456 Windows

Hi, I am a new member of the Ferrari Family having just acquired a 456GT.

I have a problem with my passenger side window which is sitting about 3mm out from the door pillar.

Any ideas how to fix?

Thanks
Knighty

 

hit the search button; mucho discussed about 456 windows.

 

Have a dealership run your VIN for the Window Regulator Update repair...confirm that has been "done'.

But there's been some even more effective re-enginering of the regulator itself, there's info out there...

Welcome and congrats it's a good car, otherwise......

 

Thanks guys. Found the thread now. Explains it all perfectly. Will also look into the upgrade.

Knighty

 

It's possible if your car has not seen the Factory Campaign a dealer would still honor it.....not sure.

Glad you found the thread!

IIRC it was more about how the glass met the gasket, the inboad/outboard position may just be an adjustment. I watched the update being installed and after that, it was just an lot of patience and time to adjust it "correct"......

Probably stouter parts is the way to go.....

 

I searched through the threads and found lots of discussion but did not find specific info on the repair. Please provide link or describe the thread. Thanks.

Keith

 

Indeed a lot has been written on the 456 windows. I don't know exactly which thread it was but if you search for window regulator, it should easily be found. There is a company that takes out the alloy coupling in the center of the scissor mechanism and replaces it with a steel piece.

If your mechanism is still within adjusting range, there is probably no need to have this fix done (yet). However I would advise you to take some pre-emptive action on the window mechanisms, and not just do an adjustment. If the affected side can still be adjusted, undertaking a cleaning and regreasing action will prolong it's life. Doing this on the side that still works properly will also prevent it failing in due time.
Here's the deal: the vertical window channels are lubricated from factory with a kind of grease that dries out and hardens, putting a lot of strain on the regulator mechanism. Especially if the front track is affected the mechanism is overloaded and this can deform the coupling. The best way of doing this cleaning action is to take the window out of the door and to clean all the parts with brake cleaner or similar. This sounds more difficult than it is, but if you’re not experienced I advise you not to do it yourself. You can choose to only clean the tracks ads far as you can see/feel, but it will be difficult to clean them all the way and thorough enough without taking them out, while with the window in place it is also impossible to properly clean the sliding parts that are attached to the window. The top parts of the tracks are generally the worst affected and the most important to get right, but the most difficult to get at.

Another issue seen is that the window sliders are held into place by pieces of rubber that expand and sometimes get caught in the tracks with a similar result.

Armed with this knowledge it should not be too difficult to get the windows to work properly.

I think this probably affects 550's and 456M's as well, though the problem seems less prevalent on those.

Oh, and a word of warning: be careful not to operate the window while your hands are in there! These mechanisms are strong enough to do some serious damage.

 

since the left side window is usually the one with the gap.

 

Yes, it is a right hand drive car.
Knighty

 

The guy who upgrades the window regulators works at F1 in Naples, FL, the address and phone # I found through Google. Now, in my own experience, he fixed the regulators, all right, but reinstalling the things and adjusting the windows afterward still meant quite a bit of work, since somebody had previously attempted an improvised repair, and made a mess of the whole thing.

 

Patagonian: that's very common. Indeed the adjustment of the window is a small challenge, but as long as (or once) the regulator, sliders, etc are all in good shape, it's not difficult to get right.
It's when they tried in the past to fiddle around to get worn out or sticking parts working properly that things go wrong.
Cleaning the vertical sliders and rails prior to attempting anything makes a WORLD of difference here.

 

I just dropped my 575 off at F1 this morning. One thing I had mentioned to them was the amount of wind noise coming from both driver and passenger side windows at speeds above 60-70 mph. They looked at the windows and believe the issue to be the same as the 456's and even 550's. Their solution is their window regulator fix.

Question: Has anyone had these same issues with their 575 and has anyone had this fix applied to the problem. If so, what was your outcome??

 

Rick- Normal adjustment on 575 windows normally fixes it. Different geomtery from 456/M windows.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Thanks Terry.

 

The window regulator is only one part of the equation, the other parts being the movement of the glass fore and aft, the positioning of the door within the door opening and the actual door seal or gasket.
The regulator has a pin or fulcrum made of aluminum, that with time becomes loose and keeps the window from closing properly.
F-1 replaces the pin with a stainless steel one that gets welded in and will last the life of the car.
The play of the glass fore and aft needs to be adjusted to about 5 mm or so and the door itself, in some cases needs to be pulled in closer to the opening.
The gasket also needs to be fatten up where it comes in contact with the trailing edge of the window, that should be at least 10 mm or so (of glass over rubber).
Aside from the regulator fix, every car is a bit different and requires different adjustments.
Once the windows have been adjusted, it is important not to close the doors by pulling or pushing the windows (beware of valets...).