Power window failure

H

Halfbrick

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Fellow Frogger
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Oct 31, 2010
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Murwillumbah
2002 C5 drivers door power window stopped working yesterday. window was slightly down & when I tried to raise it I heard the twang of a cable snapping ( I'm guessing they run a cable) We were on our way back from Brissy in the rain which only got heavier & before I realised the glass had disappeared into the door:(
We will be away most of the week so is this a job my local mechanic can do & where could we source a replacement part at a reasonable price. cheers Dave
 
Hi Dave, If you remove the door lining you will be able to see what's happened. I know on the Xantias a plastic clip can break , and it can be fairly easily repaired in your own driveway once you get a replacement clip.

I have never looked closely at the C5 window mechanism. If you take off the door panel you will at least be able to manually raise the window glass to close it fully. You could then possibly chock it up with some packing foam and tape to keep it closed, until you can get the window winder and cable repaired.
Good luck. Cheers...
 
Window failure !!

Hi halfbrick,:)
Relying on memory here so be aware, suspect information :rolleyes:

No cables in there. I seem to think there is a plastic pin which holds something and can fall out. I found it in the bottom of the door and replaced it. A chunky pin which fits in ~10mm?? hole to link the arm? to the glass carrier?? or something like that.

Pulling the door trim off is not hard but you must find all the screws and clips as usual. They are hidden around and about. Ask if you cannot get it easily. I have a spare door outside !!:clown:
Jaahn
 
Halfbrick said:
2002 C5 drivers door power window stopped working yesterday. window was slightly down & when I tried to raise it I heard the twang of a cable snapping ( I'm guessing they run a cable) We were on our way back from Brissy in the rain which only got heavier & before I realised the glass had disappeared into the door:(
We will be away most of the week so is this a job my local mechanic can do & where could we source a replacement part at a reasonable price. cheers Dave
Click to expand...

Hi Dave,

We had similar a while back and it proved to be a plastic clip that clips to the underside of the glass had broken.

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Getting access is a poo job, the metal guides are held with rivets and have to be drilled out. Initially I had bought replacement clips which turned out to be incorrect for my car - I then bought a second hand assembly via ebay UK.

I should have more info, David S was able to provide some good workshop bulletins to cover removal and replacement - I'll see if I still have them.

Cheers
Chris
 

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GreenBlood said:
I should have more info, David S was able to provide some good workshop bulletins to cover removal and replacement - I'll see if I still have them.

Cheers
Chris
Click to expand...

Found the relevant info. . .

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Once the assembly is removed it should make sense. . .

Tip:Don't be tempted to use the window switch to move the glass until it has been fixed, you run the risk of damaging cables and runners.

Cheers
Chris
 

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I had a post about the same thing recently on the Xantia. On the Xantia a crappy little plastic guide holds the full weight of the glass and cable. Built to break! Got the replacement from ebay, I couldn't fit it myself but my Pug mechanic had done many of these and knew how to fix.
 
I've got the door trim off & yes, access is really bad. At this stage all I can see is that a cable seems to be flopping around but still seems connected to something. Maybe that is just the way it is normally.We are going away tomorrow morning so won't be able to look again until sunday afternoon. cheers Dave
 
Halfbrick said:
I've got the door trim off & yes, access is really bad. At this stage all I can see is that a cable seems to be flopping around but still seems connected to something. Maybe that is just the way it is normally.We are going away tomorrow morning so won't be able to look again until sunday afternoon. cheers Dave
Click to expand...

Good progress Dave :wink2:

If you now remove the window motor you should be able to move the glass up and see if you have a broken clip. If so you will need to remove the whole assembly as described above. The other possibility will be a stripped drive cog on the motor or gear drive - all will be revealed.

Cheers
Chris
 
down at the car now. it appears that the clips etc are all ok and attached.the front cable is loose and because its behind the framework i cant see why although as everything seems connected i suspect the drive is the problem. just got the window out.
 
So now it's all out. It appears to me that the plastic window/cable holder is broken where the cable attaches. In my photos the attaching setup looks different to Chris's photo but I might be looking from a diff angle ( besides I don't know what I'm doing) The cable is also damaged at the drive wheel, from someone who shall remain nameless trying to make it go when it didn't want to, the wheel is reluctant to come off to get at the cable. all advice appreciated:eek:IMG_0943.jpgIMG_0944.jpgIMG_0945.jpgIMG_0946.jpg
 
Halfbrick said:
So now it's all out. It appears to me that the plastic window/cable holder is broken where the cable attaches. In my photos the attaching setup looks different to Chris's photo but I might be looking from a diff angle ( besides I don't know what I'm doing) The cable is also damaged at the drive wheel, from someone who shall remain nameless trying to make it go when it didn't want to, the wheel is reluctant to come off to get at the cable. all advice appreciated:eek:
Click to expand...

Oh dear :eek:

Dave, looks like the same mechanism as mine, your clip has broken in the same place as mine before I destroyed it when removing. So the weak point is where one of the cables attach.

My advice is now that the spool cog cables have tangled you will have a hard time fixing what you have (once the cable twists like that you will never straighten it), best option is to get a good used from a wrecker. You should be able to get what you need locally, that is, in Aus.

Cheers
Chris
 
Take the cables out and see if you can straighten them. They may be just a little kinked unless someone has kept pressing the up/down button and really wrapped them around the drum. The drum has a track, but it's only to guide the cable as it turns. The ends are secured in the drum and that's what holds the cable in place. A slight damaged drum can be tidied up with a small file and it will work well if the cable ends have not pulled out. You may be able to find just the clip from another regulator or online and repair it. There are also specialists who repair these regulators for less than the cost of new items, which can cost a small fortune. A good used part is probably the most pragmatic option as suggested.
 
With our Xantia we sent the unit to Electric Life in Morebank, Sydney. Wedged a piece of wood under the glass so the car could be driven while the bit was being fixed. Getting the mechanism out and back into the window is bad enough, but least no special tools or bits are needed. Electric life specialise in fixing power windows, I recommend them. Definitely will be similar businesses in other cities and very profitable too.
 
Got a s/h replacement complete unit & put it in today, all good now. Boss lady is happy to get her car back. Thanks to everyone for your help, cheers Dave ( never done a power window before, now learnt a new skill )
 
So I'm back with this problem again.:disappr: The window goes down to about 1/2 way & then jambs. Door trims off & so far, the drive motor is fine, cables look good, attachments to the glass seem ok. The window operates normally at top 1/2 off operation but binds as soon as it gets to 1/2 way down, even with the motor taken off I can move it up & down & see the drive wheel turning both directions & cables moving but it still binds. I would have thought that the glass was binding on something but can't see it doing that, it appears to run in the guides as it should ( straight, not tilting as it would if one cable was not connected) Any advice appreciated, cheers Dave
 
Hi :)
I seem to recall a problem with something in the door, a piece of insulation or ?? falling into the way of the arrangement. Sorry cannot remember any more. But it was not too obvious at the time until found.
Jaahn
 
HI jaahn, I removed the mechanism & I can't see anything wrong with it. Works perfectly on the shed floor & nothing appears to be missing/broken so will put it back ( don't have big enough pop rivets at the moment) but will check for obstructions first, the resistance seems to be at the front. cheers Dave
 
Hi Halfbrick :)
Well do check in the door for unexpected things. ?? Remember that the window control monitors the motor current, and if it is excessive because of resistance it stops it or reverses it. This is the anti finger pinch setting. So it will not(should not) just grind to a halt jammed !!

I am trying to remember what it was. The plastic dust sheet ?? Nah. A piece of sound insulation that was unglued from the metal ??
good luck jaahn
 
Thanks Jaahn, I'm about to tackle it again. It will come down a certain distance & then grinds to a halt, won't go back up. Only way to get the glass back up is to pull it up from the bottom & it really is jammed tight, seems to be at the front area
 
I'm still confused by this, without the glass in the mechanism works perfectly. So, bearing in mind that the window was operating perfectly up until last Tues, then for some reason it won't go down passed about 1/2 way, appearing to get caught on something. Pull everything out & test the operation & all good. put the mechanism back in & again works perfectly. Insert the glass the problem returns, gets 2/2 way up & gets resistance so returns to fully down position. If i stop it at that 1/2 way possie you can see that the glass is on an angle, ie the front is heading outwards. I can't for the life of me see/feel what is causing it to do that. ( BTW, the rubber guide that the front of the glass runs against has a slit in it, it appears to me that the glass simply runs against it & not in the slit but am I wrong there?) I can see the glass sitting 3mm or so away from the rubber at it's lowest point so something is holding it away. cheers Dave
 
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