Hello, happy Thanksgiving. On Thursday, a car prowler broke my driver side window and stole about $3 in quarters from my console. Unfortunately, now I'm left with a big mess. I've called around to a few places to get replacement quotes and they range from $500 to $1200. The OEM part itself is only $289 with each shop quoting different labor costs. The dealership was the most expensive, quoting over $900 for labor for what's less than one hour of work. My insurance goes through Safelite but it's under my deductible anyway and Safelite can't get to me until 12/14.

I've replaced lots of phone batteries, laptop components, and screens so I'm pretty good at dis/re-assembly and I had no troubles removing interior trim to install my dash cam. I've been thinking about doing the replacement myself but I wanted to check here first to see if anyone thought this is an incredibly bad idea. I read this window replacement guide and it honestly doesn't seem that bad, though I can't find anything specifically for the NX but I imagine it's pretty similar. My take it it's a pretty simple repair and the hardest part is the removal of the interior door panel. I have a friend who does a lot of DIY auto work (though never a window replacement) whose offered to lend me a hand. I think my main concern is if I order the part and am unable to install it, local repair shops may refuse to install a part I provide for them. It's true that DIY gives me some cost savings, but it'll mean I don't have to drive my windowless car to a shop and I can do it right away plus I think it'd be fun. Anyway, please let me know what you think!

 

Read the linked procedure to decide if it is something you want to attempt:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c781md2x68...moval.pdf?dl=1

If yes, I can provide some additional tips regarding removal of the door trim panel. It is actually the easiest part of the job (I can do it in 5 minutes).
I think the hardest part will be cleaning up any residual broken glass pieces and fitting the new window into position without breaking it. A helper might prove to be more than useful.

 

Thank you for the model specific instructions, super helpful. Pretty much what I saw for the RX though with the additional removal of the interior weather strip and glass run. For the cleanup, I've got a shopvac that I can weasel around in the bottom of the door and it doesn't sound like there's a ton in there. If there's a serious risk I'll **** it up, I'll pay someone to do it but from what I can tell that would seem improbable. I've got someone who can help so he should be able to hold the new glass while I bolt it in place.

 

It's a good idea to invest in one of those glass suction cup they are pretty cheap, should make your job a lot easier. I saw profession use them in youtube videos.

 

@n0v8or is there a reassembly guide? Specifically, it says "some systems need to be initialized after the [battery] cable is reconnected" but the PDF doesn't mention what they are.

 

I recommend to ignore that step and just remove the fuse labeled "Door F/L" (20 amps). That plus removal of the switch assembly in the armrest eliminates any possibility of the window motor operating while you are working.

 

This is in the fuse box under the driver dash, correct? I talked to someone who was concerned about the SRS and I see that mentioned in the PDF. Will the removal of this fuse address this? I could be wrong but I didn’t think any airbags were inside the door itself.

 

Refer to attached under-dash fuse panel drawing for location of the "Door F/L" fuse, identified with a red ellipse, between "Door F/R" and "Door R/L". If concerned about removing the wrong fuse, just remove all 3 to be safe. You may have to re-initialize the auto-up power windows after re-connecting the fuse. Just close each window and continue to hold the switch in the "up" position for several seconds after the window is fully closed.

Regarding the SRS, there is a crash sensor mounted to the door. Refer to the attached photo from my NX. This is the passenger side door, but the driver side is virtually identical (a "mirror image"). If the crash sensor obstructs removal of the glass, un-bolt it but leave it connected to the harness to prevent the possibility of an SRS fault detection. There are not any airbags within the door.
Even if this sensor were struck with a hammer, no airbag should deploy without an impact confirmation from the "safing sensor" located under the center console.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rb5955peh8...embly.pdf?dl=1

 

Great, super helpful thank you for all your help. I did the disassembly with no issues and removed the remains of the old window. I've ordered the glass and I'll have a friend help install it. Someone I spoke to recommended using a glass suction cup for positioning the new window but that seems like overkill. I almost trust good ol' fashioned fingers over a cheap suction cup from Amazon.

 

After fitting the new glass, it is a good practice to test the window before re-installing the trim board/panel. Just re-install the fuse and temporarily snap the master window switch into its connector. Sometimes minor alignment of the regulator mounting points are required for smooth operation. The regulator mounting holes are often oversize or slotted for this purpose.

 

I just had my door panel off on all 4 doors to install some aftermarket lights. It is pretty straight forward and I do not think you'll run into any issues minus possibly broken clips (these clips suck anyways). Would be a good idea to have a few spares.

I've also replaced windows and window regulators on different cars, the NX to me looks and should be easy but you want to pull the battery after install and initialize all the windows and sunroof as a precaution.

 

Thanks guys! I couldn't have done it without you.