RAV4 driver door window fell down, DIY or Pro?

[andyd]

Taking the door panel off ,be aware of the various switches and controls , etc.. The door panel on the Grand Wags has a mirror joystick that I tore apart during my first go. I would find a video to watch before I did anything. I successfully replaced a window motor on a 528e. Having a Bentley manual and an on line E 28 forum helps a lot Another thing is to have the other door open,in case of accidentally tripping the locks.

The Rat has only 2 wires going to the doors. I had the panels off doing the speakers. I did grease up the regulator whilst I was in there. The plastic panels can be removed by hand once the first clip is popped Another thing to do while the panel is off is to clean the door bottoms and make sure the drains are open. Be sure to make a new vapor barrier with a bag and duct tape

 

[fdcg27]

This is almost certainly a power window regulator needing replacement.
These parts are dirt cheap on Rock and the job shouldn't be a hard one to do.
I've done a total of five of these on various Accords that we've owned, most recently both fronts on the '02 this past spring, for a parts cost of around ninety dollars total.
I can find better ways in which to spend an hour, but the job is not difficult at all.

 

[Yup]

Had a Civic that would do this in the winter when the plastic and rubber got stiff. My wife drove it and EVERY winter, multiple times, she'd roll it down and it'd fall off the track. After the 2nd winter, about the 5th time of doing this, I got ticked off because it took half a night and your hands got cut to pieces on the door. Lighting was awful, etc. Had to go mostly by feel. She'd say, "well I didn't feel like opening the door for the mailbox/drive thru/bank teller." So, after this time, I just left the door panel off and after the first day she complained of not having an arm rest or door handle to pull to get out. Oddly, I'm still married. If you decide to do it, you NEED the $10 set of panel tools to pop stuff off. Or you'll end up buying $10 of parts you break off. And you'll break stuff anyway. It's a pain job, but not impossible. It's an 8/10 for the number of times you'll swear. Oil changes are a 1. Valve adjustments are a 4. Brake jobs are a 6.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Yup
Had a Civic that would do this in the winter when the plastic and rubber got stiff. My wife drove it and EVERY winter, multiple times, she'd roll it down and it'd fall off the track. After the 2nd winter, about the 5th time of doing this, I got ticked off because it took half a night and your hands got cut to pieces on the door. Lighting was awful, etc. Had to go mostly by feel. She'd say, "well I didn't feel like opening the door for the mailbox/drive thru/bank teller." So, after this time, I just left the door panel off and after the first day she complained of not having an arm rest or door handle to pull to get out. Oddly, I'm still married. If you decide to do it, you NEED the $10 set of panel tools to pop stuff off. Or you'll end up buying $10 of parts you break off. And you'll break stuff anyway. It's a pain job, but not impossible. It's an 8/10 for the number of times you'll swear. Oil changes are a 1. Valve adjustments are a 4. Brake jobs are a 6.
At that point I would have just unplugged the wire for the window motor so she couldn't roll it down.

 

[LoneRanger]

Her dad has stepped in to assist. He knows auto body and glass stuff.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
This is almost certainly a power window regulator needing replacement.


if that's the case there is an outstanding recall for that in this generation of RAV4. it's new, letters didn't go out yet.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
How many times did she try to open it when it was frozen? My 15 year old 300K Camry has had no window problems, and sees at least two ups and two downs evey day. IMHO to be sure it all goes back together properly you should let a pro do it, but there are stereo install videos which show how to get at the door speakers (and everything else) by removing the door card if you want to try.


Then you are lucky, window regulators are one of the Camry weak points. Yes, I know this from personal experience. Actually the whole power window setup is weak (including the wiring that get split at the door jamb and questionable switches as well). Personally, I prefer manual windows for greater reliability.