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Replacing/repairing window regulator

23K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  PCNY3 
#1 ·
Hey all, it's been a while since I've visited the forums, but I need your help.

I think the window regulator has broken in the drivers side rear door of my 01 9-3. My friend was riding in back, went to put the window down, and when it got to the bottom, there was a crack sound, and the window fell into the door. This happened to me a year or two ago on the other side, but luckily I had a Saab dealer nearby. This time, I'm 45 minutes away from the nearest place that will even touch Saabs, and I'm a broke college student with not a lot of time or money.

How easy is it to replace the window innards, and is there a DIY guide somewhere? At the very least, is there something I can do to at least get the window all the way back up and disconnect the window switch so that I don't have to drive around with a garbage bag taped over the door? The weather should be nice this weekend, so I'll open up the door panel and see what exactly is busted in there and post further details.
 
#2 · (Edited)
#4 ·
Thanks for the links. I decided I'd rather monkey with my car than do homework, so I went about seeing what exactly went wrong. I got the door card off in about 10 minutes, and found that the piece in the pictures below was the culprit. I don't actually know what these pieces are called, so I would appreciate if one of you guys could tell me what the things are. It appears that the pictured piece was moved up and down by the motor. This piece appeared to connect to the frame that holds the window glass. The gray plastic piece connected to the post had snapped in half and allowed the window frame to fall into the door while this thing continued to run up and down the track.

Does all this sound correct? What parts do I need to fix this mess?

For now, I took this piece out, and got it so the window stays up and sealed, and put the door back together. Unless I have the tools or the time to do this repair, I'm going to find a Saab shop to do it for me.

Front of piece (when looking into door internals):



Back:

 
#5 ·
Same thing happened to me couple months ago and the unfortunate news is that you are going to have to replace the entire window regulator which is very diy doable... The hard part will be finding one at a good price compared to new
 
#11 ·
My old 99 Saab 93 rear regulator finally gave in, causing the window to drop and stay open. After taking the door trim off I could see that it was the plastic bracket that connects the up/down rail to the actual window glass. - Nothing new to report there..

However here's two alternate approaches for those that may still encounter this problem:

1) Fixing it:
This usually involves replacing the entire regulator assembly at a cost of around $200, however, I see that since the last posting here that "Taliaferro" manufacture and sell their own replacement bracket made of metal for about $40. It looks like you still have to remove the regulator (which involves drilling out 5 rivets and later replacing them), but as you'd have to do that anyway, this may be a better option as long as you're sure the motor and cabling are still good. They include a helpful video on how to do it on their site. I won't put a link here, just Google it...

2) Jamming the window closed:
In my case, seeing as I barely used that window and, let's face it, the car's not long for this life, I thought I'd spare myself the hassle and $$$ of a repair (not to mention the fact that I don't have a drill or rivet gun or space to repair it).

Materials:

  • Sturdy piece of wood like a thick paint stirrer or the pre-cut wood wedges you find at DIY stores about 8" long. Shape and length aren't too important...

  • 3 or 4 strong zip ties

  • wood screw - 3/4" - 1 1/4" (larger may work too)

After removing the trim, disconnecting the window switch and peeling back the gray dust sheet there is easy enough access to the innards.

Have the zip ties ready and maybe a small pliers too.

Reach in and push the window up into it's closed position (if it won't go all the way up, it may be because the remains of the broken bracket are blocking it near the top - if that's the case, temporarily reconnect the door switch, turn on the ignition and lower the window just a little so that the bracket remnants move down out of the way).

While holding the window in the fully up position, position the piece of wood behind the vertical rail that the broken (plastic) bracket would normally travel in and push it up so that it meets the bottom of the metal window support bracket (i.e. the piece that grips the glass). If it doesn't you may need a thicker or different shaped piece of wood.

The piece of wood (which you are now holding tight against the vertical rail) should now be supporting the window. Grab your zip ties and simply tie them as tight as you can around the vertical rail and wood piece - if necessary use the small pliers to get them really tight.

At this point you should be able to let go and the window will stay up. Take a peek into the door void, or take a photo within it to make sure that the wooden piece still has good support contact with the metal window support bracket. If it does then look towards the top of the rail where there should be a hole (there was on mine), just wide enough for a woodscrew to go through and grab the wood that's now behind it. Go ahead and insert the screw (avoid snagging the cable that runs in that channel), and tighten it while supporting the wood from within the door frame with your free hand. The screw will add strength and lessen the chances of the wood (and window) from slipping if just the zip ties were used..

That's basically it. Just re-assembly everything with the exception of the door switch which is best left disconnected - you don't want anyone actuating the lifting mechanism with the wood, zip ties etc. in place. Leaving it disconnected at the door also disables the center console switch (for just that window) between the front seats.

Hope that helps someone!
 
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