How to Replace Car Door Window
Undoubtedly at one point in your life as a car owner you will experience a broken or cracked window. While a common problem, repairs can often be costly, unless of course you do it the work yourself. Replacing a window is one of the easiest task to perform when working on your vehicle and can save large amounts of money in the end.
The price of an actual window can vary, the first step is to decide how you want to go about obtaining the new window. The cheapest alternative is of course to go to your local salvage yard and pull the replacement yourself, but if that’s not an option you still have other choices being a local body shop or last ditch the dealership.
Once you obtain your new window its time to go to work. To begin make sure your window is rolled completely down. Then its time to remove the door panel from the door with the damaged window. Removing the door panel from your vehicle varies depending on whether you have power windows or a manual window. Switches for power windows are usually held in place by a single screw or clips and then easily unplugged, while a manual window handle is held in place by single metal clip located behind the cover at the bottom of the handle. Remove this clip don’t lose it and slide off the handle.
Next locate any remaining screws on the door panel and unscrew them with the appropriate screwdriver. After removing any screws you have in panel the next step is to pop loose the clips connecting the panel to the door. The clips can be removed by a tool sold at your local parts store or by carefully applying even pressure to each area of the panel and pulling them loose slowly by hand.. Older cars will most likely need to have the clips replaced when removed as the become fragile overtime, they are also sold at your local parts store.
Once the panel has been removed the actual old window is ready to be removed. Carefully remove the white plastic behind the panel and set it aside. The metal door frame will now be visible along with several opening in the door. At this point of any broken glass is present now is the time to use a shop- vac and remove it from the interior of the door.
Carefully look at the bracket inside the door you will see a flat bar your old window is attached to. There are two points which on the flat bar which have a single bolt, these are the bolts that hold the window. Using the appropriate size wrench or socket if the space is available to carefully remove the window bolts and pull out anything left of the old window.
Now that the old window is out its time o put the new one in. The new window will have new clips at the bottom identical to the old one. The new window must be slid into place from the top carefully as not to break the window. At a downward angle put the pointed end of the new window down through the opening on the top of the door where the old window came up. This is the reason you have the window crank in the down position. Once you have slid the front angle in begin sliding and rotating as you go down until the window is in the correct position to roll up.
Now is a simple reverse of everything done. Put the bolts back through the clips on the bottom of the window attaching the window to the metal bar lift in the door. Once the window is installed test the window before putting the panel back on. For power windows simply hook the switch into the wire clip and press up and for manual just slide on the handle, the window should roll up and settle into place. Leave the window up.
Now remove the switch or handle and begin by putting that thin piece of white colored plastic on the door frame exactly how it came off. Then pick the door panel up and slide it down on the door with the window rolled up so the top edge of the panel catches. And begin pushing each of the clips into its perspective hole. After the clips are in place put in any removed screws. Attach your window switches or handle exactly how you removed it. Finally stand back and admire your hard work.
