Appearances can be decieving. The window glass is being racked because there is a problem with the regulator. Something on the side the is not moving up is binding. Once you get the motor out and move the window by hand you'll feel the bind and may even be able to spot the faulty parts. Chances are you won't be able to fix it because when they fail it's a plastic part that breaks and the only recourse is to buy a new one.

 

Thanks - sounds like a good Saturday project.

 

You might want to pull the door panel and motor now to move the window up and down by hand because many times the part won't be in stock at your local parts store. It won't hurt to check ahead of time to be sure they have it. If they do you can wait till Sat. If they don't have it I'd pull the door apart NOW to make sure the regulator is at fault so you can place the order today. That way they should have it on their shelf by Sat. Add some extra lube to the regulator, before the install and put spray silicone on the rubber window runners.

 

Wanted to say thanks for the instructions. Worked great.

I had some knucklehead try and steal my Exp 03 using a slim jim type of device and took off after the drivers window shattered. In the process they damaged the regulator too.

I can add that replacing the glass is very straight forward once the regulator is out. Just remove the rubber track from the lock side of the door, tilt the glass in and down and with the glass held towards the bottom, reinstall rubber track, raise the glass and tape it as you continue replacing the regulator. Adds an extra 10 minutes tops.

-mick

PS And if the glass was broken, make sure you get all the glass out of the rubber track(s) before you insert the new glass. Just slide a flat screw driver up and down the length of the tracks.

 

I found this is a great set of instructions.
I do have a question, and that is... can I buy the nylon slide that the (metal clip on the glass) window bolts to?
Someone repaired it and did a bad job.
Also....The metal clip was loose on the front part of the window and needs to be gluded back in the glass. Need to know what glue to use.

BW

 

The clips come pre glued to new glass so I doubt you can get them seperate. The glue on mine looks like some semi hard silcone. The nylon slides were the part damaged on my regulator due to the slim jim. The only way to get them is by buying a new regulator - been there done that!

-mick

 

Thanks Mick,
That is what I was suspecting on the nylon slides. I may take the window to a auto glass shop and have them glue the clip to the glass. I believe it is a two part epoxy.

Bob W

 

YardBird excellent job on the info to change out the regulator. Because of it I had all the material I needed and completed the job without a hitch. The tool and material list was super and the pictures and descriptions of how to proceed made the job go so smooth I was very impressed.

Thanks <<<My ducks are in a row>>>

 

Before i started replacing them myself, i found that most auto glass shops are much cheaper than the dealer for replacing regulators, especially if you supply the new part.

 

Great write up! I was out this weekend and used my driver window to put it back up...All I heard was a loud clunk and the sound of parts falling into the door. After a lot of cursing since it was raining, I got it back home and tore apart the door. I'm usually not one to dig into a project, generally due to lack of time..but I'm on a budget crunch this time of year and did not want to pony up the 3 large that the dealer wanted to fix it. I found the part online at rockauto.com and am still waiting on it to be delievered. I completely pissed that it happened since I barely drive the truck, only on weekends and its an 07 with only 50k miles. Either way, after 80 bucks for the part and a 30$ core charge, we'll see what happens. I know I will be referencing this thread to help me along the way. I'll try to get a few pictures posted of what actually happened....the darn cable just snapped on one side of the regulator.


Anyway, thanks for the help.

Ry_Guy

 

Another shout-out, and sincere thank you for this thread. I was able to replace my drivers side window thanks to these instructions on my 2003 Expedition. Part cost me $186 from the dealer, but I wanted to get it fixed today (hence the markup). Other places had it listed for $139 - $145, but required two-three days arrival (and unfortunately, my window was 'stuck in the DOWN position.

Some things I'd add to the thread, where I had difficulty:
- Disconnecting the door handle was harder than specified - to release it, look for the tab on the TOP of the door handle which holds the PIN. Lift this tab up, and it will release the pin.

- Also, when removing the bolts connected to the bottom of the window, unfortunately, I ended up pulling the tabs out from the bottom that holds the window. This was partially good as I was able to manually push the window up, then duct tape it all the way up to insert the new regulator. But, I had to put the window back down in the tabs carefully (locited them in place, tested, re-tested to make sure it would go up and down smoothly). So, be careful when removing these bottom bolts as it's better to ensure thee window tabs stay in place.


Am going to order the passenger side window regulator online next week and put it in with family in town (maybe impress them! ).

Thanks again!

 

yarbird - I wanted to thank you so much for your post on replacing the window regulator. I followed your instructions to the tee and was able to complete the job under 2 hours. You were right on with your pictures and facts. You truly saved me hundreds of dollars !!! It's people like you who make FORUMS enjoyable.

 

Thanks for the tip! My window won't go back up at the moment. It will go down. I took the door apart(up to removing the insulation?) the other day. I decided it was left better to the pros, so I made an appointment with the dealer. After researching this subject, and seeing that many people have paid $400+ at the dealer, I was happy to see this alternative. I just called one of those places you hear on the radio, and sure enough, they told me they will look at and diagnose the problem. If it needs parts, I need to order them myself. They said labor would be $85. Regardless, I feel better paying the $85 in hopes that they do the job right. I know if I tried to do it, I would replace one thing and find out it was the other.

 

$85 is an ecellent price especially for the front(door panel harder to remove and has more switches and wiring harnesses to deal with) as opposed to the rear. The door skin is like a razor blade on steroids so if you don't do this very often it's best to pay the $85. You'll save that much on BandAids by not doing it yourself. You have to determine if it really is the regulartor or the motor. If it were the regulator it would have problems going up AND down. If it is the motor which direction do you think is hardest to travel? Right, going UP is harder. Ford uses plastic and even rubber planetaries. You can repair the plastic ones with a 1/2" section cut out of a 3/8" shoulder bolt, but I haven't figured a way to repair the ones that use rubber planetaries. The thing is with Ford it is almost better to replace the regulator along with the motor even if only the motor is bad. The reason is the regultor comes with a new motor. Many times on Fords and the regulator only costs a few dollars more than a bare motor. One weird thing is if you buy a motor you have to pay a core charge, but if you buy a regulator(which comes with a motor) you don't have to pay the core charge. Go figure.

 

if you dont want to do it yourself, get a new regulator/motor assembly and bring it to an auto glass shop. Usually will be much cheaper than the dealer to swap out.