Easy fix for 308 power windows

Chris,

I am a dummy and have NOT tackled this job yet but let me be the "wet blanket," so to speak.



(Tongue-in-Cheek, but seriously)

Now that you have penetrated the casings, what happens when it rains (we all know that Ferraris shrink) or when you wash it with dehidrated water to prevent rust what happens to the mechanism?

 

Wow, I just spent a few hours today tinkering with 308 power window mechanisms. That is BRAVE! Looks like it worked, congrats.

For anyone wanting to remove and redo everything, Birdman's how to is wonderful.

 

I would prefer removing/cleaning/reinstalling the components to drilling holes and spraying WD 40 (which won't last long) but if you are happy with what you did, that's all that really matters.

 

Well, I deleted my first response shortly after writing it because I decided there was no reason to "argue."

But if you took your car to a shop to have the window issue addressed would you be happy when they told you that their "fix" was to drill holes in your door and shoot WD40 in the mechanism? WD40 is NOT a lubricant; and using it as a lubricant will not last. It's fine for cleaning/freeing mechanisms but it's use in an application like this needs to be followed by the proper lubricant.

This is like putting STP in an engine to repair a burning oil problem except in this case, you actually did "harm" to the car that is unnecessary just to save a few hours of work to do it properly. And you WILL have to do it right eventually though I guess you could just keep shooting WD40 in there every few months...

Yeah, I guess I'm stuffy if being so means doing proper repair.

 

Chris,

How to win friends & influence people NOT! Mike has been around here for a long time & is knowledgable and experienced. But regardless, just because someone disagrees with how you did this does not make them "stuffy" or a "know it all" or in need of "getting over themselves"

Its your car, do what you like with it but if you stick something like this up in an internet forum, why would you be surprised that people question the wisdom of it? FWIW I also think that what you have done is a temporary fix. How long it will be before you need to re-apply the WD40 is anyone's guess and indeed nobody can say what the long term wear effects of treating the (probably irreplaceable) mechanism this way will be. Maybe it will be fine, maybe it won't. You don't know any more than we do how it will work out & so you can not "sell it" as a guaranteed long term fix in my view. It is neither tried nor tested.

I think that is all I read from what Mike said and I agree with him that its not something I would do either.

Lastly, if you interact with people in this way you might find them far less likely to want to help you when you really need it, and with these cars, that day will come eventually.

 

I concur. (At the risk of sounding stuffy... )

 

+1

Have to chime in here, WD 40 is a water displacer not a lubricant.
Might as well do the job correctly once.

 

Jeepers ........

 

What he said +1

 

A 20 minute fix?

You could halve that time by drilling through the outer door skin to the mechanism. That way you don't even have to unlock the car and open the door...










...I'll get my coat.

 

Can you spray in lithium grease after using thenWD40?
Also, it sounds like you can not remove the window motor without moving the cables?

 

I would consider my biggest concern (amongst many) would be where are the chips going? Some went into the gearbox for sure.

John

 

It's like filling the gearbox... just spray in grease until it dribbles out the hole. Then when it comes time to change the grease, drill another hole in the bottom of the door.

You're not perforating the body, you're reducing weight!

 

suit you sir!!

 

If my technician said "I can do a quick temporary fix and will only have to drill a few holes in the door...hopefully wont drill too far into the mechanism; or, I can fix it PROPERLY but will cost you more" -- I have a pretty good idea PROPER would be my answer.

Rats...I guess I'm stuffy too (certainly not a know it all).

 

When I freshened my interior (not replaced with 6-8K's worth of stuff, as the purists would have it), I also removed the door panels. I did a deep clean of the internals of the door, including the window hardware. I removed the plastic shields first, Then, I used 409 and scrubbed and flushed with hot tap water using a watering can. After drying, I liberally sprayed WD-40 inside and operated the window mechanisms several times to further flush out the goop. After letting the WD-40 drain, I wiped out the area until all was clean and shiny but not oily. I then lubed the cable and pulley with grease (probably white lithium, but it's been a while). Replaced the shields and finished the panels. All works just fine still.
It's not 'fast' but it is faster than before, smoother and reliable. To make it go faster is an electrical concern. I haven't tried them, but Birdman's accelerators may do the job for speeding them up.

 

You could do it in 5 seconds, break the window. OK, it's always open.

I too wouldn't be a fan of drilling holes in the car. Good temporary fix, but WD40 probably isn't the best product to use. You'd need a molybdenum disulphate based product IMO. That would be longer lasting.

ATEOTD providing Chris is happy that's all that matters, he chose to do it this way. He's posted and shared his way and some may follow, some won't.

 

Nah, sorry, don't buy that. All he said was:

"I would prefer removing/cleaning/reinstalling the components to drilling holes and spraying WD 40 (which won't last long) but if you are happy with what you did, that's all that really matters. "

Where you get "pompus & proper" in that I have no clue.

and to which you responded with a character defamation (and you are still at it in your latest post.)

Wholly unnecessary IMO & personally I think you owe him an apology.