Window Regulator Clips; Lockout Switch

[theophile]

Went through a drive-thru yesterday and inadvertently used the switch for the rear driver window rather than the front. There was a loud crack and the rear window fell down into the door. I can hear the motor working fine up and down, but the window is loose and can be moved up and down by hand.

So until I can get it fixed, I wrapped some non-slip drawer liner around a wedge-shaped piece of wood and jammed it down there to keep the window from falling down, and I decided to use the window lockout switch to prevent another similar accident. But when I toggled the lockout switch, it too broke and now the black plastic rocker switch cover is loose. The switch mechanism itself seems to be OK though.

So now I've got two things to fix. As for the regulator, I've done enough reading to know that it's a 99% chance the problem is the plastic clips on the regulator have broken. I don't see the rear driver side regulator in stock anywhere locally, but I have run across this product by RegulatorFix, which appears to be just the plastic clips. Has anyone ever used this product that can speak to fitment and quality?

Also, I'm guessing that the cover for the window lockout switch probably isn't sold separately anywhere. Does anyone have (for example) a broken master switch with a good plastic cover for the lockout switch? If so, I might want to buy it from you.

 

[1LoudLS]

when this problem happens, I have found two different issues/solutions depending on what is wrong with the rear window...


first, if you can roll the window UP just fine (and when up it stays up) but if the window is rolled down, then glass may stick up or fall down and can be moved by hand, then your locking plugs (pin and dowel) have probably just fell out, and you can take the door apart, grab the little plug out of the bottom go the door and snap it all back together.

now if your window doesn't move no matter which direction you try to roll it but you can hear the motor spinning, then one of the plastic wheels have probably crumbled to pieces and the entire regulator needs to be replaced

 

[tireman]

yes, i've repaired all four windows in my 01v6, you can get the clips that break on ebay from about $20. or you can use a soldering iron and repair the clips that broke if you can find all the pieces or get a new dorman regulator, they have a more robust clip design. most likely your motor is good and u just need the regulator

 

[Telco]

Look for the plastic pin that holds the window to the regulator. Mine apparently disintegrated. Folks have used wooden dowel rods to hold theirs in place. Unfortunately, if you order a new regulator the pin does not come with it. fordpartsgiant.com may have the regulator, rockauto.com may also have it although you need to make sure they send you the part you order and not their bargain piece in a factory box.

 

[theophile]

The issue with the window is that it will fall down or mostly down just from gravity. Regardless of which direction I activate the motor (up or down) the window will either not move or will go down a little bit. But it will never go up. If I use the switch to put the motor in either the fully down or the fully up position, I can't move the glass by hand. But if it is in between, then I can slide the glass up by hand.

 

[joegr]

Once the wire in the regulator looses tension, and you try to use it, it's done. The wire wraps around the spool in the wrong way and does damage to the regulator. You might spend a lot of time and get it to work again for a little while, or just go ahead and replace the regulator.

 

[tireman]

I agree with joegr. if the spool has been damaged, you cannot fix it. just replace the regulator. I am happy with the dorman from rockauto.

 

[theophile]

I finally opened up the door and took the regulator out to inspect it. Turns out the clip was fine. The issue was the upper guide pulley had cracked (but not completely broken) and tilted to the side just enough to let the cable slip off and lose tension. The cables themselves did tangle around the spool a bit, but they did not damage the spool, and I was able to adjust the axle of the guide pulley so that it is coplanar with the spool, and then retension the whole assembly. It now works well enough to keep the window up until I can get a permanent solution, but that cracked pulley clearly won't last long if it is used. The cables seem fine when tensioned, with no crimps or frayed strands.

The folks at RegulatorFix (from whom I bought the replacement clip) also sell a replacement guide pulley, though it is not specific to the LS. Here are the photos they sent me:



















I'm going to take a caliper to mine tonight to measure. If it looks like it will work, I'll probably give this a shot.

 

[tireman]

that's nice to know that someone sells the pulley itself. regulatorfix?

 

[theophile]

that's nice to know that someone sells the pulley itself. regulatorfix?

Yep, that's RegulatorFix. Unfortunately, this pulley they sell is not the same size as the pulley on the rear regulators on the LS. The photos above indicate that the RegulatorFix pulley has an outer diameter of 1.203". I measured my guide pulley and the stock pulley on the Lincoln LS rear regulators has an outer diameter of 1.678". So the RegulatorFix pulley is almost 30% smaller than stock.

It might be possible to use a smaller pulley in this application if you drill a new hole in the metal and move the pulley mounting point further away to compensate for the smaller size and ensure that the cable is properly tensioned, but under the circumstances, I decided to just go ahead and buy the Dorman regulator.