Ask MF: R50/R53 Window Issues

Sections: Ask MotoringFile | R53 (Coupe) Dec 2nd, 2008 14 Comments

This Ask MF comes from reader Ryan:

I have an ’03 MCS with 60,000. Tonight while driving down the road the driver’s window started rapidly oscillating between the full up position and the 1/2 down position and the dome light came on. No other parts of the car’s operation were seemingly effected.

He did turn off the car and turn it back on and disconnected the battery and the problem still exists. Let’s here it. I know at least one of you have seen this. What was the fix?

Written By: DB

http://miniclub.ie Owen

Way back when, I remember this affecting quite a few MINIs. I believe a control unit lives under one of the A Pillars, and if the A Pillar isn’t sealed completely – if the car has had a windscreen replaced for example – water can get it and affect this control unit, which will then drive the windows mad, and give the locking mechanism touretts.
http://www.ausmotive.com Liam

If anyone can come up with a long term solution to stopping the squeak when I open and close my window I’d love to hear it! :p
C4

Liam, you need to lube the rubber stripping around the opening for both front doors. Get some WD-40 on a towel/rag and then wipe the stuff on the weather stripping. Pay attention to the area where the glass makes contact at the top of the door opening.

You should be good to go. A cheap and easy first attempt. Well worth the try.

As for any Window issues, I have been lagerly spared from them in my 2004 and 2005 R53 S. My 2002 R50 did have an intermittent problem with the windows refusing to go down randomly for no reason. I never got around to troubleshoot the problem as I sold the car earlier this year. The car had 45K miles when I sold it.
dr

You don’t want to use WD-40 on anything that is rubber, or anything that contacts the rubber. use some 303 and/or wax the contacting surfaces.
heyduard

dr wrote:

You donâ€™t want to use WD-40 on anything that is rubber, or anything that contacts the rubber.

QFT. Visit your dealer and get the door gasket treatment aka gummi pflege (1Z). IIRC, it’s under $10. it will last you. Once or twice a year is good enough, esp before winter.
http://www.ausmotive.com Liam

Thanks for the replies folks. Sorry, I didn’t mean to hijack the original request for info. :embarrassed:
halogenrep

No Way!! According to the folks here, R50/53s are perfect.
GregW

Early Minis had water ingress into the body control unit as Owen said in first comment. There was a recall for this subject.
Chris Lamb

Solution was to add a cover over the BCU to keep it dry from the falling water. Can be retrofiited to earlier cars if wanted, but you need to take off the RHS sill finisher to get to the BCU. Its part no. 9 here :-

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=RE32&mospid=48020&btnr=61_1500&hg=61&fg=25&hl=31

Whilst you are there, dry everyting and then waterproof the connectors with vaseline.
http://MINIpassion.co.za Timmee

Sounds like a window calibration issue to me. Wind the window up and down a few times to calibrate the control unit. You’ll know it’s calibrated when the window rolls all the way down.

I had this issue twice on an 04 r53.
http://MINIpassion.co.za Timmee

In terms of squeeky windows – use talcum powder on the door seals where the glass rubs.
EmJay

I had a similar issue in a ’03 R50, the window would stick in different positions only on the drivers side. Always happened after a heavy rain and went away a few days later after it dried out. The dealer was never able to fix it as I had to drive 2 hours to my nearest dealer and it was always working again by the time I got there.
STIGG

My 2002 “S” had this problem one time during a downpour. Fix: git rid of it and bought a 2004.
http://nemini.org paulgraz

I had the same symptoms on my wife’s 03 MC. It would also trigger the factory alarm. Basically the car thought the doors were opening when in fact they were quite firmly closed.

Solution: replace body control unit. Out of warranty and rather pricey…

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