Freelander 1 Rear Tail Door Window Not Operating

My rear/tail door window has stopped working. It is fully up and doesn't drop when opening door and doesn't move pressing the button on console.

If I press the down button on console, I hear 2 faint clicks about 0.5 and 1 second after pressing the button, which I presume is the dual relay in the boot. The lights dim on the dash a bit. So the car is trying to wind the window down, but nothing is happening.

My plan is to swap what ever is broken with bit off my parts car. I don't really know what is involved in changing the 'regulator' or what ever - will need to find out if the runners, cabling and motor are swapped as a single unit, or whether I can leave the runners (and therefore not need to detach the glass).

First though, I wanted to have a look and familiarise myself with the components. I managed to open the door and removed the trim panel.

Had a look over everything, had a look at how the motor is fixed to the door - and was amazed to find that there had obviously been some kind of event that has tried to rip the motor from its mounts and split the door casing on all 3 on its fixings. Here's the door...


I initially thought the car had been hit from the back, top of door push in and bottom out, but door is straight...


Then realised the motor is not connected to anything else, just the inside panel of the door, so it cant, have been and accident, the motor itself must have tried to rip itself from its fixings (presumably winding in a cable that was on its limit (it window fully up)...


Here's a closer, if slightly blurred pic of the fixings and damage...


So those mounts, especially the bottom one, are knackered. I'm not going to be able to repair them.

I suppose I could put a plate over them with a hole for the mounting screw to go through if the screw is long enough.

What are people's thoughts?

My current thinking is that it may be easier to simply swap the door over with the one from the parts car. However, is that a job easier said than done? Is it difficult to get the door lined up?

My car is an early '99 L Series. The parts car is a 2001 - I presume the door components are the same and the electrical connectors will simply plug in. I will check this.

GrumpyGel said:

So those mounts, especially the bottom one, are knackered. I'm not going to be able to repair them.

I suppose I could put a plate over them with a hole for the mounting screw to go through if the screw is long enough

Click to expand...

It's not uncommon to see those splits.
Large diameter washers either side of the split metal will sort out the motor fixings, adding longer screws if needed.

GrumpyGel said:

My current thinking is that it may be easier to simply swap the door over with the one from the parts car. However, is that a job easier said than done? Is it difficult to get the door lined up?

Click to expand...

You really don't want to be swapping the tail door.
It's not an easy job, and definitely one to avoid if you can.

Nodge68 said:

You really don't want to be swapping the tail door.
It's not an easy job, and definitely one to avoid if you can.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, its appreciated.

Is that because its difficult to line up Nodge? I know its going to be a heavy beast.

Looking at Rave, its 3 electrical connectors, the washer pipe and 6 bolts. I hate working on windows and the thought of trying to replace all that gubbins in the door is not very appealing.

GrumpyGel said:

Is that because its difficult to line up Nodge? I know its going to be a heavy beast.

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It's really difficult to line up.
I'm pretty sure the factory use a special alignment jig. The door is also stupidly heavy, which makes handling it and bolting it into place a real pain.
I've done it, and would definitely try to avoid doing it again.

GrumpyGel said:

Looking at Rave, its 3 electrical connectors, the washer pipe and 6 bolts. I hate working on windows and the thought of trying to replace all that gubbins in the door is not very appealing.

Click to expand...

The tail door window is a bit of a pain, but insignificant pain compared to swapping the whole door.

Can you not just remove the whole window regulator out of the parts car and over to yours, putting some large washers either side if the split in the process?

Nodge68 said:

The tail door window is a bit of a pain, but insignificant pain compared to swapping the whole door.

Can you not just remove the whole window regulator out of the parts car and over to yours, putting some large washers either side if the split in the process?

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OK you convinced me - sure I'll end up in an asylum rather than finishing the job though

I presume I'm going to have to cut the wire on my car to lower the window to disconnect it from the runners?

The irony is that the jump leads weren't in the boot and are not in the garage. Pretty sure my son has "borrowed" them even though he says he hasn't got them.

GrumpyGel said:

I presume I'm going to have to cut the wire on my car to lower the window to disconnect it from the runners

Click to expand...

You can often unthread the window drive wire from the motor to allow the window to drop. The other way which is faster is to cut the cables where they go to the upper pulley guide. This will allow the window to drop, but put something below, or it'll drop with some force.

Use a 10mm spanner, put hand in and loosen the glass holding bolts where the clips fit at the base of the glass, then the glass lifts out the top. Simples!!

If space is too tight, either remove the top glass seal and lift it off, then a spanner fits down the top or find someone with smaller hands to do it!!

Sorry I missed this thread earlier, Plus one with loosening the bolts that hold the window and lift the glass out, you'll need to remove it anyway.

Nodge68 said:

It's really difficult to line up.
I'm pretty sure the factory use a special alignment jig. The door is also stupidly heavy, which makes handling it and bolting it into place a real pain.
I've done it, and would definitely try to avoid doing it again.

Click to expand...

I planned to swap the boot doors on my two cars as the new one is rusty at the window. I think I'll wait until I have help.

Alibro said:

I planned to swap the boot doors on my two cars as the new one is rusty at the window. I think I'll wait until I have help.

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I would.
I used my engine crane to take the weight, but it was still a PITA to do, and I was never happy with the alignment after the new door was fitted, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the door alignment as good as it was from the factory.

Nodge68 said:

I would.
I used my engine crane to take the weight, but it was still a PITA to do, and I was never happy with the alignment after the new door was fitted, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the door alignment as good as it was from the factory.

Click to expand...

I think I'll maybe put this on the long finger then.

Right - decided it was **** or bust today - it was going to get addressed.

I needed the car to get to the parts shop to get some jump leads to open the parts car - that meant I had to get the glass out first so I could shut the back door.

10mm spanner in hand, managed to get purchase on the bolts holding the glass, few 1/4 turns, and out it came - easy-as, cheers @andyfreelandy. As the intention was to use advice from @Nodge68 and put washers either side of the split panel work, also took the bolts out securing the motor to find out what length screws I would be needing. However, the screws had huge amounts of thread on them, took a stupid number of turns for them to come loose - so deduced they could be reused as a couple of turns less putting them back in was still going to make them stronger than the compromised panel work.

So good start ... can only go downhill from here

Got myself a new set of jump lease and sorted some washers.

Connected power to parts car, with fingers crossed, but needn't have worried, the window did its bit and wound down. Pulled the handle and a bit of effort to break a many-years seal of moss and lichen and the door was open.

Glass out, runners/regulator out. Back to road car, runners/regulator out, the top bolts on the runners put up a bit of a fight to get them back enough not to catch, but no real problems.

Its still going to easy for my liking, however, now to the "main event" - installing it all.

Getting the bits into place is a bit cumbersome, but actually went in a lot easier than I was fearing. Adjusted the bolts on the bottom of the runners to what my "inexpert" opinion on a rightish sort of location would be. Put all the bolts/nuts on 'finger tight'. Gave the glass a clean as it was filthy along the bottom where it never clears the door frame. Then slide the glass into place and tightened the retaining bolts and all the other bolts. Plugged in electrical connectors, and even managed to reuse the clip holding the heated window wires in place.

It all went far to easily, but moment of truth - will it work! Of course it did, worked perfectly! Even the runner adjustments had the glass sitting in the correct position, however it was a bit off to 1 side. So after a couple of adjustments, go that sorted and its perfect.

So glad I listened to @Nodge68 and replaced the regulator mechanisms rather than the door.

Then to put the faulty stuff on the parts car so it will be weather tight. This is where it all went completely bandy - which was my fears for the road car.

As the regulator was stuck in the completely up position, I wanted to lower it a bit so if sat just below the top trim. I dismantled the motor/spool and took 1 loop off - my thinking that may put enough slack in the system for the glass to drop a bit. But it completely fecked everything up. With the wire now not tight, it was falling off pulleys and the glass holders were falling off the runners. I managed to get the runners into place and bolt the motor on - but feck knows where the wire was going. Lowering the glass into position and fixing it to the mounts kept them on the runners, but the window sat about 1/3 open.

Thinking about it, with the motor spool separated, I should probably have manually turned the spool (emulating the motor) so that it kept the wire tight. Ahh well, you live and learn.

Thanks for the advice people.