New regulator, but window won't drop far enough

[Highlander]

I just installed a brand new regulator in the passenger side of my '07 S.  When I open the door normally, the window drops but still catches the roof as the door pulls out.  I can pull the handle to drop the window, then pull to open the door and it clears the door fine.

Closing the door is also fine.

I adjusted the window after the install as per the instructions on Wayne D's 101 Projects For Your Boxster.

 

When I compare the drivers side (which works perfectly) to the passenger side, the passenger side drop is only about 1/2 of the drivers side drop.

 

Is there any adjustment for this?  What could I have messed up/missed while installing the regulator?

 

TIA

[wizard]

Have you tried 'window to the top - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' .... 'window to the bottom - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' ?

Other than that, on the 986 there are adjustment bolts accessible from the bottom of the driver's door.

Edited October 5, 2015 by wizard

[Highlander]

Have you tried 'window to the top - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' .... 'window to the bottom - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' ?

Other than that, on the 986 there are adjustment bolts accessible from the bottom of the driver's door.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already did the "learn" procedure.  The auto-up/auto-down works fine too.

 

The adjustments on the bottom of the door only change the angle of the glass relative to the frame.  Got that nicely adjusted so the window moves smoothly up and down at a consistent speed.

[wizard]

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

I have had the same problem for several years now. However, it's on the passenger door which still has the original regulator.

I've got used to manually dropping the window a little, but it's a pain.

Microswitch, I wonder ?

If you find the fix, hope you'll enlighten me.

[1schoir]

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

I have had the same problem for several years now. However, it's on the passenger door which still has the original regulator.

I've got used to manually dropping the window a little, but it's a pain.

Microswitch, I wonder ?

If you find the fix, hope you'll enlighten me.

If the window is not dropping enough AND it's the original regulator, it may be possible to repair the regulator by taking up some of the slack with a bicycle brake adjuster.  One of the posters on 986forum.com came up with this ingenious solution and it works perfectly as a permanent repair.  I used his repair method and it's been good for over three years.

 

Regards, Maurice.

[1schoir]

 

Have you tried 'window to the top - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' .... 'window to the bottom - hold switch for additional 10 seconds' ?

Other than that, on the 986 there are adjustment bolts accessible from the bottom of the driver's door.

...

The adjustments on the bottom of the door only change the angle of the glass relative to the frame. ...

 

There are additional adjustments on the windows that allow you to position the window not only up and down, but also inward and outward (besides the "angle of  the glass relative to the frame".  Some of these adjustments require that the door panel be removed for access.

 

Regards, Maurice.

 

[wizard]

Many thanks, Maurice.

[1schoir]

wiz:

 

I couldn't find the link to the thread on 986forum, so I wrote this up a couple of years ago on this site and I just found that thread.

 

Here is a link to that discussion, with photos:

 

http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/45244-window-drop-passenger-side/?hl=%2Bwindow+%2Bregulator

 

Good luck.  Let us know how you make out.

 

Regards, Maurice.

[Highlander]

Thanks Maurice.  I have the door panel off the car right now, so adjustments are easy.

 

As far as I can see, there are only 3 points of adjustment.  The 2 bolts in the bottom of the door that move the bottom of the glass in/out.  There is only 1 other adjustment I know of and that's the upper screw closest to the lock.  That has a slot that allows the lock end of the glass to move up/down.  The other screw at the top that hold the glass appears to be fixed in position on the regulator with a tab.

 

Are there more adjustments that I'm missing?

 

I wonder if I simply have a bad regulator.  I'll check the slack as per your previous thread when I get home tonight.

[1schoir]

There are the two adjustments that can be made by screwing the torx bolts clockwise or counterclockwise.  That will have the window ending up lower or higher in its final position.

 

However, I think your problem is probably with the regulator itself, even though it's new.

 

One thing you can do to narrow down the problem is to measure the actual length of the drop when you pull on the cable.  You can get that spec from the Bentley manual or just compare it with your window on the other side.  If the length of the drop is the same, you can adjust the height by using the torx screws.  If the length of the drop is not quite enough, it's the slack in the cable.

 

It's easy to determine whether your cable has too much slack to start with.  Since you have the door panel off, you can observe what happens to the cable (and the window) when you pull on the handle.  If you see the cable "tightening up" a split second before the window starts to move down that required 1/2 inch, that's your problem.  There should be no slack in the cable, meaning that when you pull on the door handle, it should instantly move the window down, without first having to take up the slack.

 

If that is what you observe, you can definitely fix it with the bicycle brake adjuster fix.

 

Regards, Maurice.

[Highlander]

Thanks (again) Maurice.  

 

I can definitely see the drop is only about 1/2 of the working drivers side.

 

I'll find a bike shop and pop in a bicycle brake adjuster. 

 

That's what I get for cheaping out on the regulator.   My gut told me to go OEM, but my wallet won out.

 

There was a note in the box with the regulator that said if you don't replace all the runners and guides along with the regulator, then even 1 activation may damage the regulator and "impact your warranty claim".    In other words, they know they are selling junk!

 

Lesson learned :cursing:  :censored: