Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repair

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Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repair

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 14:49

I guess you're here because your door window fails to operate correctly.

Fault finding

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Removal, Overhaul and replacement of the window regulator

Warning the window is heavy and has the ability to crush and possible decapitate your little pinkies should you not take safety precautions.

Have some kitchen roll handy for later...you'll see why

Here's another way to strip a door card

Removal

1) Open the car door

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2) Remove the door cheater (the black triangle), it will just pull off from the top point, it's held in place a plastic equivalent to Velcro. In true Lotus style the Velcro won't separate but the glue holding the Velcro will dis-bond.

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3) Remove the door card insert, that's the red stripy bit. It's normally a case of just teasing off the insert, but over the years all manor of adhesives may have been used.

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4) This will reveal either two or four screws, remove them them.

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5) Remove the screws in the front of the door card, two or three screws depending on which door cards are fitted to your car.

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6) Remove the red clip on the door lock plunger and remove the plunger upwards. This will give access to another screw which holds on the door card door lock plunger escutcheon in place. remove that screw, remove the lock plunger escutcheon. Don't be disheartened if you have just snapped the little red locking tab. they are available from Lotus for a couple of pound Pt No A100B6151H, they are also available from Vauxhall Pt No V0090286850 (Plunger and clip Pt No V0090252695)

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7) Remove the screw on the trailing edge of the door card

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8 ) Remove the door card handle escutcheon, this will reveal two more screws, remove them.

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9) Gentle tease back the door card carpet to reveal several hidden bolts

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10) Remove the door card

11) Remove the speaker and expose the aperture

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12) Remove the other two black plastic covers

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 15:08

13) This short video is what your aiming to do next, the regulator removal......

CLICK THE PHOTOGRAPH

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 15:11

14) How to undertake the regulator removal, step by step...

15) At the base of the regulator runner there is a bracket, remove the inner bolt and the two bolts underneath the door and extract the bracket

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16) the pesky bracket

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17) Try and get the main slider/butterfly assembly to just above the door reinforcing cross member by using the car electrics and a helping hand.

Normally the window will go down, but will require a helping hand to go up. Remove the C-Clip and pop the butterfly off, remove them clear of the door. There's a high probability the butterfly clip is now beyond repair, a new lotus item is still available Pt No A100B6271S for about £5

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18 ) Pull the window all the way to the top of the door, insert some sort of safety device to hold the door glass fully up (The Kitchen roll), or get the better half to hold the window up. If this glass falls down it's gonna hurt.

19) disconnect the orange electric plug which goes onto the regulator

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20) Remove the upper nut and washer on the slider runner, and then three nuts and washers in the center of the door

21) you should now be at a stage to undertake the regulator removal. The trick is to move the bottom rearwards and then move it upwards, you should then be able to pop out the top bolt out of the inner door skin, lower the assembly down to the bottom of the door....and simply squash it down a little bit and slide the full unit out of the speaker aperture.

just like this

CLICK THE PHOTOGRAPH

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Brit-Car-Nut » Wed 25.07.2012, 15:27

We are waiting anxiously for the demonstration on re-spooling the wires and setting the tension!
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 15:59

Now that you've rebuilt the regulator... :lol:

Test the Bezzler on the bench.....and then on the cars electrics

Don't bother fitting the unit properly, just slave it in on the outside of the door.

and just in case, here's a video

Just click the Photograph...

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 16:07

Refitting is simply the reverse.... it's not to far off to tell the truth.

But here are few photographs and pointers to get you going on your way.

Sorry if it teaching some people to suck eggs, but here goes...

Make sure you have the correct regulator for the correct door, they're handed.

Slave in the regulator and test the unit before you actually fit the item.

Leave the slider a squidge below the mid position, you'll have car electrics to move the slider should you require

Make sure the door glass is fully up...safety first and all that..kitchen roll...friend...

The next bit is all about orientation...

1) Make sure you have the correct regulator for the appropriate door, orientate yourself....

Bolts facing inboard, slider facing outboard

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2) rotate the unit clockwise 90 degrees

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3) Squash it down a bit, and slide it in via the speaker aperture

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4) Slide the regulator assembly rearwards

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5) Tilt the unit to about 45 degrees (maybe higher) and slide the top bolt threw the inner skin from a point just forward of the hole, be aware you may catch the bottom of the glass. lift the trailing edge higher than 45 degrees it'll give you more room to play with.

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6) once the top bolt is in place the unit can be rotated to the vertical (replace the top and middle nuts)

7) Then it's as you would expect...lower the window onto the slider fit the butterfly and circlip

8 )The next part to be careful of is refitting the lower bracket, you will have the ability to make the door glass strike the door cross member (not good), so take your time and set the window up correctly. (basically if you move the bottom of the regulator runner in and out, the window will move in sympathy all be it in reverse along the top edge in)

9) make sure your window runs free and easy and doesn't foul the hood before you rebuild the door card.

And just in case.... Here's a video

Just click the photograph

Image
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 17:49

I'll keep editing the above posts as I go...

What's to come:-

Part number list for all the different bits

A basic bit on fault Fault finding and known issues

Slider replacement and basic overhaul

( I'm not gonna bother with cable replacement as It's been done before, basically...new wire.. a swagged ferrol in the middle...route the through the drum and conduit...swage either end.. job jobbed as they say)

I've now run out of time... but I'll get there when i get a spare 5 mins

TTFN
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby nicowalker1 » Wed 25.07.2012, 20:40

wow Dave that is a great guide, just hope I dont need it to soon!

Keep up the good work :)
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly

Postby Specky » Wed 25.07.2012, 22:14

No worries,

I've got a broken passenger door regulator inbound thanks to Gregory... I don't know what's up with it.. So it's perfect for this thread.. Full overhaul required...I love doing stuff for shits and giggles. :lol:

When overhaulled and tested it'll be available under the normal "Specky deal", like I always say...PM me if you require help.

Till then...

TTFN
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby DeanG » Thu 26.07.2012, 00:12

Please make this a wiki
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby HJ2 » Thu 26.07.2012, 03:15

This is one brilliant post!
Thanks for sharing man! 8) 8) 8) 8)
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Fetnas » Thu 26.07.2012, 13:37

Ahh, a job I'm over due for as my drivers side window is suffering the "not going all the way up" problem. Thanks Specky for the terrific door tare down images and info, this will be a great help for when I tackle this task.
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Fri 27.07.2012, 18:02

I've thrown together a little fault finding chart.... hopefully it'll get you going the right direction

It's not designed to cover every eventuality, but it'll hopefully help the layman

It's at the top of the thread....and here it is again... :D

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Greggry » Fri 27.07.2012, 18:28

Well Dave buddy!!!

Like all my fellow lotus lovers..... Thanks buddy I think this helps 90%

I'll post my findings once I have a go..... Us élan guys must stick together lol :lol:
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Fri 27.07.2012, 18:50

Feedback is most welcome, especially as electric bits of string aren't my bag really.

TTFN
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Sun 29.07.2012, 18:30

A flying visit to one monacco White Elan this afternoon, I was greeted by what could only be described as a door explosion and one slightly dismayed owner :lol:

Some how a mechanic had managed to remove just the metal runner from the regulator assembly... And both window bobbins.. One of the tapping plates had been drilled to aid the removal of the rear bobbin... £50 worth of damage that was needlessly done..

Anyway...

A quick test of the car electrics showed them to be good...

A quick test of the overhauled regulator proved it worked satisfactorily when slaved in..

I removed the old motor regulator and slaved that in.. A quick blip either way showed that to be good, both wires were still evident.

The slider and butterfly were still fitted to the window, upon removal of the slider it had totally split vertically..

Long story short...

I removed the random bits of regulator assembly.. And fitted the newly overhauled item..

I also refitted the forward bobbin, but didn't bother with the rear as I know what normally happens if you try and remove a drilled out screw from the tapping plate.

A quick function and a provisional set up had the window back to some sort of normality.

This is where I left the owner to continue to rebuild the door and travel back down south...

TTFN
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Sun 29.07.2012, 18:39

There was one oversight I had which became apparent when fitting this regulator...

The door had the black inner shroud which fits around the motor.. I forgot about that version of door.

I'll edit the above "how to guides" when I get a few more mins.

TTFN
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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Sun 29.07.2012, 19:06

So this is the passenger regulator which requires overhaul...

obviously the main slider is deficient... (easily available, Donington curry night Raffle, Lotus After sales etc...

note the upper wire is far to long...

In addition the spooled wire on the drum will have crossed due to no tension...

So on both counts will need to be rewound and retensioned...

a task for another day when I've got a little more time...

Image

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Specky » Sun 29.07.2012, 20:03

Had to nip into the loft...

So basically...

It's gonna be fit this to that.... :D

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Re: Door window fails to operate correctly. Diagnosis & Repa

Postby Greggry » Sun 29.07.2012, 22:13

Well Dave mate what can I say!!

You really did help me and got me out of a true ..... Well hole!

I can't thank you enough mate and if all elan owners are as helpful as you mate I'm pleased I'm in the group!!

Almost rebuilt mate just some more fixings to the bottom of the door

Once again you need a fav I'll help

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