How To Install Power Windows

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Removing manual regulators

  

The next step in the process is to remove the manual window regulators from the doors. The window is rolled down a few inches so that the nut that holds the channel to the glass is lined up with the hole just to the side of the speaker. Before removing any of the nuts, we used blue masking tape to hold up the window. We choose to use the long mask tape, because it has moderate adhesive properties that won't damage the vehicles paint and it also has UV resistance, so it comes off easily (even after a couple of days).

As shown below, the 2 nuts that hold the channel to the bottom of the glass are removed.

  

The 2 nuts that hold the balance channel to the door are removed. The regulator body is held in place with 4 large rivets. The center pins in the rivets are punched in, using a hammer and punch. The remaining body of the rivets are drilled out using a 1/4 inch drill. After all of the rivets are drilled out the regulator is pulled away from the studs on the glass and the short channel is pulled out its holes in the door. The drill bit (or hand reamer) is then inserted into the 4 holes, where the rivets were, to round out the holes.

  

The manual window regulator is removed from the door through the large access hole. The channels that were bolted to the door and glass need to be reused on the new electric regulators. There is a small tab towards the end of the channel that needs to be flattened with a hammer and punch so that the skates can slide out of the channels.

  

The channels that were saved in the previous step are now installed onto our new Electric Life regulators. The tabs at the ends of the channels are bent up with a screwdriver. This is done so the channels don't fall off when we put the assembly back in the door. The blue and black motor wires are also attached to the motor at this time. Finding the motor connector, once the unit is mounted in the door, can be a little tricky.

In case you were wondering, the mechanism is called a window regulator because this mechanism is the part that "regulates" the height of the window.

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