My driver's side window won't roll down anymore. It's not just a case of the motor getting stuck and needing a bump, as is common with Mini window motors.

The window rolls down when you open the door and back up when you close it, but only the quarter of an inch or so that it's supposed to. Aside from that, it won't budge.

I took a few pictures today of what I could see going on in there. Visibility is difficult but if more/better pictures would be helpful, please let me know and I'll get some tomorrow.

Any advice you could give me before I have to shell out the money for a new motor? Thanks in advance!

 

So far, this is the only thread I've seen that really goes in depth on this issue:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ow-issues.html

Here's the best link I found in there:

http://www.minneapolis-moline.com/miniwindow.html

Really hoping not to have to buy one (or both of these):
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2003-C...ndow/ES184405/
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2003-C...indow/ES94200/

If anyone can find anything else or knows what to do, please let me know.

In the mean time, I'm about to try just spraying some lube in there and hoping the regulator will get its **** together.

 

It sounds like your switch is bad. I have seen this before on my buddies Rover. The window would move down and back up when you opened and closed the door. Changed out the switch and it was all good, at a fraction of the price of a new regulator. I have even taken some switches apart and fixed them.

 

My mini had this issue. But got stuck in the down position. When I took it apart the cable was shreded. As a stop gap I cut 2 sticks of wood and unlimited them to the rails so I had security until the new regulator assembly showed up. It was then a matter of installing. Your motor is probably fine. My bet the cable broke, got lodged in the pulley or it is frayed. Good luck. You won't know what to order until you take out the parts. You can use sticks and nylon ties like I did until the new part shows up.

 

I had problems with my passenger side window about a year ago. It was working fine but a little slow and one day it went down and stayed there. I took it to a shop in town that had a guy familiar with Mini's and BMW'S and he found that the cable had seized up and fried the motor too. His experience was this was a common problem with BMW vehicles. Now I'm starting to have trouble with the sunroof full opening and closing, so I'll probably need a cable for it too.

 

These two replies about cables seem to support my theory that it's my regulator (which includes the cable) that's bad and not my motor itself. I guess that's nice because I'll probably only have to buy one part rather than two. Still frustrating. I guess I'll have to take it apart sometime soon.

As for my switch being bad: that was actually my fault for not explaining properly. The window does respond to my switch, but only as much as it moves normally for the door to open/close. Good suggestion, though. Just not for this instance.

Here's the part in question, cheapest I could find it:
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...c-957b976f1be0

 

I see a new window regulator in your future...

 

A thought occurs to me: anyone have any experience just replacing worn/frayed/broken cables and reinstalling the existing regulator?