My Front Left electric window broke yesterday. Grinding noises like glass or sand was stuck. Window didn't go all the way down and wouldn't go back up. I had to physically pull it up. Now every time I shut or door or car vibrates too much the window drops a little.

 

I've been quoted £200 for an independent garage for replace regulator. about £250 from the dealer to replace regulator. PArts said that a regulator was £120 and a new motor which was separate was £80.

 

There is a Skoda 2009 reg which is lying in a junkyard. Ripping out front left window the whole lot the person said would be £40.

 

Or would something like https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-PASSAT-WINDOW-REGULATOR-REPAIR-KIT-FRONT-LEFT-NEAR-SIDE-N-S-MK5-mark-5/312210477577

 

do if it's just the cable that snapped and there's no guarantee if a cable from 2009 would last any longer than my 2012? I can still hear whirring noises if I press the controls. I press down and hear rustling. I press up, and it eventually stops, presumable where the window would have stopped originally. 

£200 at the inde sounds the best bet out of those options. 

If it is the cable it is usually due to rain water (drip by drip) getting on to the spool. It is what happened to mine as I was shown it. It was obvious that water had corroded the wire/cable on the spool to eventually was all the protective grease away.

So to me that kit looks just the ticket if you have the skills and patience to do the work.

1 minute ago, Tech1e said:

£200 at the inde sounds the best bet out of those options. 

you don't think it could be just a snapped cable and that the one from ebay will fit?

 

£200 seems quite expensive for something that won't fail an MOT.

1 minute ago, Danny 57 said:

If it is the cable it is usually due to rain water (drip by drip) getting on to the spool. It is what happened to mine as I was shown it. It was obvious that water had corroded the wire/cable on the spool to eventually was all the protective grease away.

So to me that kit looks just the ticket if you have the skills and patience to do the work.

I don't have the skills, even if I did, another thread suggested parts of the job needed a second pair of hands, I can't get another set. 

 

I've always wondered this. when it rains or when the inside of windows fog up, I sometimes wind down all windows then back up again. where does water go? I never seen water drip from the bottom of door.

Those noises you are hearing is the cable trying to wrap itself around the spool with no lube and very little flexibility of the wire cable as the grease will be no existent.

 

As Techle says £200 seems a good price.

 

Edited 1 July, 20197 yr by Danny 57

The cable rusts and freys, the snapped strands separate from the sound cable and get caught up in the pulley wheels which causes the grating noise, the motor will be fine, you just need the lifter frame which comes with the cables.

As a temp repair, I have snipped away the broken strands and unwound them from the pulley to allow the mechanism to work to secure the car, still needs replacing though.

If your window has dropped on its own, the cable has probably snapped.

If it stays in place on its own but jammed, you may get away with this until your repairer can fit you in.

20 minutes ago, 3T51704x4 said:

The cable rusts and freys, the snapped strands separate from the sound cable and get caught up in the pulley wheels which causes the grating noise, the motor will be fine, you just need the lifter frame which comes with the cables.

As a temp repair, I have snipped away the broken strands and unwound them from the pulley to allow the mechanism to work to secure the car, still needs replacing though.

If your window has dropped on its own, the cable has probably snapped.

If it stays in place on its own but jammed, you may get away with this until your repairer can fit you in.

so you reckon I could get away with just buying a set of £8 cables from the ebay link?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-PASSAT-WINDOW-REGULATOR-REPAIR-KIT-FRONT-LEFT-NEAR-SIDE-N-S-MK5-mark-5/312210477577

 

 

 

By the sounds of it cables won’t be enough. 

Until you get in and have a look you won’t know.

I did say as a temp repair with a view to changing the frame.

I personally would go with the frame with cables already fitted as it is spring loaded and not tried to replace cables before on their own, it will be fiddly even for a mechanic, I can’t advise as I havn’t Changed them before, I have changed the frames though.

I rang around garages and all of them refused to fit just a cable, or rather they refused to quote me any price except "how every long it takes". All did give quotes for the whole regulator on the metal plate. 

 

it's about £8 for just the cablel, £15 for cable on the 2 plastic bits with pool reel cable already on. and £40 for the whole thing already on a metal backplate. the prices are off ebay.

 

the cheapest quote i've obtained so far is for the whole metal plate regulator at £35 + VAT. Maybe go with that one?

The reason is for a garage it is not worth the hassle, fitting a new regulator is straightforward and all the parts are new, so any damage to the plastic pulley wheels which may cause the cable to jump is eliminated.

It's also a case of warranty.

 

Any garage has to warranty their work. There is no guarantee a cable repair kit if going to last. Far more likely that a regulator is going to more reliable and is less hassle to fit (and thus less labour).

Fork out for whole thing

I have just repaired a 306 Cabrio with a cable as the units were on back order and I wont be doing it again 

Pain in the  rear
Spools were wrong direction of travel, clips holding springs were to loose,and cable was about 10mm too long 

All added up to  hours of work for a 30 min job😠