Electric window goes >CLUNK< in the night

[RM3]

Heya, Can anyone offer advice for the following about a. finding a garage in Cardiff and/or b. ball parking the costs?

 

The front passenger electric window is stuck fully open. Something's snapped I think. When I press the switch down (to open the window), there's an electrical motor whirring, and I can hear a "whip whip whip" sound like a cord being wound up. When I pull the switch up (to close the window), again with the motor whirring and the whip whip whip. Eventually, both ways, the whip noise stops but the electric hum continues.

 

It began yesterday evening with the window halfway open, and when I moved the switch to close it, there was an all mighty >THUNK!< (I jumped a mile) Window wouldn't go up. I pressed the switch down, and the window went all the way down. And now won't go back up again.

 

My usual garage that does the annual service says they can't do electric windows (or rather, their chief technician is on holiday at the mo, back in a few weeks). The Skoda dealer in Cardiff wants a lot of money just for me to pull the car into their lot, nevermind repair anything.

 

This isn't something I think I could deal with myself, not least because the door is riveted together, once you get the inside panel off.

 

Can anyone here recommend a suitable garage in Cardiff? Any ideas how the costs might run? (£5? £5000?) At what point do I bite the bullet and take her to the dealer? Or ... y'know ... any of you good with rivets ha ha?

 

Thanks!

RM3

Edited 3 May, 2016 by RM3

[skaarlaw]

The inner door card is pretty easy to remove if you're able to drill out and re-rivet. You may have problems getting the window free of the carrier though as you have to have the window about 3/4 the way closed to get at the 10mm bolts holding the window to the inner door skin

 

Sounds like your cable or the connection between the cable & motor is buggered

 

 

A new window regulator off ebay would sort you out and they're consistently priced at £35. There's guides for removing the door card which is pretty simple, the only "special" equipment you will need is a rivet gun and rivets which is a tenner or so

 

 

 

The biggest pocket smack at a garage would be labour costs as nobody likes doing door card work as it'll take you a fair few hours!

Edited 3 May, 2016 by skaarlaw

[Updown789]

If its an early model the regulators are bolted in, not riveted

[stuart vrs]

Mine snapped last year think it cost me just over £100 parts and labour. Got it done by a garage in neath, Think you might have to get that window up due to our Welsh weather and wedge the window with either a sucker thing or a wooden wedge under the glass. Hope you get it sorted soon.

[mikey6]

Just done mine, took about 2.5 hours and cost about £70, including a new lazy tong riveter from Ebay. I used a complete carrier from ECP  and big Skoda rivets for carrier and door speaker. I figure I can use the riveter again, when the drivers door one goes:)

 

If your thinking of DIY

 

I would recommend buying some new drills for the rivets (and punching out the centres first).

 

I removed the door glass completely (make sure it's between the rubber clips when you put it back in, rather than just resting on the bracket!) the worst part was the electrical connector at the door lock, it just wouldn't come undone, had to snap the retainer in the end

 

 

[TMB]

I removed the door glass completely (make sure it's between the rubber clips when you put it back in, rather than just resting on the bracket!)

 

It's easier to just remove the two bolts holding the glass to the regulator and tape the glass in the up position to hold it.

Edited 5 May, 2016 by TMB

[RM3]

Hey all

 

Thanks for your replies and suggestions -- much appreciated. I ended up at a garage rather than attempting DIY bc reasons (weather, tech skillz, mostly needed this done quickly). They were ace, sorted it straight out, no hassles. Yep, regulator. Not the cheapest repair, no, but I had excellent and nearly immediate service.

 

Ha ha -- the speakers weren't connected when I got her back, so I poked my head back in reception and said how did they expect me to maintain my street cred if I couldn't blast The White Album as I went about town?! They laughed. Fixed in under a minute.

 

(fwiw she's a 2005)

 

RM3