My driver's side window retracts very slow. I'm looking for someone that is familiar with how to lubricate the tracks on the driver's side door. Any one want to take on the job? Thanks.
Window Rail Lubrication
- Thread starter jerryho
- Start date
If you want to do it yourself, there are two ways. The easy way, and the right way. The easy way is to pull the door panel, and use your fingers to gob grease in the rails. This has worked fine for my drivers side, but didn't do so hot on my passenger's side. The right way, which I did to the passenger's side, involves pulling the window and rails out of the car, and cleaning and lubing everything. I used to think I was mechanically inclined, but doing this REQUIRES two people to get the window back in, and will result in dents in the garage wall when you throw things trying to remove a part of the lock that lets the rear rail out of the car easily. I never could get mine off. There is another way to do it, pulling the rail out of the front, but it can get very annoying and cause you to spout obscenities for no apparent reason. Almost as bad as trying to remove the lock thingy. I would try the "gob grease in the rails" idea first, as that lasted me about a year. Alos note, it is very hard to hold the window in place when you have grease on your hands, and your wife does not have the strength in her hands you think she should........
For the right way, grab a friend, a VERY good friend, and do the other. Everything works great on mine now, although the passenger's still does not go up quite as fast as the driver's, and above 120mph I get some wind noise from an improperly adjusted window pane. (on my list to do when/if I have to pull the door panel again)
Good Luck, and if you need any more info, let me know.
Tom
For the right way, grab a friend, a VERY good friend, and do the other. Everything works great on mine now, although the passenger's still does not go up quite as fast as the driver's, and above 120mph I get some wind noise from an improperly adjusted window pane. (on my list to do when/if I have to pull the door panel again)
Good Luck, and if you need any more info, let me know.
Tom
If you do choose the minimal dissassembly / easy way, make sure you run the windows up and down multiple times between every application of grease to spread the grease within the rails. You should add grease a little at a time and not as a single huge gob.
If you try Tom's "right method", you will need to re-align the window rails and he is correct about the cursing. If you dont re-install the window right, you may damage the front sash -- the triangle piece of rubber -- and those run $200 the last time I looked.
If you try Tom's "right method", you will need to re-align the window rails and he is correct about the cursing. If you dont re-install the window right, you may damage the front sash -- the triangle piece of rubber -- and those run $200 the last time I looked.
If your car is a '91-93 and you have never updated the regulators, I strongly recommend that you buy a pair of the Dali Racing window fix-it thingies for $16 and have them on hand when you open up the door panels, so you can install them if needed. Installing these parts can save you from having to replace the entire regulator assembly if it fails, at a cost of $400-500 per side. Read more about it here and check out the photos.
window rail lubing
I have to agree; I decided I'd "do it right" last year and completely disassembled the driver's side door last year, pulling both rails out to clean and degrease them and both nylon tongues that run inside them. While this is an excellent way to remove all the gunk and hardened grease that was there, they are a MOTHER to put back together correctly! It's like "insert tab b into slot a before tightening nut d but after loosening bolt c..." They are not easy to get aligned the same way before you took them out, and it's a tight fit to cram everything back in there. On the plus side, they do go up faster and more smoothly!
When it came time to do the passenger door, I simply didn't have the guts and the patience for it. I just wet a terry cloth towel down with degreaser, cleaned the rails still mounted in the door, followed with another clean dry rag to get the degreaser out, and generously slathered white lith inside the rails as best I could. Results were still good, although I know in the back of my mind there's still gunk in there. Such is life. Short story: it can be done but requires time and patience and some trial and error to get them right again.
While I was in there on both sides(I own a '91) I also actually removed both door lock alarm actuators (small white boxes behind each door lock that contain a small lever with electrical contacts). With time and moisture these will begin to fail because for some reason they weren't hermetically sealed. I think they were in the neighborhood of $90/ea. I was able to gently pry off the top after removal, and using some fine sandpaper, a little tweaking, contact cleaner and silicone sealant, I got them back together and the alarm no longer goes off when I open the door with the key, and I saved $180.
Don Davis
Heidelberg Germany
'91 Black on Black
I have to agree; I decided I'd "do it right" last year and completely disassembled the driver's side door last year, pulling both rails out to clean and degrease them and both nylon tongues that run inside them. While this is an excellent way to remove all the gunk and hardened grease that was there, they are a MOTHER to put back together correctly! It's like "insert tab b into slot a before tightening nut d but after loosening bolt c..." They are not easy to get aligned the same way before you took them out, and it's a tight fit to cram everything back in there. On the plus side, they do go up faster and more smoothly!
When it came time to do the passenger door, I simply didn't have the guts and the patience for it. I just wet a terry cloth towel down with degreaser, cleaned the rails still mounted in the door, followed with another clean dry rag to get the degreaser out, and generously slathered white lith inside the rails as best I could. Results were still good, although I know in the back of my mind there's still gunk in there. Such is life. Short story: it can be done but requires time and patience and some trial and error to get them right again.While I was in there on both sides(I own a '91) I also actually removed both door lock alarm actuators (small white boxes behind each door lock that contain a small lever with electrical contacts). With time and moisture these will begin to fail because for some reason they weren't hermetically sealed. I think they were in the neighborhood of $90/ea. I was able to gently pry off the top after removal, and using some fine sandpaper, a little tweaking, contact cleaner and silicone sealant, I got them back together and the alarm no longer goes off when I open the door with the key, and I saved $180.
Don Davis
Heidelberg Germany
'91 Black on Black
