, one in there, and then two underneath this handle. I'm going to use a T20 socket, extension, and a ratchet. Keep in mind, this screw is a long one right there. Once you loosen this one up, I'm just going to take a small magnet and pull that screw out. Go underneath here, get these two.

Now there's push pins that hold this door panel along, so we're just going to use a door trim removal tool, a trim removal tool. Get underneath here, just pry out. Might need to use a couple of them. Just pop them, just like that. Go all the way around the door, just like that. Grab the door panel, just slide up. Just like that. There is some clips, so with those clips you actually don't want to slide up, you want to pry them out, so keep that in mind. Disconnect the speaker right here, just squeeze it out. Take this power wire for the window switch, just take a trim tool, get underneath the wire retainer. Up and off. Then right here, just slide. This is for the door latch on the inside, just slide that out just like that.

I'm going to disconnect this connector right here. Just grab both sides, pull it apart. We want to take this vapor barrier off. Just going to use a knife and just cut it. You can use a razor blade or a utility knife. Cut this. It should stick back to itself when you go to put it back together. If not, you can add a little bit of this adhesive. Just like that. Set this aside. We're going to take the window switch and just reconnect it to the connector, and I turned the key on, so the key's on the vehicle so I can move the window down. Be careful. Don't put your fingers near the window when it's going down. Then, we want to get it so that bolt is accessible. You might have to adjust it a little bit up or down. That might be kind of difficult if your window regulator's broken, then just try to move the window up or down the best you can. Now, I'll disconnect the switch and make sure I take the key out of the ignition. All right.

Now, I am going to support the window while I take this bolt out. going to use a 8 millimeter socket, extension, and a ratchet, and I'm going to take some masking tape, keep it nearby, just so when I disconnect the window I can actually tape it up. Actually I can ... It is slotted, so I can just release this a little bit, grab my pocket screwdriver, just push on this tab a little bit and slide the window up, just like that. Push the window up. This would help if you have someone to give you a hand while you're doing this, but you can do it by yourself, and normally I like to use about three pieces of masking tape, feel like that holds the window pretty well, but you can always use more. I wouldn't recommend using less.

Now we're going to disconnect the connector right here and just push down on the tab. Slide that out. If you have a different setup with the motor, you may have the connector down here. Disconnect it the same way. Then, we're going to take a 10 millimeter socket, extension, and a ratchet. I'm going to take this nut off here, this nut off here, and this bolt right here. Just slide the regulator out. The stud kind of slides down that little path right there, twist it to the side, slide it up, and then slide it down.

So take the window regulator, we're going to slide it in this way. You want it so the motor is on the backside and the place where the window actually attaches to it is on the outside of the door. Slide it in this way, all the way up, and then slide it down a little bit. I want to get that stud lined up right there, and right there, those two studs. Then, take the bolt, get the bolt started, take the nut, put it on that stud, and get the other nut, put it on this stud. I'll take a 10 millimeter socket, extension, and ratchet. Tighten these down, snug that one down, and then same with the other two. All right, that's good. Just go back, recheck. It's good.

If you're replacing the regulator or motor, and this is not lined up where it attaches to the window, what you're going to want to do is connect the connector and then turn the key on, and get that retainer attached in that position. But ours is already in that position, so we're good to lower the window. I'm going to support the window from underneath here, take the tape off, pull the tape off, and slide the window down. Get this lined up. Be sure that bolt lines up. We'll take a 8 millimeter socket, extension, and ratchet, tighten this bolt down. You want to be careful, you don't want to tighten it too tight, but then again, you don't want it to loose, either. Just snug it up. We don't want to crack the glass, so once it's snug, just go a little bit more. That's good.

Now we want to connect the connector, just to line it up. Now, I'm going to keep the connector over on this side. I don't want to have it on that side where it could get caught in the glass. Otherwise, if your connector is over here, plug it in over there. Now we're going to reinstall the vapor barrier. Move the wires out of your way. Get this lined up. Back in position there. It looks good like that. Take this connector, just connect that right there. Lock it in place. This wire, we're going to fish through here. That's going to go for the window switch. Make sure that's in the right position before you put this back together. It's good like that.

We want to connect this right here. This one's going to connect to the speaker. Plug that in. Then take the cable for the handle, you want to make sure the handle is not open, keep it closed. Just line this up, it's going to slide in like that, locked in position, and then just double check it and make sure it works, and it's working properly. Make sure your wire's through here, and then if any of these clips have popped out, you're going to want to take them out of the door panel. Take the lock rod, slide that into position there. Line these all up. Once everything's lined up, just give it a push. That's good.

All right, I'm going to take the screws and a T20 socket, extension, and a ratchet, we're going to get all these screws started first before I tighten them down, and then this last one, this is the long one, it's going to go right here. Once I get all of those started, go back and snug them all up. Take these two little trim pieces, they're going to slide in like that first, and lock in place. Same with this one, just like that. Take this trim piece right here, this is going to slide in down here, and then line those tabs up, just like that, and push it on. That's all the way down. All right, take the connector, there is a little tab on the connector that lines up with the switch, slide that like that. Make sure you slide the switch in properly, don't put it in upside down. Lock it in place.

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