[Straycatndc]

Are the doors on the I4 Frameless? Do the windows have to drop a little before the door can open? A previous VW I owned had this "feature" and was a total nightmare in the winter when the window mechanism inside the door would freeze which would prevent the door from opening. I had to resort to placing a space heater on a timer on the floor of the driver side which would turn on a couple hours before I left for work in the morning so that I could get in the car during cold winter mornings.

[jeffc42]

Originally Posted by Straycatndc

Are the doors on the I4 Frameless? Do the windows have to drop a little before the door can open? A previous VW I owned had this "feature" and was a total nightmare in the winter when the window mechanism inside the door would freeze which would prevent the door from opening. I had to resort to placing a space heater on a timer on the floor of the driver side which would turn on a couple hours before I left for work in the morning so that I could get in the car during cold winter mornings.

Yes, the i4's door windows are frameless. They do drop a little before the door opens.

[BimmerBahn]

Originally Posted by Straycatndc

Are the doors on the I4 Frameless? Do the windows have to drop a little before the door can open? A previous VW I owned had this "feature" and was a total nightmare in the winter when the window mechanism inside the door would freeze which would prevent the door from opening. I had to resort to placing a space heater on a timer on the floor of the driver side which would turn on a couple hours before I left for work in the morning so that I could get in the car during cold winter mornings.

yes, the windows are frameless and do drop an inch or so to clear the threshold. It could be problematic in snow/ice.... that said, just precondition your vehicle and that should melt the ice around the window.

[Tim Callahan]

The biggest car magazine in Finland just tested i4 M50 in winter conditions and during snow storms. Frameless windows did not cause any troubles at their test.

[spool twice]

I lived in the snow belt for years with my E46's and E92's that had this feature. I can tell you it's a non-issue even if the car is parked outside at night with a BMW.

[Mike i4 M50]

No problems with the frameless doors on my i3 after 8 winters and 136,000 miles.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by Straycatndc

Are the doors on the I4 Frameless? Do the windows have to drop a little before the door can open? A previous VW I owned had this "feature" and was a total nightmare in the winter when the window mechanism inside the door would freeze which would prevent the door from opening.

I have had a few BMWs with frameless door design, none of them has given me any problems in Canadian winters.

[TheUltimateDrivingManiac]

Owned E92 and F36 - no issues.

And I definitely would not expect any issues from i4, as you will be able to preheat the interior.

[Straycatndc]

Thanks for all the experiences. I feel more comfortable about this now. Just a case of once bitten twice shy I guess.

[Rox335i]

I've never had frameless doors but what happens if my windows are frozen? Would I still be able to open the doors?

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by Rox335i

I've never had frameless doors but what happens if my windows are frozen? Would I still be able to open the doors?

I had a '98 M3 and never had issues.
The seal is runner so you can open the door without damaging the window or frame on the car.

I also have a Mini and no issues.

[Straycatndc]

Originally Posted by Rox335i

I've never had frameless doors but what happens if my windows are frozen? Would I still be able to open the doors?

My previous VW was an Eos. It was very difficult to open the door without the window dropping, perhaps due to it being a convertible. This put a lot of stress on the glass. In my case it wasn't the actual glass frozen to the rubber seals around it, it was the mechanism inside the door which I'm assuming would get wet and then freeze. I'll just chalk it up to a bad design.

[TheUltimateDrivingManiac]

Originally Posted by Rox335i

I've never had frameless doors but what happens if my windows are frozen? Would I still be able to open the doors?

Yes, you can open a door without a window going down. You might not be able to close it properly though - the door will be closed and you can drive off, but the window will go on top of a rubber seal. Happened to me a few times with e92 and is not a big deal, you can seal it properly by opening and closing the window on the go as soon as it will unfreeze.

Again, should not be a problem at all with i4 as you will be able to preheat it.

[cupholder]

FYI - If I rememeber correctly the i4 I test drive in the UK, it's windows dropped about 3-4 inches when opening a door - which was further than I expected.

[footie]

Originally Posted by cupholder

FYI - If I rememeber correctly the i4 I test drive in the UK, it's windows dropped about 3-4 inches when opening a door - which was further than I expected.

Yeah it’s odd, sometimes it drops those 4 inches and other times it’s a tiny bit. What’s that all about?

[Gamb1t]

My Subarus used to have frameless windows. It was never a problem in Ontario winters.
Might want to be careful when slamming the doors though.

[Seaford]

My f34 had frameless,doors. Absolutely no issues whatsoever and things of beauty.

[sth519]

Had occasional issues with the windows with my VW Scirocco, but none with my BMWs so far.

If it becomes a problem, treating the seals with a bit of silicone oil can help. You can find it in the form of silicone oil markers in most places that sell car stuff.

[techwhiz1]

Originally Posted by sth519

Had occasional issues with the windows with my VW Scirocco, but none with my BMWs so far.

If it becomes a problem, treating the seals with a bit of silicone oil can help. You can find it in the form of silicone oil markers in most places that sell car stuff.

The stuff I used on my E36 was Gummy Pflege.