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Fixes - Blinds

Rear side window quartershade will not retract fully:


The deluxe E32 models have small triangular sun/privacy blinds that often do not fully retract into the frame.
You simply rewind the spring as follows.

Remove the small plastic cap on the upper end of the shade frame and remove the phillips screw. Tilt the top of the frame inwards and then lift it out of the bottom clip.

Now you have to stop the bottom end of the shade from rolling, use some paper is one idea.

Now pull out the small metal pin of the shade from its slot at the top of the frame and 'rewind' the spring.
Be careful, not too tight, it might break.

Reinsert the pin into its slot without allowing the pin to turn. My solution was to roughly cut a notch in a piece of tough plastic board
that prevented the pin from turning. Position the pin/board over the slot and then push the pin in.

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Rear window shade: Replace the worn gear:


remove rear seats and arm rest.
bow rear shelf and move forward.
drive blind up until about 4 cm above shelf - cut power.
disconnect 4 pin plug on passenger side and take shelf out of car.
remove L-R end plugs on the moving top rail - small phillips driver.
remove 6 10 mm nuts holding aluminum rail/assembly to shelf.
move rail/assembly forward to release 3 clips.
pull extended blind through the shelf to completely free rail/assembly.
# there are likely to be some flat spacers (washers) on some the six bolts - make a note of where each goes -- some sticky tape would stop them from falling off.
disconnect motor plug from controller.
this shows the overview

with 3 mm allen key remove small countersunk bolt holding the circular plate to the gearbox.
use flat screwdriver to remove circular plate from driving peg of gearbox.
# note the orientation of the arms to the plate.

this may help

mark the positions of the 3 phillips bolts holding the motor-gearbox to the rail.
NOTE: if the motor-gearbox is not reinstalled in the same place then the top rail will not be horizontal!
remove the 3 phillips bolts.
remove the three 4 mm torque bolts holding cover to gearbox.
remove cover of gearbox.

this shows the overview

while pushing down on the main gear, remove the fiber transfer gear. -- careful, the axle of this gear can fall out.

the main gear should jump anticlockwise about 10-15 degrees.
while pushing down on the main gear, remove the end bolt from the end of the gearbox.

the main gear should jump anticlockwise about 120 degrees.
lift out the main gear.

This shows the new steel gearwheel - top view

bottom view

turn the main gear over and remove the spring.
put the spring into the new main gear making sure that the outer end of the spring engages on the stud

shown here

use a marking pen to indicate the region of full height gear teeth.
turn the new main gear over and replace in the gearbox after lightly greasing the teeth.
## the inner end of the spring must fit into the gap in the post of the gearbox -- can be difficult to get it in.
while pushing down on the main gear, use a crescent wrench on the driving peg to turn the main gear clockwise about 140 degrees -- check the markings to make sure that the full height gear teeth region is clear of the end bolt.
reinstall the end bolt and slowly release the pressure on the wrench. -- the main gear should rotate anticlockwise until the full height gear teeth region hits the bolt.
insert the axle of the transfer gear into its socket in the gearbox.
install transfer gear onto axle and push until it mates with both the main gear and the worm gear on the motor.
reinstall gearbox cover -- it does not fit down completely just yet.
install the end bolt at the end of the cover - should be fairly loose.
with small pickle fork or similar, push down on the transfer gear axle until it enters its socket on gearbox cover -- can be difficult.

NOTE: push from the motor towards the axle of the main gear -- the photo shows a ring spanner but of course that must be removed.


if you're lucky the axle will slip in and you can squeeze the cover completely flat.
reinstall the other bolts and tighten all of them.
remount the motor-gearbox onto the rail and hold loosely with one bolt.
put rail/assembly back into the car and reconnect the 4 pin blind connector.
## drive the motor by switching "blind up" so that the driving peg rotates about 15 degrees -- disconnect the motor connector to keep this rotation.
remount the circular plate onto the driving peg -- the blind should be extended by a few cm.
reinstall the countersunk bolt and the other bolts holding the motor to the rail -- make sure that the motor is in original position.
insert the blind through the shelf, reengage the three clips, and reinstall the 6 nuts
# you did remember to keep the spacer washers in the right places?
reinstall the two end plugs on the top rail.
reconnect the motor to the controller.
reconnect the 4 pin plug and check that the blind moves over its full range.
remount the shelf and reinstall the seats etc.

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