stupid power windows.

[Screaming M42]

Hello everyone. I bought me an IS about a month ago and spent this whole time getting it running. Car had all kinds of blown gaskets and water in the oil and oil in the water, cracked head and I found 3 more junk heads trying to find a good one. It was awful, but I got the car so cheap it doesn't really matter. now it runs great.

Well, now that the car is running, my power window and blower motor dont work. I have searched for weeks trying to find the solution. The fuses are good, and the relay is good also, but my green with gray stripe wire at the switches is not getting power.

I know there is a circuit breaker somewhere after the relay and I found a diagram that shows it under the dash? it is so vague.. can anybody tell me where it is?

also, i read that a bogus starter ground wire can stop things from working, but i dont think that is my problem.

thanks!

[Cobra Jet]

Try this:

1) there is a window "kill switch" which is normally located either in the dash above the radio where the defroster switch is OR in the top of the center console near the window switches.  If you have it, press it in, then test the windows out - they should work when this kill switch is "off".

2) test your window switches as they are known to go bad over time

3) Check the harnesses that go from the kick panel dash area through the rubber conduit into the doors.  Over time the separate wires within the conduit become brittle and will crack, become chafed or will break.  If this occurs, you will experience inoperable windows or intermittant power to windows/locks/other electronics.  It's common to have this type of issue w/ older vehicles at such points where wiring harnesses go into doors & trunk lids.  These areas are constantly susceptible to use and the wires are constantly "bent" back and forth many many times over the years.  Depending on if the broken wires make any other contact, you could also experience blown fuses.

The E36's are known for their trunk harness failing of which causes MANY other weird electrical issues throughout the vehicle AND can possibly cause a fire...  The trunk harness runs from the back seat area, down the driver's rear 1/4 and up along the trunk lid "hinge" on driver's side and into the trunk lid.  There's a huge tech thread on bimmerforums about this being a known failure issue as well.  My prior E36 M3 had the same fatigue & failure and once that wiring loom was opened up, there were 3 wires that were found of which were completely broken in half.

[Screaming M42]

thank you so much!!

it did turn out to be the window kill switch. haha, who decided that was a good idea?

next is to conquer the power mirrors and blower motor. havent looked into those much. it feels like the blower motor switch is just tired and worn out. but the mirror switch feels brand new. not sure. i will check to see if they are getting power tomorrow.

thanks for your help!