1987 325i intro and windows/sunroof

[boneyabba]

I just bought a 1987 325i with close to a quarter million miles on it. For the mileage and age I am really pleased with the car. If I test drove it without looking at the odometer and was told it only had 60k miles I would believe it.

Sadly, the rest of the car doesn't hold up to the standard set by the drive train. I am a do-it-yourself kind of guy and happy to muck around figuring things out- but I already broke something when I got to gorilla on it so I thought I would call in the cavalry here.

At the moment I have two priority issues- the front windows and the sunroof. In both cases I think the first step for me is getting access and poking around but I don't want to break anything else.

The sunroof appears to be off track a little and does not operate fully in either direction. If you tilt it one side goes up to about (I am guessing) half way and the other only about one quarter. If you try to slide it back it goes to roughly a closed position- again with one side lower than the other- and then sticks. The furry strip boarder piece that seals the gap between the sunroof and the regular roof was bent down into the crevasse a bit on one side- I tried to pull it out and wound up ripping off the furry bit and bending the crap out of the metal. Oops. I am assuming the headliner needs to come out to get access up there? The liner is in really nice shape and I'd hate to mess it up too. Any suggestions?

Second, both front windows operate a bit wonky. The driver side is much worse- but when I assist it by hand it works okay. I'd like to open up the door and just try lubing/adjusting the mechanism and see what that does- but again the removal technique did not look straight forward and I don't want to damage the nice interior skin. I pulled the two screws out of the handle and realized I couldn't see any other fasteners and other than the handle wiggling nothing looked loose. Help!

I saw somebody get lambasted in another thread for not buying a Bentley manual so I went to amazon and I see two that seem to include my year. An 87-88 M20 book and a 84-87 325e m20 book. I don't know what m20 means but neither looked quite right.

Thanks guys,
T

 

[echothreezero]

This is the one you want

I havn't pulled a sunroof apart before. All I know is that they are fiddly buggers.

The windows may be a loose bolt, or they may be worn out. As you say, you'll need to get in there to have a look first.

To remove door skins, undo the two screws on the handle like you have.

Then pry the small plastic cover off at the top of the handle (If you have electric mirrors it is where the adjuster switch is). There is a third screw there.

Then unscrew the lock button (just turn it counterclockwise.

Then remove the plastic surround around the door latch. You slide it toward the front of the car with the latch pulled out slightly and it will free itself.

Now with a flat blade screwdriver with electrical tape or a cloth over it so you don't scratch your paint carefully work around the edge of the liner starting at the bottom. You are popping off a series of plastic clips right around the bottom and both sides of the liner. Don't worry if 1 or 2 break or are already broken as long as the majority are in tact. You can buy new ones inexpensively from most auto parts stores and 20yo plastic is bound to break occaisionally.

the liner should now be flapping about freely with just the top edge still fixed.

All that is left to do is lift it up off a series of metal clips holding it to the door. Sometimes the rubber window seal will come off with the liner, and sometimes remain behind. It doesn't matter which, although I find it easier if the seal stays behind.

Now you will see the bare door with an opaque plastic liner. You can carefully pull this liner off to gain access to the inside of the door. Try not to tear it as you will want to put it back on. It is held on with contact adhesive which will work again if you keep it all clean. Otherwise buy a can of spray on contact adhesive to use when reassembling the door.

That should be all. Installation is reverse of removal

 

[boneyabba]

Thank you. I will order tonight- I hope it is better than the Chiltons. I "accidently" took it out of the package to check it out at Kragen today and for the sunroof it basically said:

Step 1) Disassemble sunroof
Step 2) Fix the problem
Step 3 ) Reassemble the sunroof

Wish me luck!

 

[Doughnut]

Thank you. I will order tonight- I hope it is better than the Chiltons. I "accidently" took it out of the package to check it out at Kragen today and for the sunroof it basically said:

Step 1) Disassemble sunroof
Step 2) Fix the problem
Step 3 ) Reassemble the sunroof

Wish me luck!

Welcome to the forum, fixing things yourself is so rewarding (and cheap more or less) Let us know how you went with the repairs and don't hesitate to ask about stuff as people like Graham (echothreezero) are very helpfull!

 

[E30m42cab]

I saw somebody get lambasted in another thread for not buying a Bentley manual so I went to amazon and I see two that seem to include my year. An 87-88 M20 book and a 84-87 325e m20 book. I don't know what m20 means but neither looked quite right.

Thanks guys,
T

M20 is your engine. Your engine code is M20B25, and there is an M20B27, M20B20, and M20B23.

I've never really had problems with the sunroofs, and of course my current E30 doesn't have one, so I'm not of much use to you.

Welcome to the board though!

 

[Doughnut]

M20 is your engine. Your engine code is M20B25, and there is an M20B27, M20B20, and M20B23.

...m30b35 [8)]

 

[E30m42cab]

Don't get ahead of yourself Joseph[slap] I hope my M50 doesn't fall out of my 525i and into my beater e30!

 

[cliff]

just shoot the things with some white lithium grease and execise them patiently, if you take the door trim off it'll never be the same...don't use WD-40, attracks dirt.......why does this site type so slow by the way?

 

[echothreezero]

if you take the door trim off it'll never be the same

I'm sorry cliff, I don't mean to be rude, but that's totally incorrect (to put it mildly).

I have taken hundreds of door trims off including those on cars 40+ years old and with a bit of care, they always go back exactly as they were before. Butchered door cards are due to user error, not the actual process of removing them.

 

[Doughnut]

I'm sorry cliff, I don't mean to be rude, but that's totally incorrect (to put it mildly).

I have taken hundreds of door trims off including those on cars 40+ years old and with a bit of care, they always go back exactly as they were before. Butchered door cards are due to user error, not the actual process of removing them.

+1, take it easy and nothing will go wrong.