Window regulator clips

Has anyone replaced them themselves?? I don't relish the idea of turning my car over to the stealer for this 'upgrade'. I fear they'll break something else in the process to make a buck...

(Crossed fingers - my windows are fine so far. I think they may be programmed to break exactly 7 yrs. and one day after my purchase date... )

Actually, this seems to be one of the things the dealers have gotten really good at repairing... since they've had so much effing practice.

However, if you really want to do it yourself. Lito did a nice writeup with pics in the upgrades forum. You'll have to do a search for it.

-Mel

Thanks!

I guess my next question is do we have to wait for a failure before these clips will be replaced? Do we have to go to the stealer on an 'unrelated matter' such as oil change (shudder!) and say, "Oh by the way, can you replace the clips?"

(Can you tell I have no faith in my local stealers?? )

You can give it a try... I've heard of owners going in with a window problem in one door and the dealer changing out both doors for free. Don't think this applies to rear doors for those A4s that have them. But, I also don't think I've heard of failures in the rear doors.

-Mel

Good luck on having it done! A co-worker's driver side window on her New Beetle fell down right before a bad storm. She took it in and asked to have the passenger side repaired. The dealer wouldn't do it. She'll have to wait until it breaks on her.

The reason the rear windows don't break as often is that their not used as much as the driver's or front passenger's windows.

It depends on the dealer. My passenger's window fell down a couple weeks ago. Brought it into the dealer, and they did both doors as a precaution for the future.

If it ever happens and you can't get to the dealer right away, pull the window up with visegrips (carefully, with duct tape or a rubber glove in the jaws), force it up all the way between your palms, and tape it up with the duct tape down each side of the window and over the door frame. I put some paper under the tape across the frame so it wouldn't get on the paint or peel any paint off the metal(obsessive yes). Could have driven like that for months, nice and tight and no rattles or air leaks.

Whether a dealer will replace the regulators before failure is entirely dependent upon the dealer's attitude toward customer service. Chapman VW in Scottsdale, AZ never hesitated for a second when I asked about repairing the regulators in my 02 NB before they failed. They had me in their service bay within 2 hours after I called and had me back on the street within another hour. The service write-up sent to VW said "customer says windows are making noise going up and down." Of course they weren't!!

I had mine done for free at the dealer. I would say let them do it. Undoubtedly, they have done it a hundred times.

If anyone one is doing work themselves, I have two sets of regular kits (clips and the wire spool - which normally does not need replacing) for Passenger window (Golf or Jetta - maybe fits Beetle?) Real cheap cause I don't need em.

I have thought about this as well and I would like to know how can I screw up the window so I can get the clips taken care of while it is convenient for me!! Not them. I don't need the agrivation of depending on bad timing to get this work done--it is a matter of when not If so why not put the burden on VW to get this out of the way?

Doing the window regulator is a pretty straight forward job. As with any interior work, look at the shop manual. You will need patience and attention to detail to get it done without any problems. I changed thousands of Audi 5000 window regulators and if I had to do a comparison, the Audi is a little easier. One nice thing about the VW, is that you can take out the whole inner panel and work on it out on a bench. Just thank the gods of Sub-Assembly for that one.

Both mine were replaced for free, after catostrophic failure of the passenger side regulator. And this was WELL after my 2 years was up. Thank God the window didn't break as it fell. My windows are tinted (Duh..I'm in Texas) and was told that the spray used may have gummed up the moving parts, and seeing as how my passenger side is never used, it may have sufficiently gummed up by the time i had tried using it. It sounded like a hand greande went off inside my door.

I had mine fail on drivers side I was on a little trip not even my dealer. They replaced both for free no problem.
V.W. knows they have a problem with the clips and will replace for free. If your dealer won t Do it go to another.
Or call VW and complain.

My passenger side broke twice, the second time the dealer was also supposed to replace the driver's side. Yesterday 130 miles fom home, the driver's side broke. Either the dealer didn't do the work they told me they did ... or the new clips are worthless too. Oh, and it rained for the last 115 miles of my drive home and my leather interior is now soaking wet. Guess who's not happy with VW right about now?