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Window Regulator Replacement - Quattro

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To: quattro-digest@coimbra.ans.net
Subject: Window Regulator Replacement 4000 series
From: afinney@tamsconsultants.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 13:07:52 -0500
Sender: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net

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Well, I did it. I replaced the cable in my window regulator for $10 and saved $400. My UrQ window would only go up, not down after a lound twang noise. I knew that the cable had broken. Not wanting to spend $400 to replace the motor/cable assembly I bought 2 Shimano Deraileur cables and one $0.99 package of 1/16 inch double barreled wire crimps. Here goes the procedure. Remove the door panel. Remove the window regulator. 3-10mm bolts at the top, one at the bottom. Remove the motor, 3-10mm bolts which is attached approximately where the hand crank on a manual window would be. Remove the window glass. 2-10mm bolts. Window will need to be below it's midpoint of travel to see them. Otherwise it's a PITA. Remove the wire to the motor. Don't cut it, there's a connection just inside the left side of the car, under the driver's side lower dash panel. Who knows where it is on the other side of the car and I don't want to find out. The wire comes through the rubber boot between the door and the car body and connects just inside. Remove here and pull the wire out through the boot.

Remove the 6 or so screws that hold the front cover to the motor assembly. It's the round part of the window motor, not the rectangular part. Be carefull. The wire inside will want to unwind. Draw yourself a picture of how the two cables enter the assembly. You'll need to put them back the right way. Note where all the parts come from as you remove the spool of cable inside. Cut the wires where you need to, to remove them from the track assembly. To remove the wire and window runner drill out the rivet that holds the plastic pulley wheel. Now slide the runner off the track. Remove the little black clip (note the position) and you'll be able to take the wire completely off the runner. Make sure you don't throw away the dead wire, you'll need to measure exactly where that little crimpy thing is in relation to the wire ends. Now comes the fun part.

The shimano cables come with a little crimped thing on the end. Measure the distance on the old cable between the end crimp and the mid length crimp, the one on the runner. Mark off the same distance on the new cable. Do this for both cables. What you're going to do is replace one cable with two. Now, this is where I made a mistake the first time. Thread the new cable through the funny plastic pieces at the end near the motor assembly, thread it through the cable housing, thru the black metal clips at either end of the window slider assembly (forgot those) and get ready to crimp. First you will need a replacement for the drilled rivet on the pulley wheel. Use a fat, short bolt and washers. You must FILE the bolt head, or what ever side of the bolt that is facing the pulley wheel. File it level or even below the edge of the aluminum window track. Remember, shorter is better here. Believe me, otherwise the window won't go all the way up because it will hit the bolt head and jam. Now take the cables and thread them through the 1/16 inch crimp thingey you bought. Thread them through the same hole from opposite directions. Make sure you line up the crimp with the length marks you made earlier. There will be a lot of extra cable on either side. Now bend each cable back through the other barrel of the crimpey thing. Pull the cables through as tight as you can. Now crimp the crimpey thing with a hammer or pliers. Remember to get it to be somewhat square in shape because it has to fit into the slot in the back of the window runner. Now stuff the whole crimped mess into the little slot and replace the black metal clip remembering of course how it came off.

Now comes the pain and despair. Remembering which cable came from which side of the plastic cable wheel in the motor housing, put the cable into the slot on the back side of the plastic wheel and start winding the cable up. You'll see that as you have it taught the spring on the cable housing helps to keep the cable taught. Now wind up all the slack. With one hand compress the spring, with the other slip the wheel back onto the drive hub, making sure not to tear and mangle the funny rubber cushions. You're 50% done. Now wind up the slack on the other cable as much as you can. Get an assistant, I didn't have one. The object is to get the cable as taught as possible. With one hand using pliers pull the remaining cable while compressing one or both of the springs. Now with a third hand crimp vicegrips on the cable just as it comes into the housing to hold it taught. Now quickly, before the vicegrips slip, wind up the remaining cable and push the crimp into the slot on the top of the plastic wheel. Ta dah. You're mostly done. Now put it together with lots of grease and test the thing by connecting only the power to the motor and running the window.

Executive summary.

Major PITA job. Almost not wo the power to the motor and running the window.

Executive summary.

Major PITA job. Almost not worth the money if you make a mistake or two and have to repeat the steps. Attempt only if you are mechanically minded. Have fun.

Andrew Finney 1983 UrQ

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