Window winder regulators for '81 Coupe GT

[Flying Frank]

Originally Posted by Hanuman

I’ve not seen one of these early motors before. Later motors were like a barrel, with two retaining screws, this looks like a large face plate.

With the later style units, you could loosen the screws. Then, when you hold the case while applying battery directly, could feel a twitch in the case if the motor is trying to run. It’s a very rough and ready way to tell. Gash!

A lack of use, and simple moisture ingress was sufficient to stop things working in my case. I’ve done it a couple of times, taking it all apart, cleaning, getting the motor running with no load, and then carefully putting back together.

However.
There’s mainly two aspects to all of this.


1. The motor. Is that dead? (sparks would suggest not, at least, not entirely). Or jammed?- could be corrosion, seized from lack of use, or

2. The gearbox and drive. The cables can bind up, get damaged. If you look at the cable runs. One of those is clearly not quite right (hand scribbled yellow ring) It could be that a combination of lack of use, and the cables binding up, effectively going ‘over-centre’ or just a bit too far. I can’t think of a Better description at this time of night.


I’ll post a pic shortly of what I suspect may be an issue, with hand scribbled references

Thanks also to you Mark for the advice and comments.

Having been wrestling far too recently with the electric windows off my 20 year old Polo Estate ( the daily and dog transport/walking motor ). I'm familiar with the design of motor you describe. I'm sure there is a potential market for renovation/overhaul of these electric window motors/ mechanisms as have experienced similar problems in the past and despite the Polo being relatively new, parts like the window regulators are also becoming hard to find, moreso as the Estate was made up from the VW parts bin and seems to have ancillary items from a variety of earlier Polo derivatives. But I digress.....

Agree with you about the cable and the spring which is an obvious fault , can't quite work out what the tensioned springs are supposed to do other than maybe assist the motor in turning the mechanism ( servo springs ? )

Will open up the plates later and see what lies beneath. Great shame really as the whole unit looks generally to be in great condition from a corrosion and wear point of view.

My main fear is taking out the plastic/nylon large cog which meshes with the end of the motor as the cable is wound around the hub of that cog and goodness only knows how it gets re-wound back on , must be done on some special machine I imagine.

Still , will have another look later. Thanks again for the advice.

[BackintheFold]

Those motors give muc better access when taking off the side plates. And you can roll the rotor round once the plate is off too.


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[Flying Frank]

Inspired by all the offers of help and advice, and with the rain hissing down, it was out to my workbench to see what damage I could inflict on the errant window mechanism.

Some of my worst fears materialised when separating the framed wires from the motor as springs definitely have moved, but it did give me the chance to work freely on the motor.

With appropriate screws removed this was what met my gaze.......
20210523_094519 by Frank Brejcha, on Flickr

Looked like it was the problem. Maybe it was but early days yet....read on.

Took the unit apart and after much faffing around with wire brush and electrical cleaner put it back together and tested for rotation. Nothing. Finally realised the two ball shaped parts that sit on the shaft are actually bearings for the shaft and after removing with gentle help from a vice , cleaned all sections , regreased., and re-assembled.

Like this.......
20210523_103422 by Frank Brejcha, on Flickr

In this picture you can clearly see the ball shaped bearing just to the right of the worm gear and the one at right hand far end. I think this was where the motor was seized and with cover replaced and all screws down, its working as one would hope.

Now comes the hard bit , re-assembling the frame and nylon toothed wheel back onto its shaft with sufficient tension to keep the cable tight......I think thats how the thing works anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong and any advice about tensioning up that cable whilst getting it back on the shaft will be gratefully received.

Back to the work bench.....coffee break over!

[John.]

No bother to you Frank!

[davow]

Great stuff

[Isimmo]

Top man

[4v6]

Water ingress, that old friend!

[Flying Frank]

Originally Posted by 4v6

Water ingress, that old friend!

Indeed it is, but now how the heck do you get those wires back onto the circular toothed wheel ?
2 hours worth of struggling so far.....seems like you need 4 hands to tension springs whilst also tensioning the cable onto the drum.

Audi must have some special tool for this job I'm sure ?

[davow]

I take it those cables want to jump out of the slots ? If you hold the casing in a vice can you G clamp or tool makers clamp the one plastic piece in the slot then wrap the cable round the pulley and then with your other 3 hands push the other plastic piece into the other slot? is there a lip on the pulley to stop the cable popping off the top? good luck

[BackintheFold]

Have you tried swearing like a docker?


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