C5 Window Regulator Replacement

[MidNiteFury01]

Guessing an 18 year old car is bound to have a few issues. Over the past few years the passenger side window makes a sound like grinding sand on glass and it was getting sluggish. Time for a new window motor/regulator. 

 

1) Remove the reflector near the rear of the door by gently prying from the bottom up. Remove the cover plug behind the handle, and remove the trim around the door release handle. 

 

2) Using a T-30 torx, remove the two bolts behind the door handle, which were under the plug.

 

3) Remove the window switch by pulling up from the front and unplug it using a small blade screwdriver.

 

4) To remove the panel start from the end of the door, gently pull toward you. There plastic pins & receivers holding the panel on. Work your way around the edges. Once all the pins are loose, from the bottom; pull toward you and up at an angle.

 

5) You'll see a black plastic film, which you should carefully remove. It's held on by a sticky adhesive. 

 

6). Unplug the door speaker. There are a series of 7mm bolts holding the speaker on to the door, undo those and the speaker will come out.

 

7) Plug in the window switch and roll down about 1/2 way so you see the window clamps in the speaker hole and large opening. Mark where your window sits on these clamps for reference later. These are a 12mm bolt. 

 

8.) Undo the window clamps and carefully lift the window out. Don't forget to mark the glass where it sits on the clamp.

 

9) Unplug the motor/regulator. It's pretty easy, you'll feel the tabs and pull backwards.

 

10) There are 7, 10mm bolts you need to remove. Remove the three in the purple box, followed by the green and yellow. The yellow bolt is hidden beneath a plug. 

 

11) There is cable tie that holds the cables together and it fastens to the door. Push this in, careful not to damage the fiberglass.

 

12) Now you can remove the two top bolts holding the assembly. 

 

13) Carefully pull the window tracks out the large opening by collapsing the tracks.

 

14) Get the new regulator out and set side by side to the existing one. There is one adjustable screw on the track the fits in the lowest hole on the rear of the door that needs to match (as close as possible). The clamps also have micro-adjusters, try to get the new assembly close (Yellow Circles).

 

15) Once you've matched the settings, reinstall. Flex & fold into the opening and once aligned, tighten the 10mm bolts for all mounts.

 

16). This part is a bummer, but the AC-Delco regulator connection won't match and you'll have to cut the OEM pigtail and add the new one. You'll need to connect the new pigtail to the regulator.

---- Before soldering or clamping, use a wire nut to connect the OEM cut wires to the new pig-tail to ensure the window goes up and down with the corresponding buttons. So you'll need to connect the window switch. The new pigtail is on the lower left. I solder my connections and add heat shrink tubing.

 

17) Connect the switch and lower the clamps until they are visible in the large openings.

 

18) Make sure everything is tightened and install the window by aligning the clamp marks made on the window to the clamp and tighten (not 'Bubba' tight, but secure.)

 

19) Roll the window up and down. Close the door. Check for obvious gaps (there should be none). A trick is to place a bill between the seal and window. If there is drag, you are good. Check for scraping noises, etc as the window is rolled up and down.

----- The gap can be adjusted by changing the length and position of the lower two track bolts and the micro adjusters on the clamps (5mm). Adjust as necessary.

 

20). Reinstall speaker, make wire connections, replace black seal, and carefully reinstall the inner door panel. Tighten down the torx bolts, replace door handle trim and reflector and the little plug behind the handle. Don't forget the plug covering up the front lower track bolt.

 

 

 

[TheCMSH]

I have dreaded this happening for years but been lucky thus far.  Hell of a great write up, fantastic