Window off Track!! Need to take off door panel...

[bez]

Hey guyes, this morning i rolled down my window to pay the gastation guy and then.... rolls up half way and stops. I can see that the window moved to the right and its off track. Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Any how-to sites or anything? Or at least how can i get the door panel off a 96 civic? Thanks

[94civic]

there is a screw on the door handle part and where(if you look straight into the handle you'll see it on the bottom) then there is one more screw and it where you open the door at. take these two screws out and take out those pieces and stick a flat head screwdriver under the panel and pop it out. once you hear it pop out just get your hands in there and just go around the panel and keep pulling it out. once you do that just take the panel and lift it up and pull it out. the roll the window down until you see the two 10mm screws that are holding the window on the track and take those out while someone is holding the window up. then you take the window slide it in the front track the in the back, but make sure you go with the contour of the window and bring it down evenly as you put it back down then just screw the window back to the track and put the panel back and you're done.

[bez]

Thanks for the reponse 94civic. The thing u have to pop out, is that the piece where the handle and the lock is? I tried to take that out but it looks like the rod for the handle and lock is stopping it from comming out....and are these instructions for a 96+ civic? Thanks again

[bez]

OK, i got the panel off, and i tried to do what u told me... but midway the windows poping out of the track!!!!! I can actually see the window slightly moving down to the right and then because of that, the right track bends like 1/4 in. Anyone have any ideas? Any special techniques?

[gunnmen01]

Theres a service bullentin on 96 and 97 civic coupes with windows that pop out of the run channel like that.... you can try fixing it, but if it continues to pop out. Your gonna have to replace the window regulator....


gunnmen01

[bez]

You're saying that the window regulator may have gone bad?

[gunnmen01]

Yes, look down inside the door with the window down. Roll it up a little and see if the regulator looks bent....


gunnmen01

[bez]

Regulator looks fine... i read somewhere that said the rubber track (sash?) could dry up and cause the window to come off track. He said u should grease it up to moisturize it kinda. Anyone hear this before?

[gunnmen01]

We have a dry silicone spray that we use on the run channels, dont use wd-40 it will collect dust....


gunnmen01

[wheel1856]

Chances are that regulator is bent - I'd bet my right nut on it. I've reshaped mine about 3 times before I finally got a new one from a bone yard. There is a clip holding the crank arm for the window to the door, get something small and hooked shape to grab it outa there, it's shaped like an Omega and a pain to get out.

The rubber track has probably popped out at the bottom of the front track. It's likely that on a '96 it hasnt dried out, just come out of the metal track, but conditioning it doesnt hurt, and you may want to put a flexible glue in the track to hold the rubber in place.

Then, check the weld holding the metal track in front to the door panel, in the 5 gens, these weld were one poorly done spot weld, mine actually came close to breaking, the metal parts down there might be bent or cracking apart - another cause for the window to come off track.

I know that all of this sounds pretty crazy, but with all the torque that comes from that initial push or pull of the crank arm, it adds up after a while. Ever get punched in the shoulder? Doesnt hurt much at first, but after a while....

Anyway, good luck. You definetly have to get that door panel all the way off. You may also just have a loose screw holding the window to the regulator arm, there's a lot of grease down there, its possible.

good luck
-wheel

[bez]

Thanks for the help guys, but you owe me a right nut Wheel :P Some greese did the trick(ok a lot of it ) I just hope it lasts!

[wheel1856]

Damn.

I figured it would be bent, I didnt think mine was at first, I just thought a bad pothole popped it, but it was bent just slightly and that was doin it.

luckily I primarily use my left nut.

glad you got it fixed.

[bez]

Since this was a pain to do, I figured I'll write a how-to to get to the window (this was done on a 96 Civic):

Get the door panel off:
1- Take off the screw behind the door handle.
2- Unplug the cable for the power locks.
3- Slide out the plastic cover by moving it around the door handle.
4- Remove the 2 screws that hold the door handle/lock.
5- Remove the screw in the arm rest.
6- Pry the plastic cover off slightly and then slide the whole thing to the left, up, and off.
7- Unplug the cable.
8- Remove the screw inside there.
9- Pop or pry off the speaker cover. Do this from the left because there are plastic slots on the right. Don't brake those off.
10- Remove the 3 screws behind the speaker grill.
11- Now you have all the screws out, so start prying the panel off (I used my hands) from the top right, under the side mirror and continue around the bottom until you reach until the top left. Prying the panel will release the pins.
12- There are no pins on the top so just lift the whole panel up and remove it.
13 - Take off the cable for the speaker for more leverage. And that's done.

Getting to the window:
1- Once the panel's off, you'll see the moisture guard. Use a heat gun to heat the adhesive and pull the plastic off, or just go around and cut the adhesive with a razor.
2- You might have to take off a few things like the metal piece that was under the arm rest. So do that until most of the cover is off. If you're working on the driver's side door, just take off the left part of the cover and leave the right alone and use it kinda like a hinge.
3- Now get the piece with the window controls and plug it back in.
4- Move it up and down and you will notice how the mechanism works.
5- The window's held by 2 screws. Make sure they're tight.
6- On the left and right, you can see the track. It's a black rubber piece. Make sure that the window is in both the tracks.
7- If it isn't, loosen the 2 screws holding the window (The 2nd screw can be seen and loosened through a 1 inch hole. Move the window up/down until you see it)
8- Once you loosened the screws, move the window to the right (or left if you're working on the passenger side) and then all the way up with your hands. You'll need a friend here.
9- It's a good idea to now use some dry silicone in the tracks to moisturize them. They tend to go dry. Drop some from the top and it will run down through the track.
10- Now drop the glass in the track slowly contouring to the track until you reach the bottom regulator (the metal bracket where the 2 screws for the window were)
11- Now get the screws back onto the regulator and tighten. Remember, you have to get the screw back to the left (or right if passenger side).
12- That's about it! My problem was the dry track but it can also be a bent regulator.

Good Luck!!
:licker: