w140 rear window issue, official expertise thread
#1
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Location: Toronto
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96 S500 Coupe
w140 rear window issue, official expertise thread
hi everyone,
I don't have any issues with my rear windows yet but I have read a lot of stories about people plagued with this unpleasant flaw... I have done may searches to understand what happens and what breaks so I can remedy it before it goes, because as Murphy's law states, when mine goes I will be 300 miles away from the city in the middle of pouring rain..
I havent found any concrete answers as to how I can tackle this.
anyone with experience regarding this subject is welcome to post their opinions, diagrams, fixes, etc and I am sure we can all benefit from it
thx
I don't have any issues with my rear windows yet but I have read a lot of stories about people plagued with this unpleasant flaw... I have done may searches to understand what happens and what breaks so I can remedy it before it goes, because as Murphy's law states, when mine goes I will be 300 miles away from the city in the middle of pouring rain..
I havent found any concrete answers as to how I can tackle this.
anyone with experience regarding this subject is welcome to post their opinions, diagrams, fixes, etc and I am sure we can all benefit from it
thx
#2
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My rear window broke and stuck down on a trip and I had to drive 700 miles through rain showers. So I've learned all about them. What happens mostly is the window regulator fails, a pulley and cable mechanism with nylon sliders break and if you are unlucky the cable hooks on the guide track when on full down and gets STUCK down, you can not get it up without removal.
I can tell you how to avoid any trouble or failure, that is to avoid rolling the rear windows all the way down or up using the auto roll up feature by pushing the button full down to auto roll up or down ... simply STOP the the windows just before it hits the bottom and stop manually when reaching the top to close. That will avoid the motor still running and pulling for 2 seconds to sense the auto stop circuit. There is an auto stop circuit that cuts the motor power after 2 seconds of reaching the bottom or top as the motor still runs for 2 seconds after hitting the dead stop of up or down when using auto close or open...this is when the cable and nylon cable guides break, under this tension for 2 seconds. So again, simply RELEASE the window button just before the window reaches the bottom or top. Stop the window manually as soon as it reaches closed on up and avoid using the auto up or down feature. The front windows use a scissor drive mechanisium but I still avoid the auto feature.
The regulator repair was easy if your are mechanism inclined and have a cheap rivet tool and drill. I ordered a new rear window regulator {no motor, the motor attaches to the regulator. Motors rarely fail} online for $65, 3 brass rivets $2. You remove the door panel {have someone show you how to remove the small wood panel} and 2 large screws. Remove the old regulator rivets and regulator, put in the new one, 1 hour. I used the removal and installation instructions from my www.alldata.com DYI online manual account for the S320.
I can tell you how to avoid any trouble or failure, that is to avoid rolling the rear windows all the way down or up using the auto roll up feature by pushing the button full down to auto roll up or down ... simply STOP the the windows just before it hits the bottom and stop manually when reaching the top to close. That will avoid the motor still running and pulling for 2 seconds to sense the auto stop circuit. There is an auto stop circuit that cuts the motor power after 2 seconds of reaching the bottom or top as the motor still runs for 2 seconds after hitting the dead stop of up or down when using auto close or open...this is when the cable and nylon cable guides break, under this tension for 2 seconds. So again, simply RELEASE the window button just before the window reaches the bottom or top. Stop the window manually as soon as it reaches closed on up and avoid using the auto up or down feature. The front windows use a scissor drive mechanisium but I still avoid the auto feature.
The regulator repair was easy if your are mechanism inclined and have a cheap rivet tool and drill. I ordered a new rear window regulator {no motor, the motor attaches to the regulator. Motors rarely fail} online for $65, 3 brass rivets $2. You remove the door panel {have someone show you how to remove the small wood panel} and 2 large screws. Remove the old regulator rivets and regulator, put in the new one, 1 hour. I used the removal and installation instructions from my www.alldata.com DYI online manual account for the S320.
#6
Yeah I swear I get scared every time I need to open the window. :o The back left one already failed. Now the right rear one goes down easily but has trouble coming back up so I'm afraid that one is close too. The driver's side front one now makes some squeaking sound. The only one that never broke was the front passenger side one. Go figure.
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600SEL 1993
The slider which runs up and down the bar on the regulator has been modified at least three times since 1993. It is now made of die-cast zinc with a nylon insert where it seats on the rail. The problem with earlier versions was that it was made of nylon only. The nylon gets brittle and the cable nipple which sits in the nylon breaks through jamming the window usually in the "full-down" position.
The slider itself is available as a replacement part but fittting it is tricky as it is very easy to snarl the cable on the motor-driven winch drum. Its easy to replace the whole assembly as mentioned above. I have done bothe these jobs on a 93 ^00 SEL.
Now will someone tell me how to fix a really annoying rattle from the front suspension that is not the shock absorber or the anti-roll bar drop-link??
Help much appreciated
Haggis
The slider itself is available as a replacement part but fittting it is tricky as it is very easy to snarl the cable on the motor-driven winch drum. Its easy to replace the whole assembly as mentioned above. I have done bothe these jobs on a 93 ^00 SEL.
Now will someone tell me how to fix a really annoying rattle from the front suspension that is not the shock absorber or the anti-roll bar drop-link??
Help much appreciated
Haggis
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#10
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BMW 2000 328i / MB 1999 S500
actually i found it at a place called "car parts authority" online =)
cost was 83 bucks with window regulator and window regulator rivets.
now... how would i be able to take out the door panel? TIA
cost was 83 bucks with window regulator and window regulator rivets.
now... how would i be able to take out the door panel? TIA
#11
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Right rear $81.00 ($65 a year ago?} don't forget the 3 rivets. Browse the parts. I have ordered several parts from here with great luck.
http://catalog.thepartsbin.com/?year...mageField.y=13
http://catalog.thepartsbin.com/?year...mageField.y=13