The Window Regs curse of the Mk3

**Golfer** · 09-11-2006, 09:42 PM

Hey guys, it was pi$$ing rain today, and the air con needs regassing, so i was using my drivers window to defog the car, when the whole thing went CLUNK, and dropped down, leaving me soaking wet.

I stopped and tried to push the window up with no luck, but i could hear the motor whirring away quite happily, but nothing was really happening.

Finally with a bit of fiddling and manual manipulation, the window went up (very weakly) and locked into top position. Now terrified to touch the power window button again. Wanted to check (better to be certain) that this is similar to the horror stories of MK3 windows here, and that i'm gonna have to replace the window regulator...

HELP!!!!

(BTW if anyone has spare aftermarket regulator lying around from this guy in the states, i have never used ebay b4, and don't have a credit card, so makes it kinda hard to just grab one off this dude...)

**gtimk5** · 10-11-2006, 06:21 AM

Sounds typical of the regulator cables!! I have aftermarket ones here. PM me if you are interested. Cheers, Andrew

**Golfer** · 10-11-2006, 10:23 AM

Thanks andrew, i've sent a PM

**Bora Sport** · 10-11-2006, 07:51 PM

I have had this problem with my 97 VR6 and also my wife's 95 Vento. It always seems to be the drivers side rear that goes first. It happened on both the above cars. Then the passenger side rears went. In every case except the Vento drivers side front window (different problem) I repaired the mechanism with a zip tie.

What happened with mine was the plastic lugs that hold the cable joiner in place broke off and that meant when you wound the window down it wouldn't wind back up because the cable just pulls through. It will wind the window down though because (apart from gravity) the joiner gets caught going back in the opposite direction.

What I do is replace the cable joiner in the correct position and then put a small zip tie around it and secured around the back and that holds it in place and presto it works again. I have had to repair one a second time because as someone mentioned earlier in this post the metal forks were bent out. I just bent them back into place with pliers and re zip tied it.

I suppose some of you are thinking it sounds a bit of a back yard fix but I can't claim credit for it. My mate who is a qualified mechanic worked out the fix for me the first time and since then I have fixed 4 windows using this method and they are all still working fine some years later. All it takes if the effort to pull the mechanism out and put it back and one zip tie.

**DubSteve** · 11-11-2006, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Bora Sport

I have had this problem with my 97 VR6 and also my wife's 95 Vento. It always seems to be the drivers side rear that goes first. It happened on both the above cars. Then the passenger side rears went. In every case except the Vento drivers side front window (different problem) I repaired the mechanism with a zip tie.

What happened with mine was the plastic lugs that hold the cable joiner in place broke off and that meant when you wound the window down it wouldn't wind back up because the cable just pulls through. It will wind the window down though because (apart from gravity) the joiner gets caught going back in the opposite direction.

What I do is replace the cable joiner in the correct position and then put a small zip tie around it and secured around the back and that holds it in place and presto it works again. I have had to repair one a second time because as someone mentioned earlier in this post the metal forks were bent out. I just bent them back into place with pliers and re zip tied it.

I suppose some of you are thinking it sounds a bit of a back yard fix but I can't claim credit for it. My mate who is a qualified mechanic worked out the fix for me the first time and since then I have fixed 4 windows using this method and they are all still working fine some years later. All it takes if the effort to pull the mechanism out and put it back and one zip tie.

Hmm thats very interesting. But I guess that would only be working if thats the problem, or is that the first thing that usually goes???

**Golf Loon** · 11-11-2006, 12:28 PM

I repaired one with a zip tie and it still works. you need to take the trim off to see what the prob is.

**william** · 11-11-2006, 12:39 PM

you guys would be happy to know that the mk5s have a differrent system after yrs of having the same plastic clips and then selling repair kits for mk4 they have changed to metal but now have a problem with door skins that they didnt loctite from factory gotta love vw

**DubSteve** · 11-11-2006, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by william

you guys would be happy to know that the mk5s have a differrent system after yrs of having the same plastic clips and then selling repair kits for mk4 they have changed to metal but now have a problem with door skins that they didnt loctite from factory gotta love vw

Far out you think that they would have learned by now the problems and then fixed them. Geeze Louise n:

dj_daniel88 · 21-11-2006, 01:03 PM

I was reading this thread a few days a go, hoping that I don't run into any of these problems... Sure enough, just yesterday the driver side power window fails. I'm not sure if it is the regulator though, because when I try to wind the window down I hear it click twice, as if the motor is trying to turn, but then thats it, nothing happens. This leads me to think it may be the motor itself? I hope not, because I'd hate to imagine how much VW would charge for a new one! :S

What do you guys think?