Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 12:19:19 -0800
Reply-To: Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject: Re: driver's power window motor removal
In-Reply-To: <Law14-OE47BUrrS3ZEZ0000b33d@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Here's the deal, from memory, but I've done this twice this year and
the second time was last weekend:
1. Remove the door panel. Start with the two phillips head screws
attaching the plastic vent near the B pillar, in the "corner" of the
door under where it latches. Then remove the armrest by popping open
the plastic screw covers with a knifeblade and removing the large and
small phillips head screws from each end. Now pop out the plastic dish
from the latch mechanism and remove the screw that holds the escutcheon
on. Pop off the panel. Take a sharpie and mark the plugs with one, two
and three stripes respectively across the two pieces so you won't have
to think about where they go when reassembling. Be careful to take care
of the speaker wires, don't pull them out.
2. Carefully remove the plastic from over the big hole and the motor
hole. Be sure to have tape, contact cement and new plastic if necessary
when reassembling. Nothing says "hack mechanic" like cold air rushing
in from every hole in the door in the winter.
3. Take a saw to a scrap of wood and cut the two small wedges you will
need drive between the rubber and the glass to hold the window up as
you work. They should be about 3 inches long and taper from 1/2 inch to
a point.
4. If you can operate the window at all, roll it down about half an
inch so you can put a 10mm socket over the two screws that connect the
window glass to the sliding mechanism. If you can't lower it, it will
take a few extra minutes with an open end or box 10mm but you'll get to
the front one, the back one is easier. Be sure to wedge the window in
the up position with the wooden wedges before the second bolt is
removed, otherwise with window will slam down and it's hard to get up.
Be advised that you may need a sharp chisel or a putty knife to
separate the window glass bracket from the sliding mechanism head where
you took the bolts out in order to get the sliding head loose from the
bracket. If the two are stuck together, you probably need to replace
the outside scraper rubber (easy) when you get a chance because the two
probably got stuck from water entering the door, which may also be what
ruined your motor and mechanism.
5. Remove the bolt that's below and between them on the vertical
galvanized channel that the window glass bracket runs up and down in.
Now look underneath the door and remove the 10mm bolt that holds the
bottom of this galvanized piece.
5. Now remove the nuts from the motor studs.
6. The thing you are trying to get out is the vertical galvanized
channel and the motor, the two of which are connected by cables and
housings. It all look roughly like a letter D when it's out on the
table. It's somewhat flexible and can be twisted, but be careful
because there are nylon parts which can be easily broken by slamming
them around trying to remove this assembly. You should be warned that
it can be very frustrating and difficult to get the assembly out and if
it is, you're doing it wrong. If you get the top of the vertical
channel moved forward and down toward the motor, the motor and gearbox
will drop down just enough to clear the #$%#$% studs from the motor
hole. At this point twist the motor and gearbox assembly 180 degrees
(clockwise, I think, but either it doesn't matter or comes naturally)
and everything will twist up into alignment and slide out the motor
hole.
7. Now you can unbolt the motor and unsolder its connector, soldering
it onto the new motor if needed. Replace the plastic piece and cable
tie so it looks like the old configuration. Now grease the gearbox
assembly (you can open it, nothing is going to pop out that I
remember), bolt the motor back onto it, and plug it up to test it. The
motor should of course run the head up and down the channel smoothly.
If it doesn't work... yikes! It will work.
8. Twist the whole thing 180 degrees like you did to get the motor out,
and and stick it back in the motor hole. Reach in and grab the column
and stand it up. Bolt it top and bottom and then reattach the motor.
Run the motor until the bracket will allow the two bolts that hold the
window glass to be reached easily. Congratulate yourself for actually
taking the trouble to cut the wedges.
9. Reapply your plastic seal, put new cable ties where you had to cut
any, and put the door panel back in place.
10. Removing the motor start to finish is about 20-30 minutes, same
with reinstalling. The rest of the 2 hours is soldering, stuff like
that.
Hope this helps,
Jim
On Saturday, November 29, 2003, at 08:38 AM, Dylan Friedman wrote:
> Hello Volks,
>
> Any wisdom on this topic would be appreciated. Time saving tips
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> dylan
>
