alank950 0 Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) The window on my VR6 has stopped working and i removed the door card.Upon inspection i noticed there is a steel cable broken due to rust,i assume this is the window mechanism cable.The window motor is still clicking ok inside the door ,so its ok.I feel that this cable will not be easy to replace as its way up inside the door and difficult to get at.Any info on a replacement and fitting would be welcomed.thanks ps..i think the cable is know as the Window Regulator cable Edited August 11, 2012 by alank950 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted August 12, 2012 You can't replace the cable - not easily anyway. Since you'd have to remove and refit the whole regulator/motor assembly to get to it anyway it'd be far easier to swap it for a new one. I did my passenger window a couple of weeks ago so it's still quite fresh in my mind! There's a guide on the forum wiki (link) but I found it quite hard to follow. What I did is this: 1) Prepare the new mechanism to go in. You'll need to remove the expanded ends of the pop rivets that previously held it in - there are two at the top of the mechanism, three in the middle, three on the rubber motor mounts and one that holds the connector in place. The motor mounts can be grabbed with a set of mole grips and unscrewed from the motor - either replace them altogether (you need ones with an M8 thread - probably not so hard to get hold of) or you can make a small hole in the side of the mount and push the rivet head out that way. Don't remove the front metal washer from the rubber and reglue as mentioned in the wiki guide, this means the motor's only held onto the mounts with superglue... 2) Get the door card off. You can either remove the membrane altogether or fold it back on itself while you work - be aware if you do this you'll get the black sticky glue on everything. It's really hard to remove from skin so wear gloves and be prepared to clean it up afterwards so you don't contaminate the door card. It's a good idea to double-check the new mech works properly at this stage - ust plug it into the door connector and run it up and down a few times. When you're done leave it near the top. 3) Unpop the two guide arms from the track on the bottom of the window. Remove the rollers and keep them somewhere safe - if you leave them in the window they will fall out somewhere inconvenient (ask me how I know...:bonk:) Put a few strips of thick tape from the inside of the glass, over the top of the door and onto the outside of the glass to hold it in place while you work. 4) Undo the two bolts holding the moving part of the window regulator to the window using a 10mm socket. The window's now free of the mech. 5) Drill out all the rivets holding the mechanism to the door. As the front section comes off each rivet, give the back section a tap with a small drift/punch to free it (the back of the rivets will fall into the bottom of the door). Remove it by tilting the middle section sideways and pulling it out of the hole in the bottom of the door. This is intensely awkward and frustrating so it's not just you! 6) Time to enlist a helper. Get them to hold the window from both sides while you remove the tape. Then drop it slightly, push it from the inside so it moves towards the outside of the car and gently pull it free. You may find it helps to remove the inner trim/scraper before you do this, it gives you a little more room - but be careful with it, it's likely to be very fragile after 20-odd years and they're easily snapped! Put the window somewhere safe on something that won't scratch it. You'll need to wiggle it from side to side slightly as it comes out - I found it easier to drop the front more than the back and pull it out at a 45º angle. 7) Get the new mech into position. There are a set of tabs on the middle and bottom of the door skin that clip onto holes on the middle section and the bottom of the rail on the regulator which will hold it in place as you rivet. This step is pretty much impossible to do with the window in place as you can't quite get the top of the mech in the right place... 8 ) Rivet the mech in place. Do the mech first and the motor last, then test-fit the connectors together so you get the angle right. Unplug, rivet the connector's bracket in place and then reconnect the connectors. 9) Bribe your helper to assist in putting the window back in. This is intensely awkward as there's a clip on the back edge of the window that needs to be aligned with a rail in the door. Keep at it, it will fit... Once it's in, align it with the moving section of the regulator and loosely do the two bolts up with your 10mm socket. 10) Steadying the window as you go so it stays at the right angle and doesn't slip, drop the window halfway so you can see the bolts and rail through the big hole. This makes it easier to see what you're doing. Put the two rollers back into the rail and pop the arms from the regulator into them. Now the window will be at the right angle to the car, so fully do up both the 10mm bolts. Raise the window. Drop the window. Cheer. Have a beer! Be aware it's a right pain to do and it will have you swearing fluently after the first hour! Budget 3-4 hours, it took me just under 3 as a novice so hopefully you won't have to scratch your head quite as much as I did... Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 13, 2012 You can't replace the cable - not easily anyway. Since you'd have to remove and refit the whole regulator/motor assembly to get to it anyway it'd be far easier to swap it for a new one. I did my passenger window a couple of weeks ago so it's still quite fresh in my mind! There's a guide on the forum wiki (link) but I found it quite hard to follow. What I did is this: 1) Prepare the new mechanism to go in. You'll need to remove the expanded ends of the pop rivets that previously held it in - there are two at the top of the mechanism, three in the middle, three on the rubber motor mounts and one that holds the connector in place. The motor mounts can be grabbed with a set of mole grips and unscrewed from the motor - either replace them altogether (you need ones with an M8 thread - probably not so hard to get hold of) or you can make a small hole in the side of the mount and push the rivet head out that way. Don't remove the front metal washer from the rubber and reglue as mentioned in the wiki guide, this means the motor's only held onto the mounts with superglue... 2) Get the door card off. You can either remove the membrane altogether or fold it back on itself while you work - be aware if you do this you'll get the black sticky glue on everything. It's really hard to remove from skin so wear gloves and be prepared to clean it up afterwards so you don't contaminate the door card. It's a good idea to double-check the new mech works properly at this stage - ust plug it into the door connector and run it up and down a few times. When you're done leave it near the top. 3) Unpop the two guide arms from the track on the bottom of the window. Remove the rollers and keep them somewhere safe - if you leave them in the window they will fall out somewhere inconvenient (ask me how I know...:bonk:) Put a few strips of thick tape from the inside of the glass, over the top of the door and onto the outside of the glass to hold it in place while you work. 4) Undo the two bolts holding the moving part of the window regulator to the window using a 10mm socket. The window's now free of the mech. 5) Drill out all the rivets holding the mechanism to the door. As the front section comes off each rivet, give the back section a tap with a small drift/punch to free it (the back of the rivets will fall into the bottom of the door). Remove it by tilting the middle section sideways and pulling it out of the hole in the bottom of the door. This is intensely awkward and frustrating so it's not just you! 6) Time to enlist a helper. Get them to hold the window from both sides while you remove the tape. Then drop it slightly, push it from the inside so it moves towards the outside of the car and gently pull it free. You may find it helps to remove the inner trim/scraper before you do this, it gives you a little more room - but be careful with it, it's likely to be very fragile after 20-odd years and they're easily snapped! Put the window somewhere safe on something that won't scratch it. You'll need to wiggle it from side to side slightly as it comes out - I found it easier to drop the front more than the back and pull it out at a 45º angle. 7) Get the new mech into position. There are a set of tabs on the middle and bottom of the door skin that clip onto holes on the middle section and the bottom of the rail on the regulator which will hold it in place as you rivet. This step is pretty much impossible to do with the window in place as you can't quite get the top of the mech in the right place... 8 ) Rivet the mech in place. Do the mech first and the motor last, then test-fit the connectors together so you get the angle right. Unplug, rivet the connector's bracket in place and then reconnect the connectors. 9) Bribe your helper to assist in putting the window back in. This is intensely awkward as there's a clip on the back edge of the window that needs to be aligned with a rail in the door. Keep at it, it will fit... Once it's in, align it with the moving section of the regulator and loosely do the two bolts up with your 10mm socket. 10) Steadying the window as you go so it stays at the right angle and doesn't slip, drop the window halfway so you can see the bolts and rail through the big hole. This makes it easier to see what you're doing. Put the two rollers back into the rail and pop the arms from the regulator into them. Now the window will be at the right angle to the car, so fully do up both the 10mm bolts. Raise the window. Drop the window. Cheer. Have a beer! Be aware it's a right pain to do and it will have you swearing fluently after the first hour! Budget 3-4 hours, it took me just under 3 as a novice so hopefully you won't have to scratch your head quite as much as I did... Stone Thanks for this feedback great post. I have contacted a chap on the GTI forum over here who says he can mend this cable for me.thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) Aparrently i have to remove the mechanism and bring it to the guy for the cable fix.. Ok The glass is only falling down a few inches therefore i cannot unbolt the mech arms from it,any ideas why?.is there more cable up in there holding the door or do i unbolt it with my hand ,blind by reaching up inside the panel.I need to seperate the glass from the mech first i guess,then tape the glass up and then drill the rivets holding the mech to remove it..any info on this? ---------- Post added at 9:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 8:42 PM ---------- Getting the glass separated from the mechanism is proving impossible.I cannot reach the two bolts as the glass will not lower far enough so i can get at them.This could be the remaining wire attached to the motor thats holding the glass up or the guide arms.Wondering now if i were to remove the rivets from the motor/mech and drop the whole thing window and all then remove the bolts holding the glass. ---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 9:25 PM ---------- You can't replace the cable - not easily anyway. Since you'd have to remove and refit the whole regulator/motor assembly to get to it anyway it'd be far easier to swap it for a new one. I did my passenger window a couple of weeks ago so it's still quite fresh in my mind! There's a guide on the forum wiki (link) but I found it quite hard to follow. What I did is this: 1) Prepare the new mechanism to go in. You'll need to remove the expanded ends of the pop rivets that previously held it in - there are two at the top of the mechanism, three in the middle, three on the rubber motor mounts and one that holds the connector in place. The motor mounts can be grabbed with a set of mole grips and unscrewed from the motor - either replace them altogether (you need ones with an M8 thread - probably not so hard to get hold of) or you can make a small hole in the side of the mount and push the rivet head out that way. Don't remove the front metal washer from the rubber and reglue as mentioned in the wiki guide, this means the motor's only held onto the mounts with superglue... 2) Get the door card off. You can either remove the membrane altogether or fold it back on itself while you work - be aware if you do this you'll get the black sticky glue on everything. It's really hard to remove from skin so wear gloves and be prepared to clean it up afterwards so you don't contaminate the door card. It's a good idea to double-check the new mech works properly at this stage - ust plug it into the door connector and run it up and down a few times. When you're done leave it near the top. 3) Unpop the two guide arms from the track on the bottom of the window. Remove the rollers and keep them somewhere safe - if you leave them in the window they will fall out somewhere inconvenient (ask me how I know...:bonk:) Put a few strips of thick tape from the inside of the glass, over the top of the door and onto the outside of the glass to hold it in place while you work. 4) Undo the two bolts holding the moving part of the window regulator to the window using a 10mm socket. The window's now free of the mech. 5) Drill out all the rivets holding the mechanism to the door. As the front section comes off each rivet, give the back section a tap with a small drift/punch to free it (the back of the rivets will fall into the bottom of the door). Remove it by tilting the middle section sideways and pulling it out of the hole in the bottom of the door. This is intensely awkward and frustrating so it's not just you! 6) Time to enlist a helper. Get them to hold the window from both sides while you remove the tape. Then drop it slightly, push it from the inside so it moves towards the outside of the car and gently pull it free. You may find it helps to remove the inner trim/scraper before you do this, it gives you a little more room - but be careful with it, it's likely to be very fragile after 20-odd years and they're easily snapped! Put the window somewhere safe on something that won't scratch it. You'll need to wiggle it from side to side slightly as it comes out - I found it easier to drop the front more than the back and pull it out at a 45º angle. 7) Get the new mech into position. There are a set of tabs on the middle and bottom of the door skin that clip onto holes on the middle section and the bottom of the rail on the regulator which will hold it in place as you rivet. This step is pretty much impossible to do with the window in place as you can't quite get the top of the mech in the right place... 8 ) Rivet the mech in place. Do the mech first and the motor last, then test-fit the connectors together so you get the angle right. Unplug, rivet the connector's bracket in place and then reconnect the connectors. 9) Bribe your helper to assist in putting the window back in. This is intensely awkward as there's a clip on the back edge of the window that needs to be aligned with a rail in the door. Keep at it, it will fit... Once it's in, align it with the moving section of the regulator and loosely do the two bolts up with your 10mm socket. 10) Steadying the window as you go so it stays at the right angle and doesn't slip, drop the window halfway so you can see the bolts and rail through the big hole. This makes it easier to see what you're doing. Put the two rollers back into the rail and pop the arms from the regulator into them. Now the window will be at the right angle to the car, so fully do up both the 10mm bolts. Raise the window. Drop the window. Cheer. Have a beer! Be aware it's a right pain to do and it will have you swearing fluently after the first hour! Budget 3-4 hours, it took me just under 3 as a novice so hopefully you won't have to scratch your head quite as much as I did... Stone Stone this is my problem.getting at the two bolts..I have a feeling that the window is being held 3/4 way up by the upper part of the broken cable.I have tried the motor switch and the motor is just clicking and wont move the cable either.As i said i may need to drill the rivets and drop the whole unit (motor+mech) window and all to reach the 2 bolts.if you read this and have any advice please post.cheers Edited August 13, 2012 by alank950 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 14, 2012 Although now when i think about it ,it cannot be the cable holding the window up as the cable is broken. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 14, 2012 The unit has been removed ,with some patience!. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Byrd 10 Posted August 14, 2012 Hi Alank, Am follwing this closely, interested in seeing i you get it right with the mending of the cable- Jag, Which Unit did you use for the replacement? The Pimax one? I have the dreaded broken plastic guides on drivers side and want to replace but am dreading the cost and effort!!!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 15, 2012 Hi Alank, Am follwing this closely, interested in seeing i you get it right with the mending of the cable- Jag, Which Unit did you use for the replacement? The Pimax one? I have the dreaded broken plastic guides on drivers side and want to replace but am dreading the cost and effort!!!!!!!!! I just got the cable mended on the original part. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stonejag 10 Posted August 16, 2012 Hi Alank, Am follwing this closely, interested in seeing i you get it right with the mending of the cable- Jag, Which Unit did you use for the replacement? The Pimax one? I have the dreaded broken plastic guides on drivers side and want to replace but am dreading the cost and effort!!!!!!!!! No, I swapped for another OEM unit in good condition since it was cheap and easily available. It's now better than the driver's side so I may end up replacing that one too :) Stone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 17, 2012 No, I swapped for another OEM unit in good condition since it was cheap and easily available. It's now better than the driver's side so I may end up replacing that one too :) Stone Job finished.Removed the regulator unit,tricky but patience paid off.Had it repaired here and refitted it greased to the teeth!!.Regreased the other side also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wullie 1 Posted August 17, 2012 Where do you get the cable from? I have a perfectly good regulator setup but the cable is frayed and jamming. Be interesting to try and fix it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 18, 2012 Where do you get the cable from? I have a perfectly good regulator setup but the cable is frayed and jamming. Be interesting to try and fix it. I got it repaired here in N Ireland..if you would like the contact details for the chap who repaired it let me know.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wullie 1 Posted August 19, 2012 I'm just looking for the cable to try this for myself. If the chap is able to let me know the supplier, part number for the cable that would be great. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alank950 0 Posted August 19, 2012 I'm just looking for the cable to try this for myself. If the chap is able to let me know the supplier, part number for the cable that would be great. He can only repair it again.You would not be able to just buy a cable,you will have to replace the whole regulator unit again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wullie 1 Posted August 19, 2012 Drat and double drat, I had thought from the way the thread went you had the cable replaced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
