Hi guys, I opened my fabia driver window today (electric) half way and it wouldn't go back up.

I drove home and with help from a friend, i have managed to drag it all the way closed.

The window mechanism makes a whirring, crunching noise as though it's attempting to open and close the window but cannot clamp onto the window.

Everything else electric works fine in that door... I can lock and open the car from the drivers door and open/close the passenger window.

Upon scouring the forums, i found this thread:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/157721-fabia-window-mechanism-failed/

do my symptoms sound like this is the issue? if so, i would be interested in attempting the repair myself.

i assume i need to take the door lining etc off. when i look in the haynes manual for this, it says i need to disconnect the battery. i have never done this before and haynes warns of the car's ECU losing its "learnt settings". is this an issue when reconnecting the battery and starting it?

My fabia is a Y reg 1.4 16v comfort if that helps with electric front windows.

thanks in advance for your help.

ok so i am still trying to sort out this issue. found this thread:

http://www.briskoda....ndow-electrics/

and this post explaining how to remove the door card:

Bit of a last resort this - check things like Bryan's suggested first, but to remove front door cards (IIRC from when I did it!):

1. Use a trim removal tool / small screwdriver to remove the top sections of the handle / arm-rest.

2. Remove the large screws holding the door card to the door.

3. Gently prise off the cover from the tweeter at the bottom of the A pillar, and remove the Torx screw behind it.

4. Undo the three Torx screws along the bottom of the door card.

5. Working your way round, unclip the door card from the door.

6. Lift off the door card, disconnecting the tweeter, window switches etc. etc.

7. As it's a 2000 Fabia, the metal panel that seals the door should be screwed in - remove it to access the motor.

8. Take care when re-fitting the metal panel, as the quality of the seal round it is important to stop the door leaking when it rains. Otherwise, re-assembly is the opposite of disassembly.

PS: It never hurts to get a few replacement clips for holding the door cards in place, as they break quite easily! Only a few pence from the dealer, however!!!

HTH

so my question still stands about the battery. do i have to disconnect the battery to perform this repair? and seeing as my car is Y reg, i believe something will be riveted (not sure what) so does this mean i won't be able to perform the repair anyway?

Thanks

Edited 26 March, 201214 yr by ollie j123

You can disconnect the battery, as it's good practice when doing anything electrical on the car. The only thing you'll need to reset when you connect it back up will be your set radio stations, don't worry about the ECU.

If yours is a Y reg, the door carrier will be bolted on, so can be done DIY no problem. It's just a case of unbolting everything.

Once you've got it all stripped down, it should be obvious what's gone wrong.

You can get repair kits off eBay much cheaper than a new regulator.

http://www.ebay.co.u...a#ht_2061wt_952

Thanks for your reply Sam.

If you happen to have done this yourself, would you happen to know what screw drivers/tools I require to perform this start to finish? I only have torx screwdrivers up to T25.

Anyway, I'll attempt this repair from start to finish one day next week once I have all the necessary parts and tools. I'll take any photos along the way that may be useful for future use.

So please correct me if I'm wrong...

step 1: disconnet battery.

step 2: remove driver door card

step 3: completely remove door carrier and broken part

step 4: install new part

step 5: reattach door carrier

step 6: replace door card

step 7: reconnect battery

Thanks.

Yes that's correct

The bolts holding the carrier on are 10mm

Can't remember the torx size of the screws holding the door card on, but they are the smaller ones that are usually part of the cheap multi-sets.

Having a trim removal set usually helps get the door card off without scratching the paintwork.

Also remember you'll usually need some sealant to seal the carrier back on to the door to stop it leaking. The non-setting gutter sealant type works best.

Excellent. I'll head down to B and Q later. Just amassing the parts and then i'll give it all a crack. I'll let you know how I get on! Thanks again for your help.

OK so i attempted it just now... 3.5 hours later and im at the final part of removing the door carrier.

I have tried removing the wire connector to the door lock for the past HOUR without success. i am going to get up at 7am tomorrow and have enither go.

can anyone tell me what they did? i managed to snap off a small part of the black casing to reveal the blue underneath.

if i cannot do it for another 30 mins tomorrow, i intend on cutting the black casing off. will this work?

in the process of struggling with this final part, i have managed to snap off two parts. i will photo them and post them in a bit. one part is the large plastic part (black) that had 3 plastic pins molded into it connecting it to the door carrier. this looks like if it is essential, i can glue it on.

the other is metal and i feel this is an integral part. it's the bendy piece of metal with the plastic cap on the end that pops up and down to indicate when the door is locked and unlocked.

anyone know if this second part is essential?

thanks.

photos are here:

http://s1232.photobucket.com/albums/ff380/ollie_cb/fabia/

tiny update.... managed to cut the wiring casing out this morning and remove the door carrier. have replaced the broken part so am ready to reassemble.

before i do, can anyone confirm whether i do or do not require that piece of bendy metal?

if i do, can i glue it or tape it back on or will i have to purchase this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160742790839?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1054

thanks.

The lock rod do you mean? No you don't need it as such, but won't be able to lock the door manually from inside that's all.

thank god! thanks for that. I'll see if i can try to reattach it somehow but i doubt it. this is no doubt the most fiddly thing i've ever done. makes changing the coolant temp sensor on a 1.4 16v look simple

The front passenger window on my wife's Fabia will not shut. It has now dropped to leave the window completely open. When you use the switches it actually starts pulling it further down - so I guess that part of the mechanism is twisted.

Having read this thread it sounds like a fairly time consuming job to replace the faulty part and it may be beyond my skills to carry it out properly. Are there other options, if I can get the door trim off, such as:

Untwisting the mechanism

Getting the window up and jamming it in position?

Thanks

To do anything you have to take the plate off that has the window mechanism attached. Something will have broken so replacement is the only way to go.

Thank you for the reply.

Managed to take off the door trim without braking too many fixings! As the window was stuck down I could not get to the bolts that hold the glass in place so removed the part of the mechanism with the motor - I did not think the motor was faulty as I had still been getting a grinding noise when trying to operate the window. This revealed some twisted metal cable - which I believe is what caused the problem. After untangling this a bit, still without removing the metal plate I managed to pull the window up by hand. First took it as far as to be able to access the bolts that hold the glass in place but these were stiff. So, rather than undoing them I pulled the window right up to the top.

The decision now is whether to remove the plate and try and sort out the cable (which I am not sure will be effective) or just to leave it as it is - doing something to stop the glass from dropping. I think my wife could get by without needing to open the passenger window. The car is not worth that much anyway - so eventually selling it without that window working might not change the value that much.