Window regulator permanent fix for stretched cable

[Dave S.]

Glad this is working for everyone that has tried it. My window still functions perfectly after all this time. I fixed the pictures at the beginning of this thread as I'm using a new free picture hosting service now.

Originally Posted by Dave S.

I finally got around to opening up the door panel to install my (hopefully) permanent fix for the problem of too much slack in the window regulator cable. The sympton of my problem was that the window would not drop enough to clear the top when I opened the passenger side door. The window would still roll up and down properly, it just wouldn't drop enough to clear the top. The window had excessive play in the cable system, which could be felt by rolling the window 1/2 way down and then pulling up and down on the glass. The window would easily move at least 1/2 inch up and down. (Update: I used to think it was because the cable stretched, but someone in this thread pointed out that there is a small plastic guide that breaks causing the cable to have excessive slack. - So I now believe this is truly a permament fix if done before the cable frays at the motor.)

I used a $3.00 bicycle brake cable adjustment barrel to take up the slack and add some adjustability to the window regulator system. Hopefully this will be a permanent fix. It was pretty easy to install and did not require the window regulator to be removed from the door.
I had to drill out the front lower corner bracket a small amount and I had to remove the original factory end from the cable housing. All of this was easily doable while installed in the door. This what the final fix looks like:



You may remember my temporary fix from another thread:

[WhipE350]

Here is another approach that worked great for me. I recently sold my 2000 'S' and the gentleman accidentally put to much stress on the window (I didn't show him well enough how the doors open with the top up) and either the cable stretched or a piece broke. Well anyway he came over before leaving for Kentucky and we came up with the great fix.

Using a bicycle cable barrel (yellow arrow) in the exact shape as the factory barrel (orange arrow), only smaller, we were able to pull up the 1/4 inch slack preventing the window from dropping far enough to open the door. It is kind of like stacking barrels.

To do this we had to file down the area the factory barrel recesses into (see green arrow). This allowed us to snap the barrel back into place since it was not possible to pull the cable enough to get the barrel back into the hole it seats in.

This fix would go very fast but while learning we dropped the cable off the pulley (red arrow). The cable is hard to get back on. There is a little notch in the pulley for getting it past the guide. Once back in though we were able to put the fix together.

I'd like to thank everyone that posted here, this forum still rocks. Saved us big time.

[Troy.Boxster]

My driver side window would not drop down enough when opening the door and it would also make a grinding noise while operating (and sometimes stop when in auto mode). My cable was loose, but it was because it had jumped the pulley at the top left. Once I got the cable back on the pulley and lubed the tracks, there was still a little slack (all the green guides were fine, though), so I added one of the bike cable barrels. Now everything works great... until the cable jumps the pulley again - probably when I open the door before waiting for the window to move enough.