Door Window Problems and Checks

I wrote this some time back to help a member whose window had fallen off the tracks.

Remove the regulator assembly. That's the gear and scissor mechanism that the window crank operates. This will allow you to operate the window pane within the opening without the regulator getting in the way.

Once it's out of the way, slide the window glass up and down inside the frame and tracks. You should be able to determine if the window will go up and down smoothly and effortlessly (of course barring the weight of the pane and gravity). If it passes this test, then you know that the window frame and sashes are set up properly. You can now direct your attention to the regulator.

If on the other hand you find that it sticks either on the way down or on the way up, address the problem. Is the window roller (the little barrel shapped roller) pressing on the window pane properly? Is it guiding the pane into the upper part of the frame or not? How about the lower front sash? Is the front nylon guide on the window pane sliding through the sash smoothly? Is it bent? Will lubrication take care of it or do you need to remove it?

I recently had the same problem with a passenger side window. I finally disassembled the whole assembly and discovered that my lower sash was just slightly bent and was causing the nylon guide to bind, causing me to exert a ton of pressure on the handle to get it to go up and down. After replacing the sash, the window goes up and down like new.

Check the Window Frame, is it straight? There are some gentle curves to it, that's to allow the glass, which isn't flat itself, to slide up and down inside the frame. But other than the gentle curves is the frame itself straight, i.e. no twists, no sharp bends nothing that would stop the glass from going up and down?

If all these check, then last couple items: Are the roller guides on the window pane frame straight and unbent or undamaged? These little guides are what the wheels on the scissor assembly of the window regulator ride in and exert the pressure to raise and lower the pane. If there are kinks, gunk, or other obstructions they will cause you problems. Check the roller wheels, are they able to rotate freely? If they are binding or sticking, clean them out and make sure they operate without wobbling on their axles. If they have a lot of play on the axle on which they are mounted, i.e wobble on the axle, they will probably jam as you exert pressure on the wheel through that axle.

Next, check the regulator gear and spline arm. Any teeth missing? Is the gear portion of the spline arm straight and making proper contact on the gear that the crank handle actuates? Is there a spring on the scissor assembly? If so, it's there to help exert pressure upwards on the glass to help neutralize the effect of the weight of the pane on the assembly, if it's broken or missing, then raising the glass is going to be extremely difficult.

You shouldn't have to apply grease to the upper portion of the window frame "fuzzy channels" This part of the window comes into contact with passengers, believe me your girlfriend will kill you if you get grease on her $90 blouse. She will probably do more than $90 in damage to you and / or your car.

The only place for grease on the window assemblies is on the front sash, where the nylon guide slides through, the gear / spline contact area, the swivel point for the scissor, and the two roller guides that fit in to the window pane frame guides. Other than that, no grease, oil or other lubricant other than the "fuzziness" of the gasket.

If the fuzzy gaskets in the upper part of the frame have lost their "fuzzy" stuff, then they'll act just like rubber stops on glass, which is basically what they are. Replace them. There is no other way of restoring those items.