Windows slightly opening when opening/closing door...

[umptysquat]

How do I turn it off?

 

[JohnKelly]

You don't, it is a feature of the car.

 

[vreihen]

Many vehicles use this feature, because they have a small interior space and are sealed too tightly for the last door to close without compressing the air inside and requiring a harder slam to make it latch completely.....

 

[eNate]

It seems like there aren't as many examples of frameless door windows of late. My Legacy had them, and they were reliable (didn't leak, and mostly didn't whistle), but on the next generation of that car, Subaru changed to a window-in-frame design. Every now and then I'd get a whistle, and I'd have to do manually what the i3 does automatically: slightly lower, then raise, the window, to create a better seal. On the i3, by automatically sliding the windows up against the rubber seal after closing, a better glass-to-rubber seal is created than by just closing against them.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Once the door is closed, it's a fixed load to slide the window up. It needs pressure against the seal. THere would be more pressure if it were closed while it was up than down a slight amount. Otherwise, depending on how hard you slammed the door, the actual bending load on the window and mechanism could get a much bigger jolt. Two cars I had from the 70's didn't have power windows, had frameless glass, and the driver's door window mechanism broke after a couple of years. If it had been lowered each time, that probably wouldn't have happened.

 

[umptysquat]

So literally no way to turn it off?.
I’m asking specifically b/c I want to get my windows tinted and can’t roll down windows for 24h. Could tint and leave doors open until set but seems ridiculous to not be able to disable it.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I've had two of my BMW cars' windows tinted. If they do a good job, it won't matter. It might have helped that I had it done in the middle of summer when it was pretty warm and the adhesive could dry faster. But, they did go up and down while I was at their shop and it hadn't been outside yet.

 

[eNate]

Ah! A little context changes the story.

It seems like a somewhat popular question on the various BMW forums for all models with frameless windows. The consensus seems to be that there is no way to disable it, but not to worry about it. Judging from the plethora of "frameless window tint" videos on YouTube, it seems like the installers don't sweat this detail, either.

On the other hand, here's an audio install video that begins with the installer removing an i3 interior door panel. If you're hellbent on getting the job done by the book, you could pull your panels and disconnect your window regulator motors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3BLFmBLJtM

 

[derekgates]

So literally no way to turn it off?.
I’m asking specifically b/c I want to get my windows tinted and can’t roll down windows for 24h. Could tint and leave doors open until set but seems ridiculous to not be able to disable it.

You won't have an issue.

I have tinted my 335is and my i3s without any sort of issue. The minor roll up/down when the door opens and closes will not impact the tint.

 

[umptysquat]

Thanks all. Learned my lesson about full disclosure in the original post. Tried to keep it brief but caused confusion.

 

[derekgates]

Thanks all. Learned my lesson about full disclosure in the original post. Tried to keep it brief but caused confusion.

No worries. You are concerned about damaging something that costs money. I think we have all been there!

Thankfully, tint is pretty common and there are plenty of success stories.

 

[i3Alan]

So literally no way to turn it off?.
I’m asking specifically b/c I want to get my windows tinted and can’t roll down windows for 24h. Could tint and leave doors open until set but seems ridiculous to not be able to disable it.

When I had my i3 tinted, I asked my tint guy the same question. He said it is no problem, as they stick a screwdriver in the latching mechanism to trick the door into thinking it is closed and thereby causing the window to go all the way up. This allows the entire window to be tinted.

 

[robthebold]

When I had my i3 tinted, I asked my tint guy the same question. He said it is no problem, as they stick a screwdriver in the latching mechanism to trick the door into thinking it is closed and thereby causing the window to go all the way up. This allows the entire window to be tinted.

So you could borrow my 5-year-old to hold down that switch for a day or so. He discovered it the first time he climbed into my i3.

Or for a more practical -- or childless -- person, perhaps just disconnecting the 12V battery.