I didn’t take comprehensive step by step photos but having went through this today, I figured I might memorialize some notes in case helpful to someone down the line. I had to do the front passenger window but my guess is it would be similar for other windows.

If you hear a loud “snap” when trying to roll down your window, it’s possible your regulator went. In my case it was the plastic molding on the base of the window that broke. This is the molding that attaches the window to the regulator. I think it is possible to repair the plastic base particularly if you plan to keep the window up at all times. However if you plan to use the window at all, you need a new window. In my case the “new” window was from a junkyard for about $150 shipped. If you source a replacement window make sure all three points at which plastic attaches to bottom of glass are intact, two of which are above bolt holes for the regulator. Left side is broken one.




The process isn’t ultimately bad at all, but it’s fiddly, and it’s very easy to damage your replacement window or your door if you don’t follow a method. Here’s my best recollection of what actually wound up working:

1. Remove door card (should be numerous videos / posts on this step already). You do not need to remove lower speaker or body computer.

2. Remove the plastic molding that is on the interior upper part of the door (pulls out) and the cover over the tweeter speaker which is attached to it.

3. Peel back the plastic vapor barrier on the door but in a way that it can be re used.

4. Lower the window regulator down so that both bolts are accessible through the large hole that the vapor barrier covered. Should be two 10mm. Once window is freed from regulator, lower the glass to the bottom of door and rest it there.

5. Remove torx bolts (I think T30) that hold the glass guides in on each side. There are 4 on longer side and 3 on shorter side. This photo I took at greatest point of disassembly. You can see the glass guides loosened on each side:




6. Pull out the glass guides up and out of the door.

7. Remove the glass.

Note - for Steps 6/7, I think what I actually did, never having done a window replacement before, was I dropped the guides a little and pulled out glass first and then guides. However, based on what worked for re-assembly, I’m thinking maybe guides come out first, then glass. Welcome any comments.

At this point you are more or less reversing the process. Take the opportunity to clean out old grease where encountered and re grease (in the guide channels where the little wheels / rollers run) and in the regulator piece that attaches to glass. Clean the channels in the door where the glass slides with microfiber and water or gentle APC. Don’t grease I think it will just attract dust and grime!

Most importantly, when re-assembling, glass goes in the door first and can rest at bottom. Then guides. If you try guides first then glass at least in my experience you will be in for one hell of a battle and you may break something. Be careful with any junkyard glass as the plastic molding is just as old and brittle as what came off your broken one.

For me the exact order wound up being I rested new glass on bottom of door, then fed down longer guide - note you need to feed it over the two litttle “wheels” that stick out on each side of glass. Then I raised glass up slightly and attached to regulator, then loosely bolted in longer guide, then I fed in shorter guide, again taking care to make sure the little wheels sticking out from the glass went into the track. Once you have everything bolted in, there wasn’t much else to do, other than feel like an —-hole for trying for at least half an hour to put the guides in first then the glass. New glass in first then guides go back in.

Final lesson I think - exercise the windows on this car periodically and gently to keep from sticking. Clean channels where glass runs out with microfiber and water or gentle APC. Good luck!

 

Great write up. This reminds me of when I changed my rear glass a few years ago. A PDR tech gouged my original window because he didn't use the glass guard before prying against the panel

I'm glad you got a nice replacement window. I just pulled another original glass for mine (gray tint is much less common than bronze), and I'm planning on doing the job again. My current window has an ugly 1 inch horizontal scratch right in the middle, thanks to a screwdriver from the yard I bought it from.

If you can save your original glass somewhere, that guide should be able to be recreated with 3d printing, then re-adhered to the glass. I would not mind doing that with some measurements

I wonder if the guide broke due to resistance on the window track

 

Sounds good thanks and yes, good call I’m going to save the glass. That really sucks to have to do it because of the PDR guy. In my case, the top of the window had become adhered (I think due to heat) to the area where it slides into when the window was fully up, and so strongly that when I tried to force it down it just snapped the old plastic guide / molding at the base. So my regulator won and my window lost that tug of war, I guess.