Dodgy driver's side window...

[Si_GTi]

Morning all,

I've just backed my car off the driveway to let my Mum out of the garage, and have noticed that my driver's side window is behaving a bit poorly

It drops fine, but when you pull it back up it starts OK but then rapidly becomes very sluggish, and it sounds like the motor is having to strain to get the window to close. As the window closes the travel becomes slower, and when it gets to the top and closes there is a loud *crack* from inside the door trim

I would guess it is the motor, or the pulleys, that are on their way out? If anyone can shed a little light on the matter I'd be grateful, 'cos then I can order the right parts from VAGParts, strip the door down and fix the problem

Cheers

[mikegti]

I'd be wary about opening the window again.. Might be a good idea to take the door trim off and have a look at the mech.

a friend of mine has a Bora, and his window was playing up, making odd noises and generally straining. Suddenly the glass just dropped down inside the door!!

We found there's a cable that runs round a pulley (i think!) which had become all tangled, slipped off, and jammed up. We had to push the window up manually and tape it shut!! Not an ideal way to leave your car overnight!

I dont know if the polo has a similar mechanism though....?

[tom_mk5]

Si a very similar thing happened to mine ages ago, it was the electric window regulator. The part doesn't cost much and if you're able to fit it you should be able to sort it pretty easily.

[Si_GTi]

Thanks guys!

Tom, I not able to fit it at the moment but my sister's other half had a 6n valver for a few years and has had the door's stripped down more times than I've had hot dinners! He'll guide me through what I need to do, no worries. Ironically, a fortnight ago he had to strip the door down on my sister's Bora and replace the cables/pulley mechanism that mikegti has described after the window dropped! Wierd eh

Cheers

[Si_GTi]

Well...

Had the door apart tonight (in fact it's still in it's component parts as I type, it's a bit dark now to put it back together) but there is no obvious sign of any damaged or faulty parts?

We've had the trim off, removed the foam insulation stuff, removed the speaker etc and had have taped the window (securely!) into the "up" position and taken the entire mechanism out, runners, motor, the lot. This is what we have:



The motor works fine, for which I'm grateful, they're expensive! But where in that little lot is the "electric window regulator" then Tom?

Secondly, on removing the trim and dismantling things, we have managed to destroy one of the 'leccy window switches so I'll be needing one of those now too:



It's the one on the passenger side of the block, the left as you look at it here. Notice the piece of plastic missing (look for the white unpainted flash of plastic) where the VW techies prised the driver's switch out of the block when replacing it last year! Anyway... on further inspection the switch we mangled had water damage and fell apart far too easily, so best off changing it whilst having everything apart methinks!! Finally, here's what I have to drive around with until it gets sorted:



Surprisingly the road noise isn't much increased, even at 90mph

Have had to reattach the internal door release handle as it wasn't possible to open the door from inside just pulling on the cable which just clips back into place for now... and also reattached the wiring for the central locking

The plan is to take the car into VW tomorrow and grab a techie, and get him to give me some advice on where to go with this now! I need some coolant anyway and have to book an MOT, so three birds with one stone

[PoloGTi]

I got stung for £160 for this and it had already been replaced twice under warrenty, another thing VW dont own up to being a common fault!

[bass mekanik]

i think they are pretty common as well.

when i bought my car, the history on it showed two new window switches on the same door, a motor AND a regulator. then a month after that i had to replace the switch myself again.

[bass mekanik]

Well...

Had the door apart tonight (in fact it's still in it's component parts as I type, it's a bit dark now to put it back together) but there is no obvious sign of any damaged or faulty parts?

We've had the trim off, removed the foam insulation stuff, removed the speaker etc and had have taped the window (securely!) into the "up" position and taken the entire mechanism out, runners, motor, the lot. This is what we have:

The motor works fine, for which I'm grateful, they're expensive! But where in that little lot is the "electric window regulator" then Tom?

Secondly, on removing the trim and dismantling things, we have managed to destroy one of the 'leccy window switches so I'll be needing one of those now too:

It's the one on the passenger side of the block, the left as you look at it here. Notice the piece of plastic missing (look for the white unpainted flash of plastic) where the VW techies prised the driver's switch out of the block when replacing it last year! Anyway... on further inspection the switch we mangled had water damage and fell apart far too easily, so best off changing it whilst having everything apart methinks!! Finally, here's what I have to drive around with until it gets sorted:

Surprisingly the road noise isn't much increased, even at 90mph

Have had to reattach the internal door release handle as it wasn't possible to open the door from inside just pulling on the cable which just clips back into place for now... and also reattached the wiring for the central locking

The plan is to take the car into VW tomorrow and grab a techie, and get him to give me some advice on where to go with this now! I need some coolant anyway and have to book an MOT, so three birds with one stone

the window regulator consists of EVERYTHING except the motor. So, will be a complete unit with the runners, cables, mechanism etc all in one. will just need to take off the motor and attach to it- then fit all back in the car and should be ok.

if its any use to you- we do the regulators where i work (euro car parts) for around £65 including the Vodka And Tonic.

[mikegti]

Did you get anywhere with this Si?

[Si_GTi]

Well, I kind of have...

The door is still stripped down (getting some funny looks from the Police in town earlier when I rolled past with tape all over my driver's door window...) and I've asked the guys at VAGParts for a quote on a new motor and a new window switch, and am now waiting for them to put the basket together for me

My visit to VW resulted in me having a chat to one of their very helpful techies, who took a look at the innards that I'd pulled out of the door and pointed out, like bass mekanik has done, that everything other than the motor is a complete unit, and also showed me that as there was no damage to the runners, cabling or anything else for that matter, that it was extremely likely that the motor was at fault. He also told me that it's a common thing for them to fail, like J.T. has mentioned so I hope I'm not going to forking out for another one for at least a couple of years if not far longer! The passenger side motor was replaced under warranty about a month after I bought the car.

Got my MOT on Wednesday and I'd like to have it all back together by then (although it won't affect the MOT). So at the moment, I have a stripped drivers door and some various door-related car parts on my bedroom floor (no space in garage/utility/shed!). All will be well by this time next week hopefully!

Cheers

[tom_mk5]

You going for that stripped out racer look then Si?;)

Sounds like it is the motor aye- after re-reading, the problem I was having with mine was that when i pressed the 'up' window switch on the drivers side it would start going up normally then when it got about half way it would start slowing down and then stop about 3/4 of the way up. Eventually I heard a loud click from inside the door and from then on the window was 'loose', you could physically move it around a bit while it was semi-up. It got the point where you had to actually force the window up into the closed postition. Turned out to be the regulator as mentioned earlier- I didn't fix it though I had it done while it was up at VW once.

Hope you get it sorted soon anyway mate.

[inder]

This of any help guys? Mine would not go up - the plastic clips that hold the window clamps to the regulator had broken...

http://www.tigerstyle.co.uk/poloforum/v ... ght=window

[theclient]

window was all the way down this morning when driving to work, when i got to the office and clicked the switch to make the window go up it went up slowly about a third of the way then stopped and went all the way back down!

it donw this a couple of time then done it properly?

its been actic sluggish for about a month but dosent click however the motor on my passenger side is very quick but does click lol?

these effin cars!

[inder]

@ theclient, defo sounds like the problem I had - a clip has broken that attaches the glass to the regulator or has come off the glass

where it goes up a bit and then stops and goes back down quick is a safety feature - window thinks someone is stuck with their head or hand lol

[edli83]

hmmz i think i had that too, think something broke and didnt hold the window properly so it didnt go all the way up!
Between me and my dad we used couple washers and screws and secured it back on, it was still slower than normal but didnt cost me anything to fix