Window reg repair kit vs Full replacement reg

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Tannaton

Active Member
Posts
288
Location
Beverley, East Yorkshire, UK
This has been discussed a few times now, just thought I would add my experience. A few months ago I repaired x3 windows on my FL1 with kits from the Window Reg Shop on ebay. "How To" videos on You Tube were excellent, but some kits had parts missing or incorrect parts. Average cost about £14.

This week cable snapped on o/s/r window which I had repaired, so bought full reg from RibbleValley 4x4 on ebay for £33, cables look thicker, 15 min to fit not 1.5 hours, lesson learned!
 
My tailgate cable snapped. ****ed about for hours with one of those kits. Put it in, didn't work, cables snagged, came of the runners etc etc. eventually gave up and got a new kit for £70. Motor and runners etc. it doesn't drop enough sadly when u open the door and close it so u have to push the glass in when u shut the door but it was so much quicker to replace the whole lot.
 
I bought a reconditioned regulator for my tailgate. It worked perfectly 1st time. It took me a bit to sort out the angle of the glass to get it just right but it was worth the work. It cost £35 on eBay. I recon I was quite lucky. But we all need a bit of luck from time to time. :)
 
I have used kits from some of the sellers on eBay,

first was a tailgate from nonstop-auto went in reasonably but didn't have good quality cables and liners in the otters. I have had to replace this as it snapped, (but I think I may have kinked the cable slightly as I fitted it leading to premature failure).

Second was a pair of door kits from nonstop-auto again, they supplied the wrong kits so I ended up using the best OE parts from 2 regulators to make one ( for a mates freelander drivers. Side) eventually I got these returned and refunded after all of the problems

Third kit was from windowregshop for the passenger door. This went in perfectly and has given no problems since fitting (again I had problems with the kit - the sliders were missing but they sent a set of sliders out straightaway, so top marks for customer service.)

Fourth kit was the replacement tailgate window kit. Very happy with this one. Is working perfectly ( the one from nonstop-autos didn't drop the window properly to open the door)

As a side note I use all my windows regularly as I remove my roof and open all the windows on a nice day.

Would I buy a complete regulator? Never LR one is around £100 I can buy 5-6 repair kits for this price, and a non LR one will only be the same cables as in a kit available seperatly and they are still 2-3 times the price of a kit...
 
I have used kits from some of the sellers on eBay,

first was a tailgate from nonstop-auto went in reasonably but didn't have good quality cables and liners in the otters. I have had to replace this as it snapped, (but I think I may have kinked the cable slightly as I fitted it leading to premature failure).

Second was a pair of door kits from nonstop-auto again, they supplied the wrong kits so I ended up using the best OE parts from 2 regulators to make one ( for a mates freelander drivers. Side) eventually I got these returned and refunded after all of the problems

Third kit was from windowregshop for the passenger door. This went in perfectly and has given no problems since fitting (again I had problems with the kit - the sliders were missing but they sent a set of sliders out straightaway, so top marks for customer service.)

Fourth kit was the replacement tailgate window kit. Very happy with this one. Is working perfectly ( the one from nonstop-autos didn't drop the window properly to open the door)

As a side note I use all my windows regularly as I remove my roof and open all the windows on a nice day.

Would I buy a complete regulator? Never LR one is around £100 I can buy 5-6 repair kits for this price, and a non LR one will only be the same cables as in a kit available seperatly and they are still 2-3 times the price of a kit...

I'm not suggesting that you can't do a perfectly good repair with the cable kits - you can - but in my limited experience it was much easier and less hassle to buy the complete (albeit pattern part) regulator. Now I have had chance to look at the regulator I pulled out, the cable hasn't snapped it's pulled through the nipple where it fits in to the slider bracket. There is no guarantee that the new reg won't do the same and may well be made from the same parts, but if it does go I can return the full reg and not just the cables, and everyone seems to have had problems with the kits coming with incorrect parts.

Either route is a viable option but for me the reduce time/hassle was worth the extra £20.
 
I am doing everything on my motor on a mega budget. I have had a quick calculation I think I only have a total of £800 in this hippo to date.
 
Hi All. New to site although I have been on the FL2 site since we got a new SD4 for the missus after all the snow a few years ago. Just got a FL1 for myself and one of the windows isn't working. Dead as a dodo: no clicks or movement of any sort on either switch direction.

It's been changed before as I've come across an invoice for a new regulator in the paperwork. Previous owner said it hadn't worked since she had the windows heavily tinted.

Took the regulator assembly out yesterday but noticed the wires were wrongly connected (blue to red and vice versa). I've put a test bulb on the wires from the switch and they're both live depending on which way the switch is pressed which confused me for a moment until I realised the motor will need to spin in different directions for up and down. Doh!

I then tried putting power direct to the motor wires (I assume it earths through the frame somehow so put an earth clamp on it but the motor didn't budge either way. The cables are all tidy on the spool, no breaks kinks, in fact all looks as I would expect. I assume the motor is blown and have ordered a complete regulator from LR Trade Parts for £35.

Is it worth trying to power up the motor on the replacement unit before I install it? Will I do any damage?

Thanks in anticipation...

Freddy
 
The motor live and earth swap over for up and down. Doesn't earth through the body.

The danger of running the motor out of the door is going past the top of the frame with the slider. You then need to strip the cables out and rewind them.

You won't damage the motor if you power it up as per the normal wiring. But you can usually plug them into the door wiring before you fit it if you really want to check it works.
 
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Fitted a new regulator to mine only yesterday 30 mins start to finish, can not be bothered to mess around with trying to fit new cables. Cost £34 off E-bay for OEM part.
 
Took the regulator assembly out yesterday but noticed the wires were wrongly connected (blue to red and vice versa). I've put a test bulb on the wires from the switch and they're both live depending on which way the switch is pressed which confused me for a moment until I realised the motor will need to spin in different directions for up and down. Doh!

I then tried putting power direct to the motor wires (I assume it earths through the frame somehow so put an earth clamp on it but the motor didn't budge either way. The cables are all tidy on the spool, no breaks kinks, in fact all looks as I would expect. I assume the motor is blown and have ordered a complete regulator from LR Trade Parts for £35.

Is it worth trying to power up the motor on the replacement unit before I install it? Will I do any damage?

If you can lay your hands on a basic digital multimeter, this is the best test of the wiring. Connect the meter to the two wires going to the motor and have it on DC volts. With the switch in one direction you should get plus + 12 volts (or battery voltage), in the other direction you should get minus -12 volts. REMEMBER When doing this test you must refit the door switch to the wiring loom if there is one (i.e. rear door of a 5 door).
 
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