306 electric window now sticking after locator clip replaced

I have just replaced the locator clip (retainer clip?) on the electric
window on the offside front door. I have a 306 GLX, '97 R Reg (new
style 306).

The window used to work fine, then suddenly stopped (motor goes but no
movement). I replaced the rubber clip that connects the sheet of glass
to the regulator (round, black rubber, 2 pronged metal pin) and now
the window moves, but very slowly and the motor really sounds like
it's struggling.

I noticed that with the window 1/4 up, the glass is locked in a very
tight position, i.e. it entirely resists lateral movement, compared to
the driver side where there is a small amount of movement possible.

I wondered if perhaps it is that previously the sheet of glass was not
held as tightly (the locator clip had perished), so was free to move
laterally slightly as it went up and down, which allowed it to follow
the path of the regulator easily, whereas now it is held very tightly
against the regulator, so if the path of the regulator is anything but
perfect it will struggle.

Question is, what to do about it ?

I'm thinking about loosening it all by allowing the regulator pin to
sit in the locator clip, but not actually clipping it in place with
the metal pin, but then it might fall out again soon. Or are the
multiple positions where one can attach the clip?

Or am I on entirely the wrong track, and need to do something else?

Thanks

tom saffell

 

Don't think about running your window without that clip. It will fall
off the regulator, and probably end up in a thousand pieces at the
bottom of the door!!
There is a plastic clip on the side of the glass running up and down
inside the rear seal. Is this attached still? Also make sure the glass
is located correctly in the front runner, at the bottom in the door.
With the door panel off you should be able to see the runner just
behind where the speakersits. Make sure the glass is running up and
down the plastic runner correctly.
With the door panel off, remove both the waist wiper seals. Does the
glass run up and down when disconnected from the regulator. You
should be able to guide it up and down fully by hand. If it does and
is tight when connected back up, then the regulator is faulty. If it
doesn't then there is something wrong with the runners.

 

Thanks for that Nigel,

I stripped it down again today and did some more diagnosis. Please
forgive my lack of technical words, I'm not familiar with all of them,
so I'll describe as seen.

As I stripped it down I noted that the glass was securely located in
the front runner. I didn't see rear seal that you refer to, or the
plastic clip, but forgot to look

I stripped down the system entirely, and as I rebuilt tested how
easily the glass moved either manually or on the motor.

With the door panel off, the seals (two rubber seals running along
bottom of window frame, either side of glass, presume these are the
waist wiper seals) removed, the glass disconnected from the regulator,
and the glass moved so that it was not located in the front runner, I
noted that the glass moved (manually) up and down easily over the full
range (top to bottom)

With the glass now located in the front runner I noted that the glass
moved (manually) easily at the top of the range (from 1/2 way to the
top), but at the bottom of the range was more difficult to move, and
easily held its own weight in place (unlike at top).

With the glass now reattached to the regulator I noted that the window
moved quickly over the top half of the range, but slow (though not
painfully slow) over the bottom of the range (same as in manual test).

With the seals now back in place I noted that the above effect was
even more pronounced, ie at the top of the range the movement was
fine, but at the bottom it was struggling to squeeze through the
seals. I compared the seals at this point to the ones on the driver's
side and noted that the driver's seals where quite a lot looser. My
finger could easily get between them, whereas on the window under
repair its quite a squeeze.

With the door panel put back on I noted that the above effect was now
even more pronounced. It appeared that the interface between the panel
and the seal had now forced the two seals to be even more tightly
squeezed together. The window now moves easily at the top of the
range, but really struggles when coming up all the way from the
bottom.

Not sure if any of these symptoms help anybody form a diagnosis, if so
please let me know. There were a few specific questions that came to
mind:
Is it possible that the seal(s) are misfitted? (there didn't seem a
way to misfit them to me)

Do the seals wear away or expand over time? (the surface touching the
glass was quite rough)

Is there a 'wrong seal' that could have been misfitted by previous
owner (from another model?)

Is there anything that I can put on the seals (or other parts) to make
it run more easily ?

Or is all this quite normal ?

Thanks in advance
tom saffell

 

It would be obvious if the clip was missing, as the glass would tend
to fall forward away from the rear runner.

Try adjusting the front plastic runner by loosening the securing nuts
and lowering the glass to the bottom, then tighten the nuts.

I wonder if you need to widen the gap a touch somehow? Compare the gap
in the two doors without the seals fitted.

Not really. It would be obvious if they were.

You could try WD40 on the runner seals (the vertical ones). A good
dose of it sprayed with the straw attached from the top till it runs
out the bottom. Don't bother doing the top seal.
And, do NOT lubricate the waist seals as it will just smear the glass!

No! You say all this started when you fitted a new clip? Are you sure
you fitted it correctly? The way I do it is to take the glass right
out (you can then check the rear guide on the glass), fit the rubber
part to the glass (from the outside in, I hope that makes sense!) then
fit the metal clip. Refit the glass into the channels and make sure
the rear guide is in the runner properly, and then pull the glass onto
the regulator. Ensure the front of the glass is still in the plastic
runner correctly. Then try.
Good luck!!!

 

Nigel,

Thanks for those suggestions. I'll have a look and give them a go. One
thing I can answer now - the fitting of the clip:

I fitted the clip with the glass in situ, about 3/4 of the way down,
by reaching into the door panel. I took the metal clip off the rubber,
and then inserted the rubber from the outside side of the glass (by
reaching under). Once I got the inside lip all the way through the
rubber felt properly located - I could spin it with a little effort.
THEN I pulled the glass onto the regulator quite firmly, THEN I put
the metal clip back into the rubber, and the glass was then very
firmly held on the regulator, unable to move away from it at all.

This is obviously different from the emthod you suggested, notably in
that i fitted the metal clip once the glass was on the regulator. When
you do the method you suggested, does the glass 'click' onto the
regulator (as the bluge in the regulator slides through the metal
clip)? If so, then I guess the fit is exactly the same, if not then I
may have misfitted it.

Thanks again,

tom saffell

 

You have done it correctly. It's just with my big hands (!) I find it
easier to take the window out to fit the clip. It does 'click' as it
locates in. You have to pull quite hard to get it to locate.